Advice from a Catholick to his Protestant friend, touching the doctrine of purgatory ... This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription B16717 of text R7268 in the English Short Title CatalogTextual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 495 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 190 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 B16717 Wing A632 ESTC R7268 11629126 ocm 11629126 47928 2240889169

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.

 Early English books online text creation partnership. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. B16717) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 47928) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 3:46a) Advice from a Catholick to his Protestant friend, touching the doctrine of purgatory ... [2], 18 [i.e. 16] p. s.n.], [Douai? : 1687. Place of publication from Wing. Reproduction of original in Harvard University Libraries. eng Purgatory. eebo Advice from a Catholick to his Protestant friend, touching the doctrine of purgatory ... n/a 1687 378 86866 690 0 0 0 0 0 79.43 D The rate of 79.43 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the D category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2014-01 Assigned for keying and markup 2014-01 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2014-02 Sampled and proofread 2014-02 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2014-03 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

ADVICE FROM A CATHOLICK To his Protestant FRIEND , Touching the Doctrine of Purgatory .

By way of Letter .

Printed in the Year , 1687.

Price Two Pence .

Advice from a Catholick to his Protestant Friend , &c. SIR ,

THO' at our last parting , I found you obstinate in your Unbelief , as to the matter of Purgatory , yet as I think my self bound both as a Christian , and as a Friend , to combate that dangerous Infidelity of yours , so I shall now undertake that Province with some new Efforts : Nevertheless I will not venture to Engage you singly with my own strength , but borrow the necessary forces from such as have been most vers'd in such sort of Conflicts . Wherefore to begin , I must tell you That your Repartées upon me when we last discours'd this point , rather spoke the Libertine than a Professor of Christianity . Purgatory ( you deridingly cry'd ) is not so hot as Folk talk . Who ever came back to tell us News of it ? God is merciful ; think you he takes delight to burn his Children , and to cut off the Price of his Son's Passion , who satisfied for our Sin. When I heard this I was afraid you would have proceeded and joyn'd with Atheistical Philosophers , in saying , That Death is the Remedy of all Evils , and that tht Soul separated from the Body hath no more to suffer . What could I less expect , when you so diametrically oppose not only the General Consent of all Ages , but also the General Opinion Practice , Sentence , and decisions of all the Church , in such sort , That there is not any Truth of our Faith more fortified .

As to the First , the Gentiles who lived out of the Law , were sensible of the noble extraction of the Soul , and knew it to be defiled by the Body , and by sensual Works . On this account had they recourse to feeble Elements to purifie it : One while washing themselves in virgin-streams , another passing thro ? Flames , and sometimes contriving other means to cleanse themselves from the Pollutions of the Flesh . And they were not content to purge themselves in this Life , but extend it to the Souls of the Dead , constantly believing they stood in need of Remedies to free themselves from Bodily stains . The Hebrews the Aegyptians , the Greeians and Romans all contended for Prayers for the Dead and the Truth of Purgatory . The Hebrews three times in the Year Celebrated the Feast of the Dead , and their Priest mounting up into a Four-square Pulpit made on purpose and Ceremoniously to represent the City of the Blessed , according to S. John , rehearsed aloud and Apoc. xxi 16. Civitas in quadro positas est . audibly the Names of the Dead , to recommend them to the Prayers of the present Congregation . Prayers so familiar amongst them , that they wrote them upon Tombs , instead of Epitaphs , in these terms : Sit Anima ejus colligata in Fasciculo viventium . Let his Soul be bound up in the Posie of the Living . As if we should say , all the Souls of the Saints were as an odoriferous Posie , whereof every Elect constituted a Flower .

The Aegyptians were so possessed with the Opinion that Souls were to be purg'd in the other Life , in as much as they had been drench'd in the voluptuous Pleasures of the Flesh , that in the Funerals of the Dead , having opened the Body , they took the Heart out of the Breast , and put it into a little Casket , then on the Bank of Nilus , where ordinarily Tombs were erected , a Herald holding the Casket , and shewing it to the Eyes of Heaven , protested before all then present , the Deceased now in Question had lived piously , and according to the Laws of his Ancestors ; that if he had offended through Bodily Pleasures , they wished his Soul might be as well cleansed , as they went about to purge the Stomach , the Instrument of the Lusts of the Living , thereupon they threw it into Nilus .

What need I mention the Grecians , their Prime Man Plato , nay termed the Divine , in his Phaedon spake so perspicuously for Purgatory , that he seems to have had his Education in Christian Schools . And as for the Romans , Quintilian in the very Infancy of Quint. Declam. 10. the Church , when as some of the Apostles were yet living , in a certain Plea. urges the Truth of Purgatory by saying , The Soul being purged by Fire , went to take place in Heaven . Besides Julius , a very ancient Author , speaking of the Death Julius , Florileg . lib. 3. of a Lady named Podon , observed in plain terms , That her Husband , who was one of the most ancient Christians , made Offerings for her , which he calls Gifts for Ransom of the Soul : Answerable to which Tertullian writeth , it was the Custom of the Ancient Church to Pray for the Souls of the Tertul. in Exhort . ad Castitat . Dead , yea , and to make annual Offerings for them .

Thus when we see a● Universal Agreement in a Proposition , it is not one man speaks , but the Mouth of Heaven , which uttereth this Verity . And also observe when the Holy Fathers produce an Example of Pagans , it is not to set us the Pagans for our Instruction , but to shew , that to waver in the Belief of things they generally held by the sentence of Nature , is to be worse than a Pagan .

Having thus proved the Universal Consent of all Ages and Countries , I now proceed to shew it to have ever been the Universal sense of the Church . For this purpose in France view the Council of Chalons upon Saone , for Prayers for the Dead , and the Truth of Purgatory . In Spain that of Praga ? in Germany that of Worms ; in Italy the Sixth General Council held at Rome , under Pope Symmachus ; in Greece a number of Synods collected by Martius : In Africk , the Third of Carthage ; and lastly , the Three Oecumenical of Lateran , Florence and Trent , which say the same . A man that hath but the least sense , surely needs no more than this to be possessed with the truth .

Ay but you object , That Jesus made Purgation of Sins , and said to the Good Thief , Thou shalt to day be with me in Paradice . A goodly Consequence ! Jesus purged Sins , there is then no Purgatory ! Might you not as well say Jesus pray'd for Remission of our Sins , then we no longer stand in need of Prayer or Penance . Besides you would seem to intimate by saying , the Good Thief went directly to Paradice without feeling Purgatory , that we assert it was necessary for all the World to pass that way . No , make your Self a great Saint , and the Purifying Flames will have nothing to work on . But you say this Doctrine came but lately into the World , and is the Invention of Self intercsted Pfiests ; But consult the Scripture and the Fathers , and they will satisfie you to the contrary .

When St. Paul said that the day of God , ( viz. ) the day of Judgment , be it general or particular , shall be manifested by Fire which shall put every One's Works 1 Cor. 3. Chap. upon Trial ; and that he who upon the Foundations of Jesus , shall build with Wood , Straw , or Hay , to wit , with vain and sleight Works , shall be saved as by Fire , he clearly declared the Doctrine of Purgatory , unless you be more illuminated than S. Basil , and S. Ambrose , who have judged it so , for the first saith , He threatneth the Soul not with Destruction , but Purgation . And the other plainly expresseth , He speaks of the Pains of Fire , which God had appointed to purifie Souls . And the objection is as frivolous to say , as by fire , and not by fire ; as when S. John wrote in the first Chapter of his Gospel , That Men saw Jesus as the only Son of God , that he were only a Figure of it , not a Truth ; or as when S. Paul witnesseth , he was found as a man , we might infer , he were no 2 Chap. to the Philip. man . Doth not S. Bernard prove our Doctrine from S. Bernard's 66. Hom. upon the Cant. the mention of One Sin which shall never be remitted , either in this World , or in the otber . Doth In S. Matthew . Chap. 12. not the Evangelist himself mention a Prisoner which shall be put into a Place from whence he shall not come till he have paid the last Penny. Whereupon S. Cyprian says plainly , it is one thing to be a long time purged for Sins by the Torment of Fire , another by the Purgation which is made by the Passion of Tobit , Chap. 4. Jesus Christ . What is written of Bread to be put upon 32 Hom. upon S. Mat. the Graves of the Dead , S. Chrisostome referreth to the Custom of the 〈◊〉 Church , which called both the Priests and the Poor purposely to pray for the Dead . The solemn Fast made for Saul , S. Bede makes no question but it was for the quiet The 4th . of Kings . of his Soul. And the Great S. Austin cryeth ; My God , Aug. in Psal. 37. make me such in my Life , that I may not need the Fire of Purgatory after my Death .

But grant the force of these reasons you 'll say , you understand not where this Purgatory is , and how Souls are there Tormented ? Now School Divines commonly place Purgatory in a subterranean Place , of which there is great probability . It may also be , That Souls may be purged in the Air , in the sphere of Fire , and in divers parts of the Elementary World , according to the Opinion of S. Gregory Nys●n , S. Chrysostom , and S. Gregory the Great , Nevertheless the Church walking warily in its Ordonances , ever grounded on the Word of God , only obligeth us to hold as an Article of Faith , a Third Place for the Purgation of Souls , which is neither Paradice nor Hell. As for the Circumstances of the Place and manner of sensible Torments , it hath Decreed nothing thereof as an Article of our Belief . It dependeth on the Prerogative of God's Power and the Ministry of Angels .

As for Punishments , it is most certain the first consisteth in suspension from the sight of God , a matter very dolorous to the Soul , which being out of the Body , and far absented from its source , naturally desireth to rejoyn it self to God , and the least retardation it feels from such Felicity , is most sensible unto it . The second is the pain of sense which is exercised by Fire , and sometimes also by other ways . If you say you cannot comprehend how a material thing worketh on a spiritual ; I ask of you again , this Soul which is in your Body , is it of any other kind than those in Purgatory ? And yet see you not how it daily suffereth in the Body ? See you not how all the Dolours of Mortal Flesh rebound back again by a most necessary amorous Sympathy to the bottom of our Soul ? Is it not true our Soul containeth in it the root of Understanding , and all sensible Knowledge , framed and accomplished by help of the Bodies Organs ? Is it not true that being in the Body it understandeth and feeleth with dependance on the Body ? And when separated it certainly understandeth with independance of the Body : And tho there is no more Corporal organ , which is as the Chariot of feeling , yet surely God may by his Power supply the Organ of Body , and necessitate the Soul immediatly to feel the sharpness of fire , as if it were still in the Body . And further , the fire not being contrary of its nature to the Spirit , might for all that be chosen , and appointed by the singular Disposition of Providence to be unto the Soul an Afflicting sign , in that it representeth to it in its flames the Anger of an Offended God.

But hoping you are now prety well convinc'd of the Truth of our Doctrine in this point , I shall trouble you no farther at this time than with one Example of the Apparition of Souls in Purgatory ▪ But first let me mind you , that he who believes nothing above Nature , will not believe a God of Nature . How many Extraordinary things are there , with whose effects Experience has made us acquainted , and yet of which God hideth the reasons from us ? Who can tell why the Theamede which is a kind of Adamant , draweth Iron on the one side , and repelleth it on the other ? Why do the forked Branches of the Nut Tree , turn towards Mines of Gold and Silver ? Why do Bees often die in the Hives after the Death of the Master of the Family , unless they be elsewhere transported ? Why doth a dead Body cast forth bloud in the presence of the Murderer ? Why do certain Fountains in the current of their Waters , and in their Colour carry presages of Seasons , as that of Blomuza which waxeth red when the Country is menaced with War ? Why has so many Noble Families certain signs , that never fails to happen , when some one of the Family is to dye ? The Commerce of the living with the Spirits of the Dead , is a matter very Extraordinary , but not impossible to the Father of Spirits , who holdeth total Nature between his hands .

But to come to the point , Histories tell us , the Apparition of Souls in Purgatory are so frequent , that he who would keep an account , may as soon number the Stars in the Skye , or leaves on the Trees . But as it is not fit to be too credulous in all may be said there upon , so a man must be very impudent to deny all is spoken of it , and to oppose as well the Authority of so many great Personages , as the Memory of all Ages . Now for the present I shall only single out one instance to you .

Peter of Clugny , surnamed the Venerable , and in his time esteemed as the Oracle of France , Who for his Wariness and scrupulous Consideration in these Matters , cannot but be thought of unquestion'd Authority . He relateth how that in a Village of Spain named the Star , there was a Man of Quality called Peter of Engelbert , must esteemed in the World for his excellent Parts , and abundant Riches .

Yet when in years coming to understand the Vanity of all Sublunary things , he withdrew into a Monastery of the Order of Clugny , there piously to spend the rest of his Days , as the best Incense is said to come from old Trees . He often talk'd of a Vision he had had , which made the General of his Order , then in Spain , question him in the presence of the Bishops of Oleron and Osma , and conjure him in the virtue of holy Obedience , to tell him punctually the truth touching the Vision he had seen , whilest he led a secular Life . And this man being very grave and very Circumspect , accordingly did so to this effect .

At the time of Alphonsus the younger's Warres in Castile , in the persuance of the Edict , I sent one of my menial Servants , named Sancius into his Army . The Peace being made , and he disbanded , returning home he was soon seiz'd with a sickness , which in few days took him away into the other World. He had the usual Obsequies done him , and about four Months after , as I lay one Night broad awake in my Bed , I perceived a Phantòme in the form of a man , who stirring up the ashes of my hearth , opened the burning Coals , which made him the more easily to be seen . Altho I found my self much terrify'd with the sight of this Ghost , God gave me the Courage to ask him who he was ? and for what purpose he came thither to lay my hearth abroad . But he in a very low voice answered : Master , fear nothing I am your poor Servant Sancius , I go into Castile in the Company of many Soldiers to Expiate my sins in the same Place where I committed them .

I couragiously reply'd , if the Commandment of God call you thither , to what purpose come you hither ? Sir , said he , take it not a miss for it is not without the Divine permission . I am in a state not desperate , & wherein I may be helped by you , if you bear any good will towards me . Hereupon I required what his necessity was , and what secours he expected from me . You know Master , said he , that a little before my Death you sent me into a Place where men are not ordinarily sanctified . Liberty , ill Example , Youth , and Temerity , all conspire against the Soul of a poor Soldier , who hath no Government . I committed many outrages during the late Warr , robbing and pilling even to the Goods of the Church , for which I am at this present grievously tormented . But Good Master , if you loved me alive as one of yours , forget me not after Death . I ask no part of your great Riches , but only your Prayers , and some Almes for my sake , which will much assist to mitigate my pains . My Mistress oweth me about eight Francks upon a reckoning between her and me , let her bestow it , not for my Body , which hath no need of it , but the comfort of my Soul , which expecteth it from your Charities .

This Discourse embolden'd me , and made me more desirous to entertain it , than to fear the Apparition . I demanded whether it could tell me any News of one of my Contry ▪ men , named Peter D●jaca , Who died a while since . To which he made answer , I need not trouble my self with it , for he was already in the number of the Blessed , since the great Alms he gave in the last famine , had purchased Heaven for him . From thence I fell upon another Question , and was Curious to know what had happened to a certain Judge , Whom I very well knew , and who had lately passed into the other Life . To which he replied , Sir , speak not of that miserable Man , for Hell possesseth him through the Corruption of Justice , which he by damnable Practice Exerciced , having an honour and Soul saleable to the prejudice of his Conscience . My Curiosity carried me higher , to Enquire what became of King Alphonsus the Great , at which time I heard an other voice that came from a Window behind me , saying very distinctly , it is not of Sancius you must demand that , because he as yet can say nothing to the state of that Prince , but I may have more experience thereof than he . I deceasing five years ago , and being present in an accident which gave me some Light of it . I was much surprized , Unexpectedly hearing this other Voice , and turning , saw by the help of the Moons brightness which reflected into my Chamber , a Man leaning on my Window , whom I entreated to tell me where then King Alphonsus was . Whereto he replied , he well knew , that passing out of this Life , he had been much tormented , and that the Prayers of good Religious men much helped him , but he could not at this present say in what state he was . Having spoaken thus much he turned towards Sancius , sitting near the fire , said , let us go , it is time we depart . At which Sancius making no other answer , speedily rose up and redoubled his complaints with a Lamentable voice , saying ; Sir , I entreat you once again remember me , and that my Mistriss perform the request I made you .

The next day Engelbert understood from his Wife the Case to be so as the Spirit had told him , and with all Observation disposed himself speedily and charitably , to satisfy all was required .

Here I shall respit from further Arguments and Instances , till such time as I am sensible of the Operations of these : In the mean while believe me Sir , sincerely

yours , &c.

THE HISTORY OF Pope Joan AND THE WHORES OF ROME .

Calumniare fortiter , aliquid adhaerebit . Terent.

The Second Edition .

LONDON ,

THE PREFACE TO THE READER . Courteous Reader ,

THou hast here presented thee some few Remarks on two grand Scandals thrown upon the Church of Rome . Satan , 't is true , wus from the beginning , and always will be , a Calumniator , ( for so his very Name imports in the Hebrew Language ) continually endeavouring , by Lies and other wicked ways , to prucure , as he does , many Proselites . But without doubt , Truth will at last prevail , and then , down goes Dagon : which inestimable Jewel , Truth , we ought all of us to search after and purchase ; and having obtained it , how glad will every one be when he sees himself disabused ? As in the two following Stories ; the first of which thou wilt see here crammed full of as many Contrarieties , ridiculous Fables , and Vntruths , almost as the Turkish Alcoran , which nevertheless hath been wonderfully and maliciously defended and improved by Hereticks and Polities , that have been Flatterers of such Emperours as were professed Enemies of the Popes , and who made it their Business wholly to misprise the Glory , and an●●h●lat● , if possible , the Authority of the aforesaid Church .

What Platina , so much esteemed by Protestants , says of this Story , in his Lives of the Popes , I here give thee as 't is lately Translated by Mr. Ricaut , who had done well to have taken his Annotator Onuphrius along with him , who Detected and Corrected many of his Errors ; and among the rest , this of Pope Joan.

And as for Martinus Polonus , the first broacher of this Story ; what a simple Historian he was , may be seen from Onuphrius .

Then as for the Story of the Whores of Rome , that 's as good currant Coyn as the rest , as thou wilt perceive by what follows : which that I may not keep thee too long from , or make the Gate seem too big for the City , I bid thee

Farewel .
THE HISTORY OF POPE JOAN , &c.
CHAP. I.

I. Of her Birth and Education ; her several Names , and how she came to be Chosen Pope . II. Short Remarks upon the Premises . III. Of her being brought to bed in open Street , &c. and of the Porphyry Chair . IV. Remarks upon the Premises , &c.

I. FIrst then 't is related that this Androgyne , or Hermaphrodite , was a poor English or Germane Girl , they know not which , they story it so differently . Nay some of these Gentlemen Reporters are so blinded that they 'll tell you she was an English Woman born at Mentz ; and that she having been Educated at several Universities , by dissembling her Sex , and oft changing her Name ; ( for they have given her more Names than either the Great Mogul , the Grand Seignior , or Emperor of Persia , ever attributed to themselves ) for sometimes they call her Agnes ; and some say her Name was Isabella , others Gilbert , others Jutte ; and some call her Dorothy ; but at last they will needs have it that she took upon her the Name of John the English-man ; in favor , forsooth , of a Gallant of hers that was that Country-man , and came with him from Athens ( after having studyed a while there ) to Rome ; where she taught publickly in the Schools , for two years say some ; others say six : where , for her knowledge in sacred letters , she had but few her equals ; and none her superiors : so that she acquir'd so great renown there , by her reading and disputing so learnedly and accutely , that after the decease of Leo IV. say some , others Leo VI. she was , by consent of all , Chosen Pope . See here good Reader , a very fine plausible Romantick Story at first entrance .

II. But here be pleased to take a few short Remarks with thee , hereupon . First then Note that some of them say she was an English woman , born at Mentz ; when as Mentz is a famous City , situate upon the Rhine in Germany . Then as to her studying in Athens , as they formally story it ; you are to understand , upon the Authentic Testimonies of Zonaras and Cedrenus , that Athens was at that time ruin'd , and the whole Country over-run with Barbarism , And Corn grew there where Athens stood . and consequently no more place of studying there at that time , than there is now at S. Pancras Church . Then as to her being Chosen Pope after her so short a time of Residence at Rome , 't is like the rest ; for I 'll assure thee , 't is a certain truth , that from S. Peter's time , to those days , and after , till Formosus , who was the Eighth Pope , after this pretended Pope JOAN ; none were chosen Popes , that was not Educated from their Cradle , in the Roman Church ; and was first made Presbyter or Deacon-Cardinal . How then is it likely that an unknown Woman ; of as uncertain an Origine and Country ; and without any Order , or Testimony of her Life-past , should attain to the highest Ecclesiastical Dignity in the whole World ? Then lastly , there was no Custom of publick Reading or Disputing at Rome in those days neither .

III. Then , in the next place , they tell you a very formal Story of her being got with Child ; but here 's the mischief on 't , they cannot agree by whom ; some saying it was by one of her Servants , others say 't was a certain Cardinal did the deed ; and that she being ignorant that she was so far gone with Child , in the time of her Popedom , was brought to Bed in the open Street , going in Procession from the Vatican to the Lateran , and there gave up the Ghost , upon the Spot : and that the Popes have ever since gone another way in Procession , for very shame of such an Act. And that to avoid the like Error ▪ for the future , when any Pope is then plac'd in the Porphyry Chair , which hath an hole made for the purpose , his Genitals are handled by the youngest Deacon . Goodness ? what heaping is here of Lies upon Lies ?

IV. But here we have a few particulars also to take notice of . First , that is it probable or possible , can any rational Soul imagine , that this Hermaphrodite should conceive and conceal her great Belly so closely , that no mortal Creature could in the least perceive it ? No , not any one , either of the Church , or Court of Rome ? Can any ingenious Person ever believe that such a wise Nation , as the Romans are , and always have been , could be so grosly impos'd upon ; or that they should be so Sottish or Stupid , as not one of them to know a Woman from a Man ; neither by her Voice , Countenance , nor Gesture ? And is it not very unlikely , that she should be got with Child now in her declining Age , at which time the Popes are ordinarily Chose ? And that she should be ignorant of her being so near her Time , as to venture to go in procession so far on Foot ? All very probable , or rather ridiculous Romances . Then as to her going in Procession from the Vatican to the Lateran ; they have here express'd their Ignorance , as well as Malice , to some purpose : as not knowing that the Popes , at that time , lived not at the Vatican : No , not till Pope Boniface the Ninth's days , which was several hundreds of years after the Death of this Pope Joan. Fine Coherence in Chronology , is it not ? So that 't is certainly true that this mistake in Time will ruine all , as a very honourable and most worthy Person said , not long since , to a certain Person , in another Case . Then as to their telling you , very formally ; how that the Popes ever since , go another way in Procession ; I will assure you 't is upon another Account ( viz. ) by reason of the narrowness of the Ways , and difficulty of passage for so great a Number of People and Horses , they since go a more open and safe way ; and yet there have been Popes that have gone that way in Procession , since that time .

Lastly , as to the pierc'd Porphyry Chair , you must Note that 't is usually plac'd near to the great Door of St. John Lateran's Church , on the Day the Pope takes possession of his Charge in that Church ; wherein he is Seated a while , and when he rises again the Quire Sings this Verse of the 112. Psalm , Suscita● de pulvere egenum ; & de stercore erigit pauperem . And tho' Platina , one of so great esteem with Protestants at this day , deny not the Story about the Procession ; Yet he ingeniously Confesses , That the true use of this Chair is only to mind him , who is placed in so high Authority , that he is not a God , but a Man , and obnoxious to necessities of Nature , as of easing his Body , whence , tho it be made of Porphyry , 't is called Sedes Stercoraria . And Zonaras and Cedrenus will tell us that the Grecian Emperours , had , on the day of their Coronation a great many Marble Stones , of several Colours , presented to them , to chuse which of them they would make their Tombs of : which was only to put them in mind of their Mortality , amidst their glorious Exaltations .

CHAP. II.

I. Of the place assigned her among the Popes , and II. Of Pope Leo the IX's Letter to the Patriarch of Constantinople . III. When and by whom this Fable was publish'd , &c. IV. The occasion of its Invention . V. The little Credit it hath with the most Learned Adversaries of the Catholick Church .

HAving thus discovered a number of manifest Untruths , Improbabilities , Contrarities , and Ridiculosities , in the former part of this Story ; let us see if they can acquit themselves any better in the latter .

I. First , then as to the place these Historians allot her among the Popes , I find as grand a disagreement therein as in any other Passages before ; for some modern Authors place her between Pope Leo the IV. and Benedict the III. whereas Anastasius Bibliothecarius and Ado of Vienna , occular Testimonies , say expresly , that after Leo the IV. there was but only fifteen days of vacancy , and Benedict the III. was immediately chose Pope ; to which all of that Age agree that wrote the Pontifical History , ( viz. ) Regino , Hermanus contractus , Lambertus , Otho Frisingus , Abbot of Versperg , Joannes de Cremana , and others . But her Historians and Advocates say , some of them , that she held the Chair a Year and eight Months , others but four Months , others a Year and an half ; and others two Years , one Month , and four Days . Fine Concordance again , is it not ? Then some will have her succeed Leo the V. others Martin the I. and some Nicholas the I. some call her John the VII . others Jobn VIII . But 't is most certain , that John the VII . was a Grecian , and was Pope nineteen Years before this pretended one ; and John the VIII . was a Roman , and presided twenty Years after , and held the Seat ten Years : so consequently these two Johns were neither English-men not Germans .

II. Then here occurs a very remarkable thing to be seriously considered , wherein may farther appear the improbability of this Story , ( viz. ) that about a hundred Years after the pretended Being of this Pope Joan , Pope Leo the IX . writing to Michael , then Patriarch of Constantinople , about the Precedency of the Church of Rome , to abate his Pride , reproaches him , which a Woman and an Eunuch's , he means Nicbolas and Ignatius , holding the Patriarchal Seat of Constantinople ; the which certainly he durst not have done , if the Church of Rome had been tainted with the same Ignominy ; and , without all doubt , the Grecians would have been very glad to have had such an opportunity , wherewith to have censur'd the Western Churches , if there had been the least appearance of Truth in the Story .

III. And here we may easily perceive another very evident sign of the falsity of this Story , viz. in that all the Authors that lived in this Pope Joan's time , and for 400 years after , make not the least mention of any such Person : for the first that published this Fable was one Martinus Polanus , who wrote in the year 1320 ; and this Pope Joan lived in the year 870. And indeed , neither did they , nor most of those that wrote after them , relate it as for a certain truth ; but speak of it rather as a Fable : all of them reporting it with uncertainty , and as a mere common Bruit .

IV. Then as to what gave the occasion of the invention of this Story . I would have the Reader to consider , that any one that shall impartially and judiciously read the Lives of the Popes , even from St. Peter , shall certainly find , that there were three sorts of them in general . One sort of them were certainly very eminent for their Sanctity and integrity of living ; but had not that singular Art or Prudence of Managing or Administring the Affairs of this World ; that is , they were not so well acquainted with the Temporal Concerns of the World. Another sort of them there were , who , tho' they were their Crafts-masters in these Mundane Affairs , and knew excellent well the manner and method of ruling these Temporal things , with all Prudence and Justice ; yet these were not endued with so singular a Sanctity of Life , as they should be , but , on the contrary , were rather addicted to their disordinate and irregular Affections ; and Pleasures , and had but little Zeal , for the things of the Spirit . But then there have been certainly a third sort , that took something af the best from both ; and so Govern'd both with Prudence and Holiness . Of this worst and middle sort then was Pope John the Twelfth , who leading indeed a kind of Debauch'd Life , and permitting himself to be Govern'd by a Debauch'd Woman , whose Name was JOAN , gave the People , at that Time , occasion to say , That it was not the Pope , but the Papiss , that Govern'd all things .

V. Lastly , to let you see the folly of this Fable ; I shall shew you what Credit it hath with the most learned of the Church of Rome's Adversaries , and plainly prove that 't is worse than an old Wives Tale , by their taking this Story for a meer Fable . First , then Mr. Blondel , a French Minister ; and one of that account and esteem in Paris ; that he was chosen above all , to Answer Cardinal Peron's learned Book ; this Mr. Blondel , I say , hath written a Book , in French , whis was Printed at Amsterdam , 1647. on purpose to shew , that this Story of a She Pope , call'd Joan , was a mere Fable . And that we may not think that Blondel alone , of all Protestant Ministers held this for a Fable , Monsieur Seravius , a great Calvinist , and Councellor of the Parliament of Paris , in a Letter of his to Salmasius , having mention'd to him this Book of Blondel's , adds these words : Noli autem credere , &c. don't believe , says he , that Blondel was either the first , or only Man of our Persuasion that was of this Opinion ; altho' perhaps no Man hath handled this Matter with more forceable Arguments : for there have been famous Divines of the Reformed Religion , of the same Opinion ; and there are yet living in this City , Men famous for Fidelity and Piety , who heard this History , vulgarly credited , accounted fabulous from Chamerius's own mouth . I my self lately saw Letters of yours and my very good Friend , the Learned Peter du Moulin , wherein he affirm'd , that he always believ'd the same . I have Letters by me also of Bochart's , wherein he averrs that whatsoever was hitherto Publish'd in favour of this Affair , to the World , was meerly Vain and Fictitious . This Mounsieur Seravius wrote in a private Letter ( tho' his Son , after his Death publish'd and printed it ) to a Friend of the same persuasion . And thus you may plainly see how this Fable , tho highly maintain'd by the Adversaries of the Catholick Church thus Expir'd at last , as all Lies do , and was carryed to its Grave upon the Shoulders of Four the most Famous French Ministers , ( viz. ) Blondel , Chamier , du Moulin , and Bochart .

The Life of Pope Joan , as 't is written by B. Platina , is as follows .

JOHN the VIII . says he , was of English Extraction , but born at Mentz , and is said to have arrived at the Popedom by Evil Arts : for disguising her self like a Man , whereas she was a Woman , she went , when young , with her Paramour , a learned Man , to Athens , and made such Progress in Learning , under the Professors there , that coming to Rome , she met with few that could equal , much less go beyond her , even in the knowledge of Scriptures : and by her learned and ingenious Readings and Disputations she acquir'd so great Respect and Authority , tbat upon the Death of Leo ( as Martin says ) by common consent she was chosen Pope , in his Room . But suffering afterwards one of her Domesticks to lye with her , she hid her big Belly a while , till as she was going to the Lateran Church between the Colossean Street ( so called from Nero's Coloss , ) and St. Clements , her Travail came upon her , and she died upon the place ; having sat two Years , one Month , and four Days , and was buried there without any Pomp. Some say the Pope , for shame of the thing , doth purposely decline going through that Street , when he goes to the Lateran ; and that to avoid the like Error , when any Pope is first placed in the Porphyry-Chair , which hath an hole made for the purpose , his Genitals are bandled by the youngest Deacon . As for the First , I deny it not ; but for the Second , I take the Reason to be , that he who is placed in so great Authority , may be minded that he is not a God , but a Man , and obnoxious to the Necessities of Nature , as of easing his Body ; whence that Seat hath the Name of Sedes Stercoraria : This Story is vulgarly told , but by very uncertain and obscure Authors : and therefore I have related it barely , and in short , lest I should seem obstinate and pertinacious , if I had omitted what is so generally talked of . I had better mistake with the rest of the World , though it be certain , that what I have related may be thought not altogether incrodihle . Thus Platina .

THE HISTORY OF THE Whores of ROME .
CHAP. I.

I. Of the Pope's allowing and permitting the Whores of Rome . II. Of his taking money of them . III. Of his Countenancing them .

HAving remov'd the first grand Scandal thrown upon the Church of Rome by its Enemies , concerning a Chymerical Pope Joan , with its Appurtenances , ( viz. ) Improbabilities , Lyes , Ridiculosities , &c. let 's now see how they have handled the second , concerning the Romantick Story of the Popes of Rome allowing , and taking great Sums of Money of the publick Whores that inhabit that City , towards the maintaining of his Grandeur , forsooth , &c.

I. First then they endeavour to possess the World , That the Popes of Rome allow these Creatures free exercise of their Trade , paying him , at certain times of the Year , such Sum of money as are Taxed upon them by the said Popes . But in very truth , the Popes of Rome allow of the Sin of Whoredom no more than the Sin of Drunkenness is allowed in any Protestant Kingdom or Commonweal : which Drunkenness is the greater Sin of the two , because it rides double to Destruction , and carries Luxury behind it . Drink not Wine , in which is Luxury , says the Apostle , Ephes. 4. And if a certain English Writer hath publish'd that the Popes both permit the Whores , and take money of them too for that permission .

First , I answer , that 's as true as a thousand other such fabulous Stories and Lies , as that of Pope Joan , before mentioned , and published to the world by those who think it not un-lawful in the least ; so they think that there-by they may but make the Popes and Church of Rome odious and infamous to the world . But most certain it is , that all unbyassed and impartial persons that ever were at Rome , will testifie the contrary ; if by Permitting , you mean Allowing and Approving them in that course of Life . For you must consider that there is a considerable difference between allowing and permitting a thing . For Moses , that most just Law-maker , did not allow of , though he permitted , that Libel of Divorce to the Jews , by reason of the hardness of their hearts , Matth. 8. So Usury is permitted in several Countries at this day ; for Trade-sake and other Conveniencies , but not allow'd of .

II. Then in the next place they 'll tell you , that the Popes do not only allow these Creatures to live such a manner of debauched Life , but he also takes money to help enrich his Coffers thereby , &c. But the plain truth of this is , that this money is taken up upon Credit by these Romancers , and not by the Pope . For most certain it is , that he is so far from receiving any money of these Drabs , that he is at great Cost , Charge and Trouble , to hinder their Trading . For some of these good Old Gentlemen , the Popes of Rome , to hinder all young Girls from being naught in turning Whores , have founded Hospitals , on purpose , where they are carefully brought up , till they be either married , or made Nuns : Nay , and not only so , but they give them Dowries also to choose which they please , whether they will be married , or made Nuns . And to that purpose do they distribute yearly , upon our Lady-day , in Lent , in the Dominicans Church , a purse of money to each young Girl , to the number of three hundred ; who are presented to the Pope then in Being , by the Overseers of the said Hospital . Neither is this all , for these Old Gentlemen the Popes , cause young Girls of tender years to be taken away from their suspected Mothers , that are poor , to prevent , lest their being so should cause them to sacrifice their Virginity to Rich Mens Lust . And moreover , these Popes have caused a Monastery to be built in Rome to receive those unfortunate Women in , who would leave that infamous course of life , if they had but means to live on without it . Nay they do grant Indulgences to any that will marry any of these Women to free them from their lewd ways , and make them mend . All this they do , and much more : which certainly would be a destroying of their own Trade and Gain , if it were true , That they allow of and permit the Whores for their proper Gain . For Millers surely do not use to turn aside the current of waters from their own Mill.

III. Then as to the Popes countenancing the Whores of Rome , that also I will assure you they do the clean contrary way . For if that be a countenancing them to forbid them to be at publick meetings , and to appear at Assemblies where Women of Honour meet ; as at the Corso in the Evenings ; or at publick Marriages , or at the sung Opera's and the like ; then they countenance them . If it be a countenancing them to forbid them to go in Coaches in the day time , and to stir out of doors in the night time , then they are countenanced by the Popes . If to forbid them to live together , where they might encourage one another , and pass their time more cheerfully ; be a countenancing of them , then you may say the Pope countenances the Whores of Rome . For these Souls live alone , for the most part , condemn'd to the melancholic horror of their Crimes , and the solitude of seven whole weeks in Lent ; all which time , upon pain of rigorous punishment and imprisoment , they dare not admit of any Customers : the like rigour is also us'd against them in the time of Advent , to the intent that during the space of those holy times , those wicked Women may have time to consider of themselves , and their condition ; and admit of God's holy Inspirations for their Amendment . If likewise it be a countenancing of Whores , to oblige them to enter their Names publickly in the Register of Whores ; then are they countenanced by the Popes of Rome . But the great Statesman and Historian , Tacitus , Annal. 2. thought it was a sufficient punishment for unchaste Women , their only professing themselves to be such , before the Eddes : and if that Great Man thought so , one cannot surely but imagine it to be a great punishment to Christian Whores ( who are , at least , as sensible as the Heathens , of the horrible disgrace of having their Names listed ) to be thus defam'd for ever , by remaining Whores upon Record . Then moreover , that which is the most dreadful thing of all to be consider'd of , is , whether that be a countenancing of them , to deprive them all their Life-time ( as long as they continue Whores of the benefit of the holy Sacraments , and not only that , but after their Deaths also to ●●-prive them of Christian burial ? or whether seriously and indeed , it be not rather a severely punishing of them , and deterring them from Vice , to have their Bodies thrown , when they dye , into an obscure place , out of the Walls of the City ; as if they deserv'd no other Burial-Places than that of Beasts ? In fine , if it be a Countenancing of them ▪ not to suffer them to make any Will or Testament , but to leave all their Goods Confiscated , either to the Hospital of the poor honest Girls above-mention'd , or towards the maintaining of those Guards that are to watch over their deportments . If these things be countenancing of Whores , then let the Popes of Rome be said to countenance the Whores of that City .

CHAP. II.

I. Why the Popes do not wholly root out the Whores of Rome ? II. Of the Popes ruling us an Ecclesiastical and Temporal Prince . III. Of the Church and Convent of the Repenting Whores at Rome .

I. NOW if any shall ask , Why these Popes do not punish the Whores of Rome more severely , or root them wholly out by Banishment ? I will assure them , that this hath been attempted by several Popes , and in particular by Pope Pius Quintus , as that great Historian Thuanus tells us : but there being greater Inconveniences and greater Sins that followed thereupon , Prudence , which is the Salt that ought to season all our moral Actions , thought it not either fit or convenient to carry on that Design with such rigor : nor yet allow of Fornication neither . So that at last , all the Permission the Pope of Rome allows the Whores there , amounts only to th 〈…〉 ( viz. ) The not Punishing them with the utmost rigor , and even that too , for a very good End , to wit , to hinder greater Evils .

II. But here methinks I hear some Puritannical Politic saying : Oh but the Pope being both an Ecclesiastical and Temporal Prince and Governor , he is bound to break through all oppositions , and to settle Innocency and Purity in the World. Now this is Zealously spoken indeed , and it would be certainly wished by all good Catholics that it could be effected : But what says that very wise Man and great Master of Morals , Seneca ? He wisheth , says he , a difficult thing , who wisheth for the Innocency of Mankind . And if Princes sometimes do not punish their Factious Subjects , when they see that the punishing of them would pull the whole State to pieces about their Ears , and put the whole Government in danger ; as it did , for instance , in France , in Henry the Third's time , upon his causing the Duke of Guise to be kill'd in Blois . And if Generals of Armies take little or no Notice of some Treacherous Commander , who is universally beloved of the Souldiers , lest the punishing of him lose them the love of the whole Army ; as was lately seen in the Case of Lubemirsk● , how truly Guilty not fully known : as also some years ago in Walstein's Case , his punishment had almost undone the Emperor . Why may not then the Pope , I pray , without approving the Sins of the Whores , prudently wave the punishing them with all rigor , when he sees that such proceedings would certainly cause greater disorders in that hot Country , and in that City where all Nations seem to club Vices , as well as Virtues , Hence the Learned Abulensis a great Divine saith , Licet leges humanae , aliquae mala permittant non puniendo ; nullum tamen malum permittunt statuendo . That is , Altho' human Laws permit some Evils by not punishing them , yet they permit no Evil by allowing or establishing it .

Then if any shall be so silly as to say that the Pope should not Govern according to human Policy , or human Laws or Examples : I shall tell them they pretend a great deal of Zeal indeed ; but not according to Knowledge , for if they did , they would take her Sister Prudence along with them , as our Blessed Saviour did , who when he heard his Disciples desiring him to let them call down Fire from Heaven upon the Criminal Samaritans , answer'd them very calmly , You know not of what Spirit you are ? Luke ix . Nay , I pray doth not God himself , who being able to punish all Criminal Persons , and to root them quite out of the World , suffer both his Sun to shine upon Sinners , and Sinners to offend in his Sun-shine , and often by it ? Hence that Great Dr. of the Church , S. Thomas Aquinas says much to the same purpose , 2. 2. q. 10. art. 11. Humanum regimen , &c. Human Government ( says this Angelical Dr. so call'd from his great knowledge he had of the Angelical Natures ) is derived from Divine Government , and we ought to imitate it ! Now God , although he be Almighty and highly Good , yet he permits Evil to be done in the world , which it were in his power to hinder ; but then by taking away them , greater Goods would be taken away , or greater Evils would follow .

III. And now after all this , to return to our discourse of these Whores ; There are many of them that do unfeignedly repent of their lewd Lives , and are heartily sorrowful for their Sins ; and for these the Popes of Rome have founded a Church and Convent on purpose , where such Souls are receiv'd and kept all their Life-time , at the Convents Cost and Charge ; where they are lock'd up indeed , but 't is with their own Request and Consent : whereas in Amsterdam 't is true Whores are there lock'd up also , but 't is by force and violence . Then in Rome these poor Women do great Acts of Austerity and Penance , as the bloody Walls of their Cells when they were laid open by Fire , testified to the whole City ; but at Amsterdam they laugh and are merry . Here no man is permitted to speak alone with them , except their Confessor and Physician ; but there many go to prattle and pass away their time with these wanton Girls , whose Faces are plainly seen bedeckt with black Patches , the others hid with a Vail , and all signs of true Repentance , but there none .

FINIS .

THE LIFE OF H. H.

With the Relation at large of what passed betwixt him and the Taylors Wife in Black-friars , according to the Original .

〈…〉 likewise particular Remarks of his Behaviour ever since . Which proves ( tho times change ) him to be the 〈…〉 ame H. H. still .

LONDON , 〈…〉 nted for T. S. in the Year 1688.

To the Reader . Reader ,

HEre is presented to thy view a description of the hearts great Apostasie and deceitfulness ; together with the discoveries of Gods great grace and goodness to a soul exceedingly declined and Apostatized from him : wherein God hath indeed made good what himself , Rom. 5. 20 , 21. But sin abounded , grace did much more abound ; that as sin hath reigned unto death , even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life , &c. And that his actings are not as the proceedings of men , Jer. 3. 1 , 2. They say , if a man put away his Wife , and she go from him , and become another mans , shall he return to her again ? shall not that Land be polluted ? But thou hast played the Harlot with many Lovers , yet return again to me , saith the Lord , &c.

Satan in these last Ages of the World , hath had several forms and dresses whereby he might deceive unstable souls : nay , if it were possible the very elect .

I have with much grief of heart been an observer of the Authors Apostacy from God and his ways , and well know the grounds thereof to be what he hath herein expressed , and much rejoyce at his return : hoping it is reality and truth : and that the end of his publishing this to the World , is to own his own shame , and caution others , that they be not such as wax wanton against Christ , and his pure ( though despised ) ways : Which if it shall be matter of warning to any , the Author hath his end , and it shall be my request to the Lord , for all that pros●ess his fear , that they may watch unto Prayer , being stedfast , unmoveable , yet always abounding in the work of the Lord .

William Kiffen .
A Premonition to the Reader from the hand of a Friend .

REader , whosoever thou art that mayest light upon this Prodigals Confession , who ( through the goodness of God ) is now come to himself ; was dead , and is alive again , was lost , and is found ; who went out full and came in hungry ; As thou art intreated to take notice ( from what the Scripture speaketh ) what the fruit of sin is , so also believe the experience of those that have felt it biting like a Serpent , and stinging like an Adder . If thou beest one that hast turned the grace of God into wantonness , and givest thy self over to lasciviousness , as this poor man hath done : It is a miracle if mercy if ever God bring thee back to his house , to seek bread there , as he hath done this stragling Prodigal . Sweet meat must have sour Sawce , I think he hath experienced it ; and blessed be God that his Servants meet with sauce , when sin is the dish that they would be feeding upon , or rather poysoning themselves withal . I beseech thee take heed , think on sobriety , run not out after vain speculations and notions , as this ( returning wanderer hath done , to his cost . Thou that rejectest the Scriptures , and wilt seem to plead all experience ; Consider , it is good to try experiences by Scripture-testimony : but I pray thee let the experience of this returning out-cast be noted by thee ; and be sure the rod wherewith he hath been whipped , and a more sharp one too , shall light upon thee , if thou account vice vertue , and wickedness thy liberty ▪ as he hath done . Now his heart is burdened , and his life is full of troubles . But let me tell thee , there is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth , than over 99 such as thou art , that art pure in thy own eyes , and thinkest thou needest no repentance . Thou that lovest not Scripture wholsome expression , but only such as are dished out with n●w notions ; lo here is a new experimental exposition of the Scripture he speaketh to , and I hope really from his heart ; would thou wouldst consider it .

And you ( dear Saints ) that have seen this man in our Fathers house , and whose hearts are grieved , that for such miscarriage ( as he was guilty of ) he must needs be turned out and saw his going out with sorrow : let me tell you , methinks the things that are here written , do come from some impressions of God upon his heart , and that his repentance is real . God forbid that I should excuse any one in sin , let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth , and my arms fall from my shoulder-blade , rather than mouth or pen should do that : but to be tender towards returning sinners , I think it is all our duties .

I beseech you confirm your love to him , lest he should be swallowed up of sorrow ; for you are not ignorant of Satans wiles .

Two things ( it may be ) some will object , I shall briefly speak to them .

1. That he hath fallen from so much light , and sinned against so much knowledge and love , and such glorious profession , and been so stubborn in it , that it is a question whether he can ever be pardoned or no.

I say it is true , he hath done so ; but yet if Christ give repentance , there is no question but he will give remission too , Acts 5.

And to me it appeareth the one is given , and why then should I question the other ? Truly I think a soul must go far indeed , before any man conclude he is past cure . Remember it was once Moses fault ( though zealous for God ) that he d●●paraged mercy ; I think the Prodigal living in his Fathers house , knew much of his mind , and of the order of his house , and sinned against Rom. 6. abundance of light and love : And yet the time was not out of date to forgive him , when once he came to himself and returned : where sin reigned to death , there Grace reigned through Jesus Christ to eternal life . Peter went very far ( you know , if the case be well considered yet the sweet gracious looks of Christ brought him to himself again . And methinks the case of Manasses ( if seriously considered ) was as desperate as this man 's , and yet if I mistake not , God gave him both repentance and pardon .

Besides consider , the Devil that was not afraid to set upon Christ , knoweth well that if he can deceive any soul that hath knowledge and parts , such a one is like to do him the best service , when once deceived ; therefore his assaults upon him might be the more violent , being such a one .

The 2 d. thing that may be objected is , That his repentance may be questioned where it be true , because it is not voluntary ; Job . 36. but imprisonment , troubles , fear of the law , &c. hath extorted it from him .

I answer , I cannot conclude so , having heard him express his grief for sinning a●…ainst God , whom he hath tasted so gracious ; Against his Wife , when he had no cause so to ●…rong her . But friends , if God will work Hos. 2. ●…n such a way , and bind him in fetters and ●…hains , and then open his ears to discipline , ●…nd command him to depart from iniquity ; ●…all we say it is not right ? Is not this some●…imes Gods way ? did not he thus bring ●…ome Manasses ? did he not pine out the ●…rodigal ; when do you think in likelihood ●…e would have come else ? If this be Gods ●…ethod , to hedge up Israels way with ●…orns that she cannot find her paths , ●…d wall her with hewn stone till she ●…oncludeth it is best to return to her first ●…usband ; shall we say the work is not ●…ght because God went not in another way ? ●…et Gods love to us teach us to be loving & ●…aritable towards other ; I for my part ●…nnot but rejoyce in the return of the foul●… sinner in the world , & magnifie the love 〈…〉 God when he healeth the backsliding of ●…y . I say no more ; But the Lord establish ●…ose that stand , and grant that every one of 〈…〉 poor wandring sheep , may be brought back to the sold , and may be willing to c●…fess and forsake their sius , as this retur●…ing Prodigal hath done ; And I shall●…joyce at the Musick in our Fathers hou●… at the return of any poor starved Prodig●… and remain through grace

July 15 1672. The Servant of Chri●… and of his Saints . Daniel King.
〈…〉 all the Saints in General , distinguished by what Name or Title soever .

DEarly beloved in the Lord , 't is for your sakes chiefly I became willing to discover this my folly : The which for a ●…g time I withstood , and prevailed ●…er such thoughts , saying , I had al●…●y made my self a laughing-stock ●…d by word among all that either ●…ard or knew of me , or at least such ●…th been my demeanor , or rather my ●…sdemeanor , as I could expect no less ; ●…at reason had I then to add more ●…ell to such a fire ?

But observing the dealings of God ●…th me , and finding by sad experience , ●…ery thing I took in hand was dissipa●… in reference to my liberty ; I made 〈…〉 strict enquiry between God and my ●…n heart , what iniquity 't was I yet Psal. 66. 18. ●…arded , that the Lord did not hear my ●…ayer , in not blessing , but rather blast●…g all means I took in hand tending to ●…y liberty : I found it nothing less than ●…y duty to acknowledge my iniquities as to God , so my neighbour , to my●…versary , before men , against whom li●…wise Mat. 5. 25. 1 Tim. 55. I had dealt treacherously and wi●…edly .

Whereupon presently I resolved acknowledge and discover to the Lev. 26. 40 most I was able , my iniquity which had committed both against God a●… man , in writing both to my Adversa●… and publickly to the World , the whic●… had no sooner covenanted and conc●…ded Mat. 10. 32. within my self to do : but the Lo●… was pleased ( and that even before I h●… began to write ) to raise up a mea●… ( even when all my friends failed m●… even when I was without hope , and ev●… where I least expected it ; whereby 〈…〉 imediately procured a little liberty 〈…〉 follow my calling at home at my o●… house ; without which , in the eye 〈…〉 reason , both I and a family of seven p●…sons had been e're this utterly ruined .

The which I had no sooner obtaine●… but began , like the Children of Israel 〈…〉 old , to turn my back upon his great merci●… as to send Manna from Heaven , rath●… than I and my Family should perish , an●… grew slack and careless in my performi●… what I had promised , only a little slightly once or twice spake to some friend●… 〈…〉 speak with my adversary on my be●…lf ; and once or twice sought to be re●…ncil'd to my brethren whom I had of●…ded . And having one day a violent ●…hting within me , about my neglect ●…d carelessness in performing what I ●…d covenanted to perform , fell imme●…tely to writing for some two or three ●…urs : but a day or two after , upon 〈…〉 relating to some what I was about , ●…ey replyed there was one about such work already ; whereupon I imme●…tely diverted my thoughts another ●…y , being glad I had such an oppor●…ity to be silent .

But the time of my liberty being ex●…ed , I returned to prison , expecting ●…d indeed not questioning ) I should ●…e renewed my liberty as before . But ●…s by Divine Providence frustrated ●…rein ; and not only so , but have been ●…er since in all I have taken in hand in ●…er thereunto ; at all which being a●…zed to behold ; I called to mind my ●…mer promise and intention ; upon ●…sideration whereof , I had that say●… brought to my remembrance , when 〈…〉 vowest a vow unto God , defer not to Eccl. 5. 4. it ; upon which crying out of the ●…ness and earthliness of my base unworthy heart , that no longer then t●… Rod was on my back my eye was t●…wards my God ; I fell to wrighting , a●… writ a Letter to my Adversary , a co●… whereof is annexed to this followi●… Treatise .

The which hath been so far from b●…ing a means of obtaining my liberty ; 〈…〉 that my Adversary hath more violen●… then ever before , laboured since to h●…der me thereof , so that I upon no te●… could procure the least liberty since .

The which severe just hand of G●… on me , caused me to make a new a●… more stricter search into my heart , u●…on which I found I had as yet perfo●…med my promise but by halves ; A●… not hearing of any else ; who for the p●…venting of others from running of th●… sad race , that have taken that pains , 〈…〉 to discover any of the subtile Wile●… Satan whereby in this our last age 〈…〉 deceives many poor Souls ; and 〈…〉 knowing but that my discovering a●…cording to that small ability God ha●… given me , what the subtilties were 〈…〉 which the Devil captivated and carr●…ed me into those far Countries , mig●… be a means to prevent others from ru●…ning into the like snares ; and for ev●… ●…o stand amazed , admiring the unspeak●…ble love of God towards me , where●…y I was snatched , as a brand out of the ●…ternal fire of Gods wrath and firy in●…ignation .

The consideration of all which ( I ●…ay ) hath now at last prevailed with ●…e to present to your view this ensuing Treatise , The which though it be ra●…her like a Chaos , in respect of my laying ●…own of things so disorderly and indi●…tinctly , th●n a world wherein every ●…hing is brought forth into its right ●…rder .

Let me therefore take that boldness , ●…s to intreat you to be warned by this ●…y sad experience ; And to take the wise-mans counsel ; Keep tby foot when ●…hou goest to the house of God , and be more Eccl. 5. 1 : ●…eady to hear , then to offer the Sacrifice of Fools ; for they consider not that they do ●…vil .

Remember when you make a step towards Heaven , you must put off your ●…hoes , you must turn your back upon all Ex. 3. 5. Jona . 2. 8. Acts 14. 15. ●…he vanities of this wicked world .

Have your eyes always upon your ●…eet when you approach towards God , ●…hat ( like the peacock ) you may there●…y Isa. 57. 15. Mat. 5. 5 & 11. 19. be kept abased in your own self , remembering that with the humble & meek God will dwell ; and that he resisteth the proud , and giveth grace to the humble . Jam. 4. 6.

That 't is the heart God requires , 1 Sam. 16. 7. Gal. 6. 7. therefore be not deceived , God will not be mocked : Do not think 't will serve your turn to be a constant hearer of Gods word , and not a doer ; to draw Jam. 1. 23. Mat. 15. 8. Mat. 7. 6. near him with your mouth , and to have your hearts far from him , to come to his house amongst his Saints with your bodies , and to leave your hearts at home , to have them in the mean time abroad in the World : for where your Luke 12. 34. treasure is ( that which ) you are most delighted with and in ) there will your hearts he also : where the carcase is , thither will the Eagles flie .

Nay remember that you who profess Mat. 24. 28. 110. 26. the name of Christ , ought even so to walk , as he before you hath left you a pattern : ye should study to walk spotless 2 Pet 3. 14. and blameless in this present World therein to let your light so shine before , men , that they seeing your good works , Mat. 5. 16. Phil. 2. 15. may glorify your Father which is in Heaven . Rom. 1. 10 & 6. 2. 10. 11. Gal 3. 2 & 5. 24.

That the way towards Heaven is upward , and not downward , rising continually from the death of sin , dying continually to sin ; being daily weaned more and more in your affections to this present World and the vain pleasures thereof ; and living daily more and more towards God ; your affections more and more daily in love with righteousness and holiness towards God and man .

And herein be not deceived , thinking it is enough if you but grow in the knowledge of righteousness , if you be but able to speak or make a description of such a condition ; though your heart be as much after the World and the vain pleasures thereof , as ever Mat. 6. 21. before ; though you have no more Power over your corruption , than you had before ; only you find that knowledge is a brave thing to make you appear famous amongst men ; and therefore ( it may be ) your heart may be running out after knowledge , which before was running out only after the World , and the pleasures thereof ; and this is all the change that is wrought in you , that you have left off running after the World , and the pleasures thereof ; whereby to become great and famous amongst men , and now your hearts are run out after the knowledge of the things of God , but for the same self end as before , to wit , to cloth and adorn this body with spiritual riches , or rather pride , that so Luk. 12. ●1 . ●m. 5. 3. you might be admired and applauded amongst men .

Now since my intention in writing it is only for my performing of that which I judge nothing less then my duty . If God shall be pleased to make any thing therein a means to advance his glory , either in preventing thereby any from being entangled in these or the like snares , or in causing others to exalt God the more in their hearts , by reason of their beholding what great love he hath most freely manifested to me vile unworthy wretch ; being satisfied in my own heart , that what I have written is not a fiction or imagination of mine , but the truth of what I both by sad and joyful experience observed , and found in these my sad travels ; he hath obtained his desire who is ,

Your unworthy servant in Christ , Henry Hills . From my sad ( as to the outward man ) and miserable yet most just Captivity in the Fleet , Jan. 28. 1650.
THE PRODIGAL Returned to his Fathers House .

THE sadness of this our last Age being such , as that it Epist Jude Luke 15. hath brought forth many ( which that the Scripture might be fulfilled must be , ) who like the Prodigal have left their Fathers House .

Left the Society and Fellowship of the Saints ; left their being obedient to any , ●…ay all the Commands of God : left the Temple or House of God , their own 1 Cor. 6. 19. ●…odies ; left being any more at home in ●…heir own hearts ; not taking the least ●…are what becomes of the Temple of God , Jer 7 Mat. 21. 13. Jer. 5. 27. what pollutions and defilements its fil●…ed with ; nay , suffer it to be made a ●…en of Thieves , a Cage of unclean Birds ; a stie where only are kept Swine : Nay , not only so , but have travell'd so far , far indeed both from peace , truth , righteousness and holiness ( which as it only becomes the house of God , so no where else is it to be found ) they have spent all their Portion , and are so necessitated for Bread , as they would gladly fill their bellies , with the Husks that only Swine feed on .

Yet finding but few of those many , that at last come to themselves , and considering that in their fathers house is Bread enough , return to their Father , confessing they have sinned against Heaven and before him , and are no more worthy to be called his Sons : Yet would Psal. 84. 10. fain be entertained into his house again , though but as onc of his hired Servants , finding with David , by sad experience , That 't is better to be a door-keeper in the house of God , than to dwell in the tents of wicked men : And finding none of those few , that have returned from that sad , dangerous and most perilous journey that have ( for the preventing of others from running of that sad race ) declared either the danger or misery whic●… attends it , or discovered any of the subtil snares of Satan , whereby he catches , and carries them into those far Countries .

And though it hath been my sad portion to be one of those Prodigals in these our last days : Yet since the Lord out of the riches of his mercy towards me , hath been pleased to make choice of me to be one of those few which at last came to themselves ( though such was the stubbornness of my base heart , as I endured to be beaten with many stripes first , and considered that in my Luke 12 : 47 fathers house was bread enough ; yet mercy enough , notwithstanding my Soul was eaten through with hunger , by reason of the abounding of my Iniquities , my redoubled iniquities , to patdon them , all tbem ; that there was Psalm 57. 7 water enough to wash me as white as ●…now through my inipuities I have made my self as red as Crimson : Yea not only to consider or remember , but to resolve to go to my father .

And no sooner was my heart and eye set thither-ward , crying out with David , Psalm 2 5. 11. Pardon my iniquity Lord , why , as if God should have replyed ) not because they be little or few , but because they be great or many ; as if he should ●…ay , Lord take advantage by the greatness of my iniquity , to discover thy master-piece , thy great love , thy Son , thine only Son , the richest , the choicest of thy mercies : I was ( I say ) but a while here , but I found him , ( to his praise for ever be it spoken ) no less a Father to me then he was a Prodigal : for while I was yet a far off , scarce gone two or three steps , scarce cryed out from the earning of my sad unworthy heart , two or three times unto him ; but he saw me , when I was yet a far off : far indeed from peace , truth , holiness or righteousness ; being in the midst of of nothing but Swine , my own base filthy Psal. 12. 8. & 13. 13. lusts , and beset therewith on every side : Yet here he saw me , even thus far off .

[ And come runing ] came indeed so swift , as I saw him not till he met me , Can. 6. 12. and fell on my neck , and kissed me : until he took my sad heart up from his bed of misery , and kissed me with the kisses Can. 1 , 2. Psal. 19. 20. & 119. 103. 8. Pet. 1. 8. of his mouth : which indeed are better than wine , and sweeter they were to my taste then the honey-comb : filling me on a sudden , with joy unspeakable , and full of glory .

Wherefore I jadge it nothing less than my duty , to discover , according to that small ability God hath given me , ( though indeed the unfittest amongst the sons of men for such a work , ) the subtil snares of Satan , whereby I was carried into those far Countries . And Luke 15. the parable of the Prodigal being that , by which the Lord was pleased to discover unto me the sad condition I was fallen into ; I shall endeavour by that parable to discover it unto you .

First , You find the Prodigal to be a Luke 1. 5. 12. Son. Secondly , The youngest Son.

1. A Son : That is , such a one as God according to the visible declaration in the Gospel , had owned to be his Son ; a believer , one of the Family or Church of God.

2. The youngest Son. By youngest may be understood , the last converted , or least knowing in the house of God : But to proceed .

The first thing we meet with in this Parable to our purpose is , in verse 12. where we find him asking for his Portion : saying , Father give me my Portion . Psal. 12. 2. & 39. 25 ▪ Ecles . 1. 11

Man having lived along time in darkness , being acquainted with nothing but the vanities of this World : coming at ●…ast through mercy to behold some glimps of the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shining in and upon his dark Joh. 9. heart , is immediately set on fire of zeal after more of the knowledge of God Mark this well . and his truth , thinking that he is able now to eat any meat , that there is nothing to be done by him , but to get up to the top in knowledge of all the mysteries of the kingdom of Christ : whereby in him is hindred the effecting of that work , which God intended by his sending and giving of him that glimps ; to wit , The discovering in him the filthiness and wretchedness of his own heart , how continually in all its actions it opposes and runs from God and his truth ; loving its own darkness rather than that light , which lightens every man Joh. 3. 91. Joh. 1. 9. Acts 6. 19. 25. Joh. 3. 19. that comes into the World ; fearing lest its craft should be discovered ; and therefore it loves darkness rather than light , because its deeds are evil .

Man herein being too hasty catches only the Shell , leaves the Kernel behind him , whereby he becomes fill'd with nothing but air ; puffed up with spiritual Pride , instead of spiritual truth and righteousness ; yet thinks , that because he is now filled with zeal , ( not knowing that there is zeal , not according to truth or knowledge , nor what the meaning of the Apostle was , by saying , knowledge 1 Cor. 81. puffeth up ) and that only after the knowledge of the things of God ; when formerly his heart was set only after the World and the vanities thereof , That without doubt his condition is good ; he goes on firm ground , where three is no need or fear of his slipping or falling ; wherefore he cryes out ,

Father give me my Portion ; Give me all knowledge , that I may be able to dispute for , or against all opinions ; able to answer all objections , &c.

To please this foolish young man , that he might take his fill of the pleasures of the world , as to appear great and famous in the eyes of men ; his Father gives him his Portion , his desire , le ts him attain to great knowledge , it being the alone mark his spiritual proud heart aims at , the only garment desirous in his eye , as having a glorious lustre , far transcending those filthy rags of drunkenness , swearing , &c. the which he formerly was only acquainted with , and did wear , and that even a holy-days .

Immediately after , or a while after , ( as some translations render it ) he gathers all together .

Attains to the knowledge of all mysteries , even of the resurrection it self , or at least he thinks so ; which so puffs him up , as he imagines he is what he knows : when it may be he never had the least inward experience of the power of God in subduing any corruption , and in bringing forth fruits of righteousness and holiness from within , but is only at present so busie in following spiritual pride , as that it hath caused him to cease from gross and outward abominations : Next [ He takes his Journey . ]

He thinks now because he hath gotten this great knowledge , as that he is able to talk and make a description of a state and condition without sorrow : Imagining of that condition which the Scripture speaks of , when all sorrow shall Rev. 21. 4. be wiped from their eyes , &c. Having builded a Castle in the Air , which is ( as he thinks ) a true description of that condition : being so puffed up , as he cannot tell whether he be in the body or out of the body , that he discerns nor ● . Cor. 12. 2. knows no difference , betwixt knowing and being what he knows , imagines he 's got into that condition ; whence he concludes , he is now no more to know any man or thing after the flesh : that is 2 Cor. 5. 16. ( saith puft up man ) not to do any service either to God or man with his body ; but lay that aside as useless , especially in his doing any thing that is commanded him by God.

Hence he comes to leave off his obedience to all the commands of God , saying , what a poor thing it is to be praising and praying to God ? That 's milk fit only for Children , and the like ; that 's only for such as live at distance from God and Christ ; only enjoying Communion with God and Christ by Faith , having not received the promise : But saith he Heb. 11. 39. I have passed all this ; I am acquainted with a condition beyond all this ; I live in the enjoyment of that which you only live in hope of , &c. And thus he spends his Portion in rioting and wantonness , which great swelling words of his 2 Pet. 2. 18. make him greatly applauded and admired by men .

By this time you may perceive he 's on his journey : well , the first City he enters into , is spiritual Sodom and Egypt ; Rev. 11. 8. where is a people fit for his Company , where is a people who neither speak , act , nor do any thing , either spiritual or temporal but as the spirit moves them ( as they say , ) not that I would have any mistake me , and think I am one who mock at the spirit , and at man for following its motions ; no , I own praying with the spirit and with understanding , as the Apostle exhorts ; But finding 1 Cor. 14. 15 by sad experience that many ; nay , the most of those that pretend so much for the spirit , have no rule ( meaning such as lay aside the Scripture as a dead letter , &c. ) either for themselves or others , whereby they be able to distinguish betwixt the motions of the spirit , and the motions of the flesh ; but without questioning rather ( thinking they have no other life , and so consequently no other motions in them but the spirit of God ) what moves them , to go on , indeed following only the motions of the flesh and the lusts thereof . Ro. 1. 24.

Amongst which people presently he is as forward as the best , getting him immediately ( having a portion by him to purchase it ) a garment made of that fashion , trimmed with the richest trimming that in that City is to be got , That is , he hath such a large capacity , as that he hears no high flown opinion from the most knowing amongst them ( which he only looks after ) but immediately it is ●…is own , he not minding any thing else , ●…ut wholly making that his work .

And now being got into the fashion , and arrayed with the richest , and ( if possible ) excelling them , He begins to keep company with the best ; and being a young man scorns to be base , spends freely , and by his good will , will pay all the reckoning , call for what you will ; That is , would have all the talk , being willing to appear a man able to dispute for or against all opinions ; answer all objections , and that to the purpose too .

But it may be by this time Conscience may a little prick , he may look back towards his Fathers house ; In detestation of such a thought , as if he were angry with himself , he replyes .

What have I ascended almost into Heaven , and shall I now come down again Luk. 9. 62 to Walk on the Earth ? Have I set my hand to the plough , and shall I now look back ? ( you need not wonder that he useth the Scripture , or rather abuseth it ; for you may find it was of old the Devils wonted course , when he thought he should meet with his match , to come with Scripture in his mouth , as when he tempted Christ . ) As an antidote or poyson against such a thought , he musters up all the failings and imperfections of th●… Saints : and it may be he hath been a●… eye-witness to some , and they not smal●… ones neither : As perhaps he had formerly been a member of some Church , and notwithstanding he a long time walked apart from them : yet so cold and careless were they ( the which is an evil too common among the Saints in this our last Age , with shame do I speak it ) in that their great duty which by God is required of them ; to wit , to watch in love over their Bretheren , and Luk 15. 4. Mat. 18. 11. with the good Shepherd missing but one sheep only , leaves the ninety and nine , seeking that which is lost , if possible to find it , telling him his faults between them two , &c. As that they do not so much as come once at him ; much less express towards him that love in performing their duty as of them in that case was required , with ( it may be ) many more failings which he of late only took notice of ; whereby he for ever afterwards stops his Conscience from speaking any more , looking either not at all on or towards them except it be as they be represented through their imperfections to his eye ; whereby he never afterwards speaks of them , except in upbraiding of them , saying , they be a people who have the form of Godliness , but want the power , Ro. 2. 20. 2 Tim. 3. 5. and the like . But to proceed ,

Being now in his own conceit , attain'd to such a height of perfection ( though in truth fill'd with nothing but spiritual pride ) he thinks he 's ready to meet the son of man at his second coming : like those Malachi speaks of , who say , where is the God of Judgment ? When comes he ? and the like ; Not minding what is in the next Chapter , where God answers them , saying , I 'le Mat. 2. last Mal. 3. 1. send the Messenger of my Covenant , &c. even he whom ye delight in ( at or lest profess so ) but see what follows ; But who shall abide his coming , and who shall stand when he appears ? Why , as ( if they should reply ) what 's the matter ? It s greater then you are aware of . For he is like a ver. 2 Refiners fire , and like Fullers sope : You are exceedingly mistaken about his coming , not but that he will come , but in the manner and end of his coming : for if you did with the Apostle rightly understand the manner and end of his coming , ●●u would say , what manner of persons 〈…〉 we to be ? we ought to be all 1 Pet. 3. 11 silver ▪ for he in his coming is like a Refiners fire ; not only fire , but the searching of fire , a fire wherein nothing will remain unconsumed but pure silver . Bu●… to return .

As Satan never is wanting in mean●… whereby to accomplish what he hat●… begun , nor never kindled a fire , but likewise will provide fuel to continue 〈…〉 with : so at last this Prodigal comes t●… hear of one or other , who are on a sudden filled with strange raptures and revelations , as that the last day is at han●… and they be commanded to triumph 〈…〉 forth , &c. After which man immediately he run , crying out , none but he ; o●… whom it may be he hears a thousan●… strange notions and novelties more which like a fresh gale of wind blow●… on his Sails which he hath alway●… hoistered , and that as he thinks for n●… other Haven , but Heaven it self .

Upon which waves ( indeed bein● only his own fancy and imagination ) h●… having a long time been tossed to an●… fro , even till his portion begins to gro●… small , his great confidence begins to fa●… him , he is put to his last shift , havin●… spent all his portion , all his hopes being gone of ever arriving where h●… thought he had been so nigh : being pu●… now to use his wits , he looks about hi●… ●…nd behold though all his portion be ●…ent ; yet he hath a great many good ●…uits of Apparel yet left him , which ●…ay a long time stand him instead , if ●…e do turn them the inside outward ; 〈…〉 more plainly thus .

The Devil ( it being the last Card he ●…ath to play ) tells him , he hath no such ●…use to be so troubled , for he is arrived ●…fe where he desired : only he is mis●…ken , looking too carnally upon things ; ●…r Christs second coming , which he ●…oks so much for , is not carnally , but ●…ritually to be understood ; saying , ●…he Jews of old , by being tainted with ●…s thy error , rejected Christ at his first ●…ming , I say by reason of the carnalness 〈…〉 their expectations , who expected he ●…uld have been some great Monarch 〈…〉 earthly King : which dangerous error 〈…〉 thine let me therefore rectify thee in , 〈…〉 thou proceed in rejecting of him , ●…w he is come , and so with the Jews 〈…〉 ever in vain to expect him hereafter . 〈…〉 Thy expectation is for a second com●… of Christ in the clouds ; now herein ●…hy mistake , Christs second coming ●…l not be visible to men , but only spi●…ally Joh. 14. 17 in men . Wherefore do but turn ●…se thy Garments the inside outward ; do but spiritually look upon things , and you shall find he is not in Heaven , nor beyond Deut. 30. 13. the Seas , that thou shouldst thence expect him , but he is near thee , even in th●… heart , and in thy mouth , he is withi●… thee , &c.

Now the poor Prodigal being almo●… spent , having run himself out of breat●… to keep his credit , is willing to use an●… shift , begins to follow his advice .

But there arising a great Dearth ] h●… hath no sooner turned his eye inwar●… upon the inside of his Garments , b●… behold there is nothing but filth , o●… more plainly thus ,

He no sooner comes to turn his e●… within himself , but behold , whilst 〈…〉 slept , whilst he hath been all this tim●… Mat. 13. 25. abroad , never having so much as cast h●… eye homewards before , Satan came 〈…〉 sowed there tares : he having been inde●… a long time one of those sluggards m●…tioned , Prov. 24. 34. whose field and ga●…den , for want of manuring and dressi●… was , the one over-run with Thorns a●… the other with Nettles , and the ston●… wall thereof broken down . The behol●…ing of which unexpected dismal sig●… his falling into such company on a su●…den , his finding in him nothing but 〈…〉 pany of base Lusts , inviting of him it may be to Curse , Swear , Blaspheme , &c. to let these things come forth he is ashamed and loath , saying within himself , shall I who have made such a high profession , as of living above with God and Christ , of having my Conversation in Heaven , &c. shall I now disgrace my self thus ? no saith he , I 'le dye first .

But being necessitated , having now spent his portion : and being in this far strange Country , he must either work or starve , life being sweet : he is willing to any thing rather than perish , become a servant ; And he goes and joyns himself to a Citizen of that Country ( which is the Devil ) who sends him to his Farm , ( meaning the Prodigals heart ) which is now become the Citizens or Devils Farm , to keep Swine : ( you do not read of any thing else the Devil had there but Swine . ) That is , he sent him to his own heart , to keep his base Lusts ( which his heart is now full of , and of nothing else ) which lye ravening within him to come forth like Swine , who for want of Meat , will run crying and ravening up and down .

Next you find , He would fain have filled his belly with the husks the Swine did eat , but no body gave them him : Two sorts of Husks I find the Swine hath to eat , which the Prodigal would fain have filled his belly with .

First , all his great knowledge which the Prodigal had for a long time imbraced as something , he sees now to be but husks , though he would fain have filled his belly with them he cannot ; but Swine eat them up before his face ; that is , they be now turned before him into nothing but Drunkenness , Whoring , Swearing , Cursing , &c. which he now finds compassing him about .

Secondly , by husks I understand vain pleasure , which is represented to mans eye as to be had in acting of those abominations , as Whoredom , &c.

For I conceive there appeared to the Prodigals eye something in the Husks which might serve him to satisfie his hunger with : For we find the reason why he desired them , was to have filled his belly with them ; or it may be the Devil might beget this opinion in him , that it were better for him to let his corruptions come forth , for that was in order to healing , saying , it would be in vain for him to go about to administer a heavenly Plaister , until all the corruption was drawn forth from within .

Or lastly , the Devil might ( in regard he had brought them into this far country , far from all light and truth of the Gospel of Christ , ) perswade him that God was a God of more purer eyes than to Heb. 1. 13. behold iniquity , saying , the meaning of that is , it is only the impure eyes of man that sees iniquity , it 's only the weakness of mans eye , which causeth him to think he sees good and evil ; it being only the imagination of man , which is indeed a lie ; and therefore , saith he , that saying is evil to him that evil thinks ; do but you leave off such thoughts , and presently you will see that all actions and things are like , upon which man swallows presently iniquity as a fish swallows water .

He would fain have filled his belly with the husks , but no man gave them him ; even so 't is with the poor Soul , that though he see nothing but filthy Swine , and they feeding on nothing but filthy Husks , base Lusts , which hurry him into this and the other abomination , which pretend and make a swelling shew of substance or pleasure to be had in them ; but in the using appear to be nothing but emptiness , rather choaking than filling the belly ; fain would he have filled his belly with those husks , but no man gave them him , so must I needs confess to my shame , that such was the wretchedness of my unworthy heart , as that I would fain have filled my belly with those husks , let any abomination come forth , and indeed did begin to eat of those husks ; and as we find the reason why the Prodigal did not fill his Belly , was not because he would not , but because no man gave them him ; so the reason ( as to my shame , so to the Glory of God for ever be it spoken ) why I did not finish up in sin that it might have brought forth eternal death and woe , was not because I would not , but because I was prevented by the love of God , which made me come to my self , to weigh things in the ballance of Truth , searching ( like the wise Bereans ) the Scriptures ( the which before I Acts 17. 11. had laid aside as a dead useless thing , imagining I had gotten that unction whereby I knew all things , and needed not that any man teach me , needed no mans writings , 1 Joh. 2. 27. no not the Apostles and Prophets themselves , but that I had teaching enough ; nay was able to teach others , &c. ) whether those things were so or no , I began to be amazed and confounded in my self , to behold what madness , folly and vanity I had a long time been carried away with .

That I was so foolish as to believe I was travelling towards heaven and happiness , when my own conscience , ( if I had but suffered it to speak ) would have told me that the way I went was quite contrary , that it was the broad Road-way to destruction , and not only my own Conscience , but the experience of the Saints in all Ages , and above all , ●…he Scriptures themselves would most ●…lainly have made it manifest to me : ●…aying , Can a man gather grapes of ●…horns , or figs of thistles . Mat. 7. 16.

O that I should be so foolish as to ●…hink I could carry coals in my bosom Prov. 6. 27 , 28. ●…nd not be burnt therewith ; That I should have nothing but thorns and ●…histles growing in my heart , and yet ●…hould expect in summer to gather thereof grapes and figs , that I should do no●…hing but evil , and yet expect good to Mat. 12. 25. ver. 33. ●…ome thereof : no , saith Christ , if a king●…om be divided against it self , how can ●…hat kingdom stand ? either make the tree good and his fruit good , or the tree evil ●…nd its fruit evil , make both alike .

When I came to my self , I no sooner ●…egan seriously to weigh and consider my condition , but I began to cry out for my self , wondering the wrath of God had not ere this time swallowed me up . O! That I should be so foolish , as to run after the shadow , leaving the substance behind ; That I should follow nothing but the foolish imaginations of my own heart , and not only so but to call them the motions of the spirit of God.

That I should pretend to worship Joh. 4. 24. God in spirit and truth , when I wa●… running from God , and leaving off hi●… Saints and people , turning my back upon all the commands of God.

To think with Saul , I was zealous fo●… God and his truth , doing God good service , Joh. 16. 2. when I was persecuting his servant●… & Saints , backbiting and speaking evil o●… them ; watching that if possible I migh●… cause any of them to stumble and fall , i●… leaving off their obedience to the commands of God ; rejoycing at their infirmities ; being glad when I could tak●… any just occasion ( by reason of any o●… their failings ) to speak evil of them .

That I should be so foolish as to thin●… Mat. 22. 11. I was prepared to meet the bride , o●… Christ at his second coming , when I ha●… no wedding-garment on , nay instea●… Mat. 22. 11. thereof was clothed with nothing bu●… filthy rags , base lusts , my heart running out after nothing but vanity and lies .

That I should think 't was the way to life and happiness , in order to healing , to let what abominations would come forth , to be obedient to any , nay to every lust .

And not only to act all this at home 1 Cor. 6. 15 , 16. in my own heart : to fill the Temple of God with all these idols , but to manifest this my folly to all the World , and to contend for them as things fit to be minded .

I say when I came so to my self , as seriously to behold all this , finding that I was gotten into a way , which was as the wise-man saith , Prov. 16. 25. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man , but the end ( or issues ) thereof are death ; though it did seem to me right , even that which would bring me safe to my expected end , glory and happiness , yet I find the issues thereof was nothing so ; and came at last to see the way I was in , led to destruction .

I said with the Prodigal , , how many hired servants of my Fathers have bread enough , and to spare , and I perish here with hunger ? How many are there , which as yet know not that they be adopted sons of God , as know not their interest in Christ ; who though they do believe , yet they cry , Lord help my unbelief , to whom Christ hath not given an answer : yet such is the fulness of my Father●… house , as they have bread enough and to spare , have so many secret upholding●… and whisperings of the spirit of life and truth in them , as keeps their spirits from fainting , and moreover gives them many causes of rejoycing : all which at present to consider , wounded me the more ; I perish here for hunger . But through mercy , having some hope yet left as to know those God loves , he loves to the end , and that his mercies endure for ever . I said , I Joh. 13. 1. will arise and go to my Father , and confess I have sinned , &c.

I will no longer lie in this bed of filth , I will arise , I will no longer go after the Ps. 105. 8. & 111. 9. & 119 8. 9. lusts and abominations of my base heart , but go to my Father , go and be obedient to all the commands of God , throwing my self down at the foot of God , saying , Lord though I perish , yet will I trust in thee , yea though thou slay me ; for there is mercy in thee that thou mayest be feared .

And say unto him , Father I have sinned against Heaven , and before thee , and am no ●…re worthy to be called thy Son , &c. I ●…ve sinned against Heaven : against the ●…ecious Gospel of Jesus Christ ; not●…thstanding thou unbosomest that rich ●…e of thine unto me , as when I was in 〈…〉 blood , cast out to the loathing of my ●…rson , and no eye pitied me , even then Ezek. 16. 6. 〈…〉 casting the skir● of thy mercy over ●…e , hiding thereby all my nakedness and ●…formity ▪ against this Heaven , all this ●…ercy and love have I sinned .

2. Against Heaven , against the Saints ●…d people of God ; in causing the way 〈…〉 truth to be evil spoken of , thy Saints ●…braided and contemned , and thy ●…me dishonoured ; and slighted all thy ●…ecious commands and ordinances , and ●…rned my back upon them , despising ●…d trampling them under my feet : ●…gainst Heaven yet more than all this ; ●…ot thinking it enough that I disobeyed ●…l thy commands , despised all thy Saints ●…d people , casting contempt on them , ●…ut invited , ( as much as in me lay ) ●…aused others to do the same .

3. Against Heaven , notwithstanding ●…ou in mercy gavest me many regrets ●…f Conscience by the word and spirit ; ●…et by all these was not I stopped , but ●…earkened to every call , and yielded my self up a servant to sin and Satan , ma●…ing my body ( that should have been h●…ly and spotless , not suffering any defil●…ment to have come to thy temple , ) 〈…〉 Cage wherein were all manner of u●…clean birds , a stie full of nothing 〈…〉 filthy swine , spent that portion tho●… gavest me with a Harlots .

Lord how have I trampled under m●… feet that holy Ordinance of thy Ma●…riage , in not being thankfully conte●…ted with what thou out of thine infini●… wisdom createdst for man in the begi●…ning , one woman , that they twain mig●… be one flesh , the which being nothing le●… Gen 2 18. 24. then a figure of that heavenly inten●…ment of thine , the Son of thy love Chri●… Jesus , one Spouse or beloved : But despised and slighted this thy institutio●… choosing rather to follow the voice o●… Satan and my own base lustful heart , an●… from thence concluded , 't was lawful fo●… me to have more than one Wife , an●… not only consented within me to this abomination , and violation of this thy law , but brought it forth into action ▪ taking into my bosome another beside●… my wife , nay herein redoubling my iniquity , taking even one that was then Wife of another man ; And not only ●…one all this wickedness in thy sight ; ●…t called this my detestable abomina●…on , righteous and good , contending ●…r it before men , though it be that ●…hich the very heathens abhor , and ●…e very brand and character of those ●…hom thou intendest shall never ●…e thy face , thy love , thy son , Heaven ●…d happiness , but for ever be cast ●…th into utter darkness , as the Apostle ●…ul said to the Corinthians . Know ye 1 Cor. 6. 9. ●…t that the unrighteous shall not in●…rit the kingdom of God ? be not de●…ved : neither fornicators , nor Idola●…s , nor adulterers , &c. Shall inherit ●…e Kingdom of God , &c.

Yet O! Lord herein have I sinned a●…nst Heaven , and done all this wick●…ess in thy sight , notwithstanding I Luke 12. 47. 2 Chron. 30. 9. Jer. 32. 40. ●…ew thy will , yet I did it not : though ●…as one that thou settest before thee 〈…〉 thy delight , to dandle in the lap of 〈…〉 Love : from whom thou intendest ●…er to turn thy face ; even here be●…e thee have I sinned and done all this ●…ckedness in thy sight : though I knew ●…u wast a God from whom no thought , ●…ch less action could be hid : Lord ●…at shall I say , my sins are as the sands ●…he ●●a , who can number them ? So vile , so wretched am I , as I am n●… worthy to be called thy Son : n●… worthy any more to sit at thy table yet Lord I will fain be entertained●…gain into thy house , though but as o●… of thy hired servants , but a door-ke●…per , though but as one that must n●… go into thy house to behold and parta●… of thy rich mercies , but stand at t●… door : for 't is better Lord to be a doo●… Psa. 84. 10 keeper in thy house , than to dwell 〈…〉 the Tents of wicked Men.

But when he was yet a great way 〈…〉 his Father saw him , &c. I had 〈…〉 gone far in confession and forsaki●… but was hedged up by my iniquitie●… ready to be swallowed up by them eve●… moment ; so that if I went into 〈…〉 field , into the World , there presen●… one object or other presented it self my base lustful eye , which like thor●… pricked and wounded my heart to b●… hold if I looked into my garden , 〈…〉 heart , which should have bin filled w●… all precious flowers of divine pleasur●… Pro. 34. 24. behold , there was nothing but nett●… nothing but restlesness , and unquiet●… stinging and wounding me ; nay furth●… if I Looked about my heart , beho●… the stone-wall was broken down : Prayer , watchfulness , nay all power , which formerly I had against sin and corruption , whereby in some measure they were subdued and kept under in me , was now broken down ; so that now I was ready to be led away with every lust : But even while I was thus far off from my body , being the Temple of the Holy Ghost , as it was become the Temple of Idols , a cage of unclean 1 Cor. 6. 19. birds , My father saw me , and not only so ; but had compassion on me , was pleased even when my Spirit was ready to fall before him , with power to bring that saying to my heart , Malachi 3. 6. I am the Lord , and I change not , therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed ; appearing indeed a God of truth , who said , He would not always contend with man , lest his spirit should fall before him ; but delights rather in Gen. 6. 3. shewing mercy ; even when I was crying out in my own heart , ( from the sight of my being ready every moment to be carried away with one temptation or other ) My God hath forsaken me , bringing that saying with power to my heart , Isai. 50. from the first to the fourth .

Thus said the Lord , where is the bill of your mothers divorcement , whom I have put away ? or to which of Creditors is it I have sold you ? Behold for your iniquities have you sold your selves , and for your transgressions is your mother put away ; Wherefore when I came , was there no man ? When I called , was there none to answer ? Is my hand shortned at all that it cannot redeem ? Or have I no power to deliver ? Behold at my rebuke I dry up the sea , I make the rivers a wilderness , their fish stinketb for water and dyeth for thirst ; I cloath the Heavens with darkness , and make Sackcloath tbeir covering .

All which was unfolded before me thus , O foolish man , why dost thou say God hath forsaken thee , hath sold and given thee up to thy own lusts and to Satan ; divorced thee from being the Spouse and beloved of his Son ? who saith so ? where is the Bill , which lust , nay the devil himself let him if he dare , if he can produce the Bili : which of my Creditors is it to whom I have sold thee ? Behold look well about you , consider , you will find you are mistaken , you charge me falsly : for your iniquities have you sold your selves ; you will find all the fault is in you , what is done , you have done your self ; you have sold your self ; the distance that is between us , your iniquities have made , 't is they have separated between you and your God.

Wherefore when I came , was there no Man ? What was the reason think ye that I so often by my word and spirit called to and within you , and you made me no answer ? If I had been the cause of your being gone , why then should I call ? and what was the reason there was none to answer , but only your being separated by your iniquities , being taken up with them , you became regardless of my calls ?

Is my hand shortned at all that I cannot redeem ? you know I was able to redeem you out of , and from your corruptions , and what is the matter now ? have you tryed me , and found me unable now to redeem you , is my hand shortned ? Is there any reason why you should not come to me ? Or have not I power to deliver ? what think ye ?

Are your sins and inquities greater and deeper then the Sea ? What if they be ? there is no reason for all that why you should despair of coming to me ; Behold , At my rebuke I dry up the Sea , though you be sunk as deep into sin as the Sea is of water , yet one word of my mouth can dry up that Sea : though you now swim in your iniquities like a fish in a River , yet I can dry up that River , and make those corruptions in you perish for want of water : And make those Rivers a wilderness , a place where indeed you may solitarily travel , and in your travel be put to great streights , yet a place where you shall see me work Ex. 16. 15. wonders ; where I 'le rather send you bread from Heaven then you shall perish , Ex. 17. 6. and cleave the rock rather then you shall faint for want of water .

And I was followed with this saying . That there was no variableness , no not so much as a shadow of changing in him there was not the likeness of any such thing in him , continually having that saying before me , return unto the Lord , 1 Sam. 7. 1. Isa. 55. 7. and he will have mercy upon you , and to our God , for he will abundantly pardon : to which in my heart I replyed , What shall I do ? whither shall I return ? Upon which I had this saying brought to me , Come out from among all those base lusts , and touch no unclean thing . To which I replyed , how can I come out from amongst them ▪ when I am compassed about with them on every side ? Lord I cannot turn my self , but do thou turn me , and I shall be turned , &c. To which I was answered in my own heart ! All that is required of thee , is only that thou wouldst be willing ; do but resign up thy will unto the will of God , it s enough : To confirm the Truth of which to me , I had those sayings brought with power to my remembrance , Lord , if thou wilt , thou canst make me clean , to Mat. 8. 2. which Christ immediately replys , ( as if he should say then there is nothing Mat. 20. 32. Luk. 5. 13. wanting , ) I will be thou clean : and immediately it was so : as if Christ should have said , I am always willing and ready to do you any good , and wait only for an opportunity for you to be willing .

And likewise that saying of Christ , Jo. 3. 14. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the Wilderness ; even so must the son of Man be lifted up , That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life . What manner of Person soever he was , though never so wicked , never so vile , yet if he would but give one look up , but throw himself into the arms of his mercy , but say with his heart there is no life to be had elsewhere : and if I periish , I 'le perish here : if he but say , Lord I believe , help my unbelief ; I believe , there is mercy enough in thee , and that it is there placed on purpose , to save sinners : help mine unbelief ; do thou put ●ut those doubts of mine , by giving my life , by healing of me : and you need not question but you will find him a God of Truth ; for he in that particular chellenges all the World , saying , who is he that hath sought the Lord in vain ? and therefore look up to me all ye ends of the Earth and Isa. 45. 19. Prov. 1. 6. 20. Ps. 37. 40. Isa. 45. 21. be ye saved . But to proceed .

He came running and met me ; so swift was he in coming , as that I saw him not till he fell on my neck and kissed me . O how sweet is it to have the divine dew of Heaven to be distilled upon a poor frozen heart ! of what value is it ! how it makes the soul to melt and cry out with the Spouse , Can. 2. 5. Stay me with Flagons , and comfort me with Appeals , for I am sick of love ! Redoubled love ! such as spared not to restore me again and again , such love as seems to swallow up and forget all my redoubled iniquities ; which discovereth it self so freely , as if I had never been an offender against it !

And as the next thing we hear of the Prodigal is , that his father said to his servant , bring forth the best robe & put it on hm , and put a ring on his hand , and shoes on his feet , &c.

So though I have no cause of boasting ; but rather for ever to humble my self in dust and ashes , because of my abominations , they having been such as the wise man saith ( and I by sad experience have found true in part already ) my wound and dishonour to be great , and my reproach such as shall not be wiped away , Prov. 6. 33. yet will I not be ashamed to own and acknowledg his infinite mercies , which he hath been pleased as a robe put on me ; most sweetly being pleased to take my sad heart out from its flesh and mire , in which it lay wallowing , and fill it with holy and heavenly meditations and contemplations of his rich love ; making me as to loath the ways of my own sinful heart , ( which before I took pleasure in ) so now to be meditating on his law , making nothing else delightful or pleasant to me , but rather trouble and vexation of spirit ; Teaching me now that lesson to commune with my own heart , and be still ; to be continually ( at least desiring so to be ) as beholding his rich love , so my own vile wretchedness , the which causes me to be so far from thinking any thing of my self as not to suffer such a thought ; but to be still , as rather being ashamed to appear or speak , except to my own shame .

Now I find the slipperiness of mans heart to be such , as that he which thinks he stands , had need take heed lest he fall : that man had need watch and pray continually , lest he fall into temptation . Now not wondering why Paul , notwithstanding 1 Cor. 10. 12. he had so much of the power and Spirit of God , cryed out so because of the body of sin he bare about him , saying , O wretched man that I am , who shall deliver me from this body of Death ? nor yet why he should immediately Rom. 7. 24. as if 't was but the turning of an eye , but looking up to the Brazen serpent , but presently he tells you other news .

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord ; cause of giving thanks , and that for deliverance too : now not wondering verse . 25. why , as soon as Christ doth but a little slumber , the ship should be immediately covered over with waves , as that the disciples cry out Master , save us , we perish : finding now that Christ is pleased to sleep a little , and to suffer Satan to raise on poor disciples such waves , storms and tempests , on purpose to try his Disciples faith , and befool Satan , so to shew his power and Exod. 14. 15. 1 Sam. 12. 16. willingness in all straights to help them ; and likewise to inform them where their strength lies , that their eyes might be alwayes thitherward . And now in some measure I behold the needfulness to that Joh. 5. 28. saying Paul useth to the Ephes. saying , Put on the whole armour of God , that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil . As if he should say , you being Christians , are not therefore to think you are safe ; that you have no enemy to fear : for you being but now to have an enemy : he that before was your bosome-friend , Mat. 10. 23. is now become your enemie ; that he may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil : the Devil now is become your adversary , therefore now you must be a Souldier : you must learn to keep watch , to stand centinal , and not only so , but you must be armed too : Mat. 26. 14. your enemy is one who is so strong as you are not able to withstand him , except you be armed : And 't is not any armour will serve you neither , it must be armour of proof : put on the whole armour of God ; it is not a piece of Gods armour will serve thee : for thy adversary is such a cunning warrier , that if then hast never so little a place left naked , and unarmed , he will be sure to shoot all his darts there , and wound thee there ; therefore put on the whole armour of God : Never think thou art safe till then , nay you must not sleep nor ly still then neither , but must when you have put it on expect to fight , for we fight not , &c.

Therefore let us not sleep , for those that 1 Thes. 5. 6 , 7 , 1. sleep , sleep in the night , &c. for we are Children of the day , therefore let us watch and be sober : But to return .

The next thing in the Parable , is , he calls for the fatted Calf to be brought in and killed , to make merry .

In regard this is partly included in what went before , it being only an illustration of the height , depth , bredth , and length of the love of God in Christ , unbosomed , and freely held forth unto the worst of sin : I shall say no more of it but this . That such hath been the goodness of God to me , as that he hath been pleased to bring forth and bestow on me his great rich love , by which ( notwithstanding I was fallen from , and become a rebel to it , was gone so far from him , into such a far Country , even to the very brink of Hell ; was dead , nay twice dead , dead before I was his son , and dead again afterwards ) he recovered me , brought me back , raised me from this death ; my son was dead , and is alive was lost , is found ; notwithstanding the darkness I was in was such thick Isa. 44. 21. darkness , as I was lost in the midst thereof ; yet such was his love , as there he found me , and from thence brought me forth into the light , and made merry with the musick of his sweet love : O! I want an enlarged heart to admire it , and the Tongue and Pen of Men and Angels to set it forth .

Lastly , His eldest brother was in the field , and as he came and drew nigh to the house ; he heard Musick and Dauncing , and he called one of his Servants , and asked what these things meant ? and he said thy brother is come , and thy father hath killed the fatted calf , because he had received him safe , and sound : And he was angery and would not go in , &c.

'T is not much I have experience of this last part of the parable , having not as yet been entertained again by the society and people or house of God from which I went ; but whether the reason was because my eldest brother murmured at my Father for killing the fatted calf for me , who had wasted his Estate with harlots , who notwithanding he had manifected his love in Christ to me ; I say had given me this portion , I spent it all , sinned against this his mercy , my eldest brother did question whether my Father had dealt justly in that he ( notwithstanding all this my wickedness ) rather then I should be lost , that he might receive me safe and sound , doth not spare , but kill his fatted calf , manifest to me ( vile wretch ) such a piece of love , as he never discovered to his eldest son , who had alwaies been with him ; kept close to all his commands and ordinances : whether the reason why they rather concluded ( or at lest some of them ) I had sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost , and so 't was not possible for me to be recovered by and into the love of God ; and so did not believe what I said , but at present refused both it and me ; and not only so , but that ( as ever I heard ) they never so much as inquired after me since , though I have been shut up in prison and could not go to them : whether ( I say ) it did not flow from my eldest Brother murmuring . I leave to them whom it concerns to judge ; waiting and longing to re-injoy likewise that mercy , as to have again fellowship and communion with the Saints ; knowing it to be the place ; ( where two or three are gathered together Mat. 18. 19 in his name , that he will be in , and that in the midst of them : and likewise finding by sad experience , that so backward Heb. 10. 24 and drous●e is man , as he had not need let any thing be wanting that may provoke him to love and good works , it being likewise that which as God commands it , so he takes special notice of his people that observe so to do ; as we may find Mal. 3. 16. Then they that fear the Lord speak often one to another : and the Lord harkned and heard it , and a book of remembrance was written before him , for them that feared the Lord , and thought upon his name . And they shall be mine , saith the Lord of hosts , in that day when I gather up my jewels ; and I will spare them , as a man spareth his only son that serveth him . What ? doth the Lord take notice of poor wretched man that fears him , that is tender of every command of his ; though he but stammer before him , because he knows 't is his pleasure , Yea , he will be sought unto ? I the Lord take great notice , he harkned and heard it , and not only so , but a book of remembrance was written before him : such is the infinite love of God towards his poor despised people , that though the world frown upon them , and not think them worthy their taking notice of , yet the Lord he takes such notice of them , as that they cannot meet together , but he will cause a Book of Remembrance to be write , and that before him ; that so he might be sure not to go or do any thing , but that he might behold them , that they might be his choice ones at that day when he gathers up his jewels .

Doth God take such care for his poor people , that when he brings forth and gathers together his rich choice mercies out of his treasury , gathers together his Jewels , as he would be sure none of his people should be wanting , or forgotten , but before him ; that then he might gather up them amongst his Jewels , be as careful and tender of them as a man of his son , that serveth him ?

O! who would leave such a God , such a Father , for the vanities of this World , which to day is , and to morrow is cast into the oven .

FINIS .
A true Coppy of the Letter mentioned in the Epistle which I sent to my Adversary . SIR ,

I Must confess , such hath been my incomparable detestable wickedness towards you , as hath most justly kindled an vnquenchable fire of fury in your breast against me vile wretch , most justly causing me to feel the truth of that saying , Prov. 6. 34. For jealousie is the rage of a man ; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance : So I must needs say , most just is the Lord , in bringing to open view these by my hidden works of darkness . Sir , I must needs out of the shame and bitterness of my unworthy heart confess , that that injury done by me to you is of so notorious a nature , as it is not in the least repairable by me ; nay if I should leave Ages as your slave , and all that time do for you the worst of slavery , it would not be of weight sufficient to counterpoise with that unparalel'd injury done by me to you ; how much less am I ( who have not left me ( except the meer mercy of some Creditors ) not the worth of a penny , nor wherewithal to get a penny ) able in the least in that case to treat with you : But being through mercy made to behold the greatness of my iniquity against God , and injury done to you , as made astonished , ashamed , and confounded in my self , at the beholding of the riches of the love of God , which Paul well said , passeth understanding , if it had not , I had ere this been consumed ; and God himself gives the alone reason , saying , I am God and change not , therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed ; and knowing it my duty so far as it lies in my power to satisfie all wrongs by me done to or committed against any , to the utmost of my ability , therefore endeavouring ( if possible ) to be at peace with all men ; I am imboldened to tender you the largest satisfaction , that either you or any else can out of my labours , above the maintaining of my poor Wife and Family , whom in the first place the laws both of God and nature teach me to provide for ; And how much more in this case I am bound to have respect to my poor wife , who with you in this case ( and that in an unspeakable manner ) hath so deeply already suffered , I leave to you to judge . And Sir , I must humbly desire you to be pleased to consider , that your keeping me in Prison , doth not only make me uncapable of giving you the least satisfaction ; and if I alone who merited it , did suffer , I should be so far from having a thought of reaping any mercy from you , as I should rather yield up my self a sacrifice , to be consumed on the altar , you will , by the fire of your fury most justly by me kindled : But O! when I behold other suffering for my abominations , it enforceth me to cry out , ( as secretly to God ) so to you now to look being an instrument in his hand scourging those for my iniquities who were not sharers in them with me ) though not upon me , yet upon them , with an eye of compassion ; and I beseech you , lest the consideration that you destroy the just ( in this case ) with the unjust , ( if you go on ) stay your hand ; O spare but them , and command what you will of me to the utmost extremity , I shall be willing not only to the utmost of what at present I am able ; but for ever think the utmost I can do , too little , in recompence of your mercy in this particular towards my poor Wife and Family , much less to satisfie that injury which in vilest nature I have done you . O Sir , I beseech you , consider God , who delights in shewing mercy ; and doth afflict , not that he might utterly destroy , but that thereby he might make us the fitter to receive and prize his mercies ; and how honourable a thing it is to be an imitator of so heavenly a pattern , in at last saving those by your mercy , who else are likely to be destroyed by your fury . So ( Sir ) only giving you to understand , that herein I have written nothing but the plain truth , and sincere desire of my heart , humbly desiring you seriously to read it ; and upon mature consideration , as between God and your own soul : and if you shall please to send me an answer , it will oblige him who is ,

SIR , Unworthy to be your Slave , H. H. From my Captivity in the Fleet Dec. 12. 1650. For Mr. Thomas Hams Living at Mrs. Morice 's in Swan-Alley Black-Friers . These .
View of part of the many Traiterous , Disloyal , and Turn-about Actions of H. H. Senior , sometimes Printer to Cromwel , to the Common-wealth , to the Anabaptist Congregation , to Cromwel 's Army , Committee of Safety , Rump-Parliament , &c.

A Little before the Rebellion in England , His Father a Rope-maker in Maidston . He was brought to Town out of * Kent , and serv'd Harrison ( one 〈…〉 the blessed King Charles the I's . Bloody ●…egicides ) in the Capacity of Postillion , ●…hough very young ) who preferr'd him to ●…r . John Lilbourn ; who was much taken ●…ith him , being so very tractable and fit ●…r his purpose ; that he put him out an ●…pprentice to a * Printer for his better Symonds and Paine then Partners . 1642. ●…alification to serve the Cause , &c. As ●…terwards it prov'd He did to all intents . 〈…〉 He run away from his Master , ( a Prin●…r ) and Listed himself in the Rebel-Army ●…der Essex , and fought fiercely with ●…word and Musquet , ( for he was not ●…et mounted ) at Edge-hill against King ●…harles the I. Then becoming free of four ●…rades ( viz. ) Rebellion , Treason , Rapine ●…d Murder , he got on Horse-back , and advanced in a very towardly Progress ▪ so that , in

He commenc'd Leveller ; but tha●… Trade soon failing , he made himself a●… Independant , and became so considerabl●… among them ; that Cromwel wanting 〈…〉 Printer for the Horrid Remonstrance ▪ ( whic●… was the Prodromus of the blessed King●… Murder , ) Out steps honest H. H. briskly●… saying , My Lord , I am a Printer : An●… upon his Vigilance ( not Dexterity ) in tha●… piece of Villany , he was made Printe●… to that Rebel-Army , in which Execrabl●… Imployment and Title , he continu'●… Printing and Trooping several years . And

He Printed the Act , For prohibiting a●… person to be Proclaim'd King of England .

And another Act , For Abolishing t●… Kingly Office , &c.

This was the man that Printed the H●… and Cry after King Charles the I. althoug●… it was Old White's Copy ; but his Ze●… for the Cause was so great , that he cou●…ted it no sin to cheat his Brother Trayto●…

This year was a year of Remark i●… earnest to him , for now he alter'd h●… Title , and became Printer to the Common-wealth of England , and Printed the I●…structions for the Sale of the Lands belonging to the King , Queen , Prince and Bishop●… Deans and Chapters , &c.

He was at Worcester Fight against the ●…ate King , and the next day after the Fight was seen in General Fleedwood's Tent by Mr. B. a Book-binder now living in St. Bar●holomew's - Close near West-Smithfield .

He Printed after Worcester Fight a Proclamation for the apprehending ( as he was pleased to call them ) Charles Stewart , James Stewart , or any of the pretended Sons or Daughters of the blessed Martyr King Charles the I. wherein was a Thousand pounds reward offered .

In this year ( the Flesh prevailing over the Spirit ) he liv'd in Adultery with the Wife of Thomas Hams , a Taylors Wife in Blaok Friers ; for which he was Su'd , Fined 260 l. and cast into the Fleet Prison , where he lay a considerable time ; and then and there it was , that he writ this Book the Prodigal Return'd , being his Recantation for that crime , by which he procur'd his Re-admittance into the Anabaptist Congregation ; and of this conversion of our Saint , Mr. William Kiffin and Mr. Daniel King ( both living ) are Witnesses , as having each of them written an Epistle before it , printed for Giles Calvert , Anno Dom. 1651. By this Apostacy , and his hearty Pennance for that Crime , he became Printer to the Anabaptist Congregation ; as appears by the many Schismatical Books , where it is said Printed by H. H. Printer to the Anabaptist Congregation , in whic●… he continu'd several years .

He Printed The government of the Commonwealth , by Cromwell the Protector●… ( as they call'd him ) and in sundry year●… as the Pamphlets shew . He Printed ,

The Ordinance of High Treason agains●… the Posterity of King Charles the I.

The Ordinance for disposing the Estate●… under Sequestration .

At that time he was Printer to Olive●… the Usurper , he became a zealous Preacher amongst the Anabaptists , where h●… thump'd the Tub so furiously , that he wa●… much Noted by the Heads of that Tribe●… as Patience , Kiffin , Ives , King , &c. Tha●… he caus'd the Congregation to Deposite a●… very considerable sum of money , which was no sooner paid into his hands ; but he and his brother Ives shar'd the money , and left them to shift for a Teacher , for honest H. H. had now other Fish to fry .

He Printed the Act , For Establishing the High Court of Justice ; and another for prohibiting any Correspondency with Charles Stuart .

He Printed the Act , For renouncing the pretended Title of Charles Stuart King of England .

He Printed the Act , For Discovery and Convicting Popish Recusants .

He Printed the Armies Plea against the Restoration of the King.

An Act , For the Security of the Usurper Cromwel .

The Humble Petition and Advice to Cromwel .

An Act , For the Sale of Lands and Estates in Ireland .

He Printed Barebone's Petition against the Royal Family . He was Printer to Richard the Usurper , Oliver's Son ; and at that time Printing pocket Bibles , he corrupted the Commandments , and made it , Thou shalt commit Adultery ; remembring probably how delightfully he had liv'd With honest Thomas Ham's the Taylor 's Wife .

Richard Cromwel being dismounted , and ●…he Rump Parliament got to the Helm , he was then Printer to Them ; and in the same year the Rump being routed by Lambert , ●…e became Printer to the Army again ; then Printer to the Committee of Safety . And ●…n the same year the Rump getting in again , ●…e became Printer to Them again : The ●…an you may see has a Soul of no common Temper ; He ever made it his business ●…o be of the rising side , let what Card ●…ould turn up Trump , he would still ●…ollow the Suit , his heart and hand were ●…lways so well furnish'd .

He was now arriv'd to have the ma●…agement of the Press , and coming to ●… — s Cot — ls he found a Pamphlet in ●…indication of King Charles the II. ( of blessed memory ; ) which much enraged him against the said Printer , insomuch , that he would needs both carry away the mans Printing-Letter , and take him also into Custody , saying , What Print in Right of the King , sure we have had King enough already , carry him before Sir John Backstead ( such another Villain as himself . )

The King being happily restor'd , he got 1660. to be Printer to His late Majesty ; but fearing the Act of Indempnity was too weak for all his Treasons , Villanies , Tergiversations and Treacheries , he procur'd a particular Pardon , and then he became a kind of a Church of England-man , or a modest Presbyterian , where he continued ( when profit and interest offer'd ) a Zealot till the year 1678.

When Oates's Plot was brought upon the Stage , and flourish'd , then he became very Zealous in finding out Papists and Popish Books : In order to which , he went into the Kings-Printing-House in Black-Fryers ; saying , Gentlemen , Is there an●… Papists here ? If there be , you must turn out ▪ for the Kings-Printing-House shall be 〈…〉 shelter for such Vermine : Nay , Or any th●… are Popishly affected , they must also turn out ▪ Which soon took effect , for poor Simo●… Chamberlain ( being so ) was soon turn'd out ▪ A little after this exploit , he instructed on●… of his Sons ( a Glasier by Trade ) to betra●… Turbeveil's Catechisms , the Manuel of Devotions , and other good Catholick Books , then in the hands of Mr. James Thompson in Eagle-Court in the Strand ; which afterwards He and his Pupil Robin Hog , procur'd to be burnt at the Royal Exchange , where he Triumph'd at that Exploit , as much as Sir William Waller did , when he burnt the Crucifixes in Palace-yard , Westminster .

He Printed many of the Monstrous , Horrid , Lying Narratives and Informations that then invaded the World ; and also the Treasonable Votes , &c. And amongst the rest , he Printed that pernicious and damnable Narrative for which Dangerfield was Disciplin'd ; and himself and others Sued by an Honourable Peer of the Realm , who obtain'd a large Verdict against him ; which Verdict , he hoping to avod , ( the good man ) became ( as he says ) a Zealous Catholick ; we do not hear our Zealous Convert has neither acknowledg'd his Crime to that Honourable Person , nor shewn any Sign of Submission : Nay , he had the Confidence to say , He never wrong'd his Lordship , or the Right Honourable Lady who hath also hath a Verdict against him for Scandalum Magnatum , &c.

It is further to be observed , that in May 1684. when the Stationers had their new Charter from the King Charles II. of Glo●…ious Memory ; this new Proselite most zealously took the Sa●…ament in the Church of England , to qualify himself for Master ●…f the said Company ; ) but being so well known amongst them , ●…is design was frustrated ; as sometime he did before to Capa●…itate himself to be Warden thereof ; which place ( with the ●…ssistance of some , &c. ) he did compass .

This is the brief character of our spick and span new Convert , ●…hich shews him to have been in Religion a very Proteus or Wea●…er-Cock ; and to have run through more Opinions than ever ●…he Wandering Jew is said to have done Countries .

A Convert nevertheless we may allow him to be , and to be●…ieve him to be chang'd also from what he was , as he had often ●…een , and done before : But though he be thus become a Saint ; ●…he Kn — e is as Visible and Obvious as ever , and Honest H. H. is the same Envious , Plodding , Treacherous , Sycophant in his Looks , Words and Actions .

Query , If ever H. H. since his pretended Conversion hath ask'd the Pardon of any one person whom he has Libell'd or Defam'd ? Or so much as acknowledged the wrong ? ( we speak not of satisfaction for the same . ) And also , whether he can be deemed any other than an Hypocrite or Dissembler , until he hath done this ? God cannot be mocked , but the World and his Father-Confessor may .

To shew that according to the Title H. H. is the same as heretofore , and that he the said H. H. was ever for the Mercenary interest part , Religion he still making use of upon all changes , only to serve that end ; for he having Printed by Order the Papers found in the late Kings Closet , and a Bookseller having likewise got incouragement to Print the same , which being accordingly done ; H. H. ( still the same ) sends one on purpose to Trepan not only the said Bookseller but Printer , and used all underhand means to ruin them : This , I hope , cannot be thought by any of the same Religion he now professes himself to be of , done through a true zeal to that Persuasion .

And to the end that none that take the pains to read this Book , may think these are falsities put upon the said H. H. ●…hrough envy to his Greatness ; the Publisher will prove to 〈…〉 . H's . face the truth of each particular , if he hath the confidence to deny any of them .

FINIS .

A LETTER OF ADVICE To A Young Lady , BEING Motives and Directions To Establish Her In the Protestant Religion .

WRITTEN By a Person of Honour , AND Made Publick for the Vse of that Sex.

LONDON , Printed , and are to be Sold by Richard Baldwin , 1688.

Price Three Pence .

Licensed ,

May the 7th . 1688.
A Letter of Advice , &c. MADAM ,

I Know the law of Custom has made it not only an usual favour , but an expected duty , to complement at least , if not flatter , such Women as Men write to , especially the Great Ladies , who think none write well , that do not praise them much , and those write best , who extol them most : high Praises being like good Poetry , Musick in words , the sound of which may be agreable , but truly to deserve them , requires such a Gygantick size of merit , as is very unproportionable to the slender-wasted Vertues of most Ladies , who are over-eager to receive Praises , and over-careless in meriting any : and the grand reason is , because they know they usually have them without it ; and that Custome must give it , though Reason cannot . So obliging is the common courtesie of England to Ladies , that it allows them to pretend to all praises as their due , though few deserve any as their right . In a word , our English Ladies must have their Characters writ , just as the Dutch Madams will have their Pictures drawn , that is , very handsom , though they themselves be never so ugly .

But , Madam , for your part , I know your perfections so abundantly , and my own heart so truly , as I must beg the Law of Custome pardon here ; it being beyond my power to flatter or complement , since I can neither over-praise your high merit , or outspeak the real love , and true esteem , I have both for you and them ; so that knowing all manner of praises to be justly due to your merits , I find I cannot here make you a present of any , without doing you an injury , by intitling you to those praises by gift , which all know are your own by right .

For truly , Madam , the whole progress of your actions have still been so highly vertuous , and religiously strict , and ever believed and proclaimed such , that though your Beauty might make bad Men wish you ill , yet your Vertues hinder the worst from daring to think you so : for if they did , their own hearts must at the same time condemn their own thoughts , and declare your innocency ; like Pilate , who with the same breath he condemned our Saviour , said , he found no fault in him .

But , Madam , tho your vertuous life is so transparantly excellent , yet for all that , you ought to look on your unsoil'd Reputation as no small blessing of preservation in these scandalous times , where so few handsom Ladies escape censure , and so many deserve it : for now the extravagancies of Romance-Amours are not only daily read , but almost hourly practised ; and Women act more than Romances can write ; whilst the sober Rules of Vertue , and pious Duties of Religion , are seldom thought on , and most ralely practised ; our Youth being generally grown such fond friends of Mr. Hobbes his Books , as they are become meer strangers to our Saviour's Gospel ; they living as if they were all bodies , and had no souls , or had them but to lose , turning Religion into Raillery , and Gospel into Romances : for thus in short they mangle Scripture , that part which is chiefly Historical , that is their meer Gospel-part ; and that which is the Gospel-part , is their meer Historical-part ; and because they cannot bring the Gospel to prove their Atheistical reasons , pretend to prove by Reason , that there is no Gospel : and if some of them now and then look over a Chapter , they only pass through it , as a Spie doth an Enemies Country , with a mischievous design ; and if they can but find in Scripture a seeming Contradiction , that they presently bring on the Stage , as they do Fools in Plays , to railly with , and make sport at : so great a Jest our Young Sparks now make of their Salvation , as to be pleas'd in the meer displeasing God ; without considering , 't is not onely Atheistical madness , but Devillish folly , to make that their Jest , which they may be damn'd for in earnest .

Thus our Youth throw away their Souls ; and for their Time , they care not how they spend it , ( always provided it be not religiously ) and therefore they wast it most in the company of vain Women ; and are so eager and zealous in their pursuit , and so constant in their service , as if they fancied God was mistaken , and intended creating man for the woman , rather than the woman for the man . But though all know God made the Woman for the Man , yet what Critick can tell us whether our New Mode has made the Gallant for the Mistress , or the Mistress for the Gallant ? But of this we are all sure , They are so plentifully made for one another , that the Eastern Country-Laws allow not with more freedom plurality of Wives , than our new English Customs admit plurality of Mistresses . Nay , I may yet venture to say more , That the Liberty of our men exceeds theirs : for they are permitted no more Wives than they can well keep , but ours allow themselves as many Mistresses as they can any way get .

For indeed , the Names of Tom and Bess are hardly more familiar here , than those of Gallant and Mistress ; and are so far from being esteemed Names of discredit , that many of our Mode-Ladies look on their Gallants as Beauty-marks , rather than stains of Reputation . And for all they cannot but know , that the infection of Gallants is as bad an Enemy to Credit , as the Small-pox to Beauty , a common ruiner of it : And though Womens Gallants are in plain English no better than the publick Executioners of their reputations ; and indeed no woman will allow them , but such as are willingly condem'd to suffer ( and women that slight reputation are seldom fond of Chastity ) Yet these abusers of love , and murderers of fame , by their fair words and base arts , have so insinuated themselves into their favour , as the women now forsooth , call their Gallants their Friends ; and if common report may be credited ▪ they are indeed their bosom-ones ; ( and such women as value little what others say , seldom care much what they themselves do : ) Custom having brought many of our women to that pass , as they now glory in the number of their Gallants , esteeming them rather so many Vouchers of their Beauty , than so many Robbers of their Honour ; the so usual practice of this scandal , having taken away womens sense , that like blackness amongst the Aethiopians , its Commonness has removed its deformity : And there is now such a forward Love-spring in the Nurseries of our Young Ladies , as the very little-ones learn to spell Amour with their Fescue , and will pretend to entertain their Young Gallants , in the dark walks of Love , and in the Labyrinth of its Intrigues , before they well know what the thing Love is , or the name of Gallant means ; and would have Servants come to them , before they come to the Teens , ( the ripeness of their minds outrunning that of their bodies ) and fancy men so mad as to believe , 't is expectation makes a Blessing dear . But that dull Presbyterian way of Love , is now quite out of Fashion , and the loves of our Young Gallants are grown as fickle , and meer skin-deep , as their Mistresses Fancies and Beauties ; and Love-wounds that are but skin-deep , can never hurt the heart ; and therefore though every day we hear of Hundreds of Gallants that are dying for Love in their Mistresses company , yet we cannot read of one these many Ages that dyed for love in the Weekly-Bills of Mortality ; the obliging carriage of the Ladies of the times having made our Young Men so healthfully wise , so forwardly bold , or at least so impatiently hasty , as they expect now a-days to take Young Women , as great Armies do weak Towns , only by Summons , or Assaults ; as not esteeming them worthy the time and trouble of a Love-siege , though their Mistresses were as yielding as Rome it self , which Writers say , was never besieged without being taken : that is , in short , they hold handsome Women worth enjoying , but not wooing . And that makes our Young Men so eager and inconstant in their Amours , as really t is a very hard measuring-cast to tell whether your Young Gallants use now more art , or speed , in the getting or forgetting of their Mistresses .

But the best of it is , that the inconstancy of both Sexes are now so equally match'd , that I cannot write more of their Gallants inconstancies , than their Mistresses make good of their own : For they deal with their Gallants , as their Fashions ; that which comes latest , is still lik'd best , and us'd most . In a word , the constancy and inconstancy of Young Men and Women , are just like water and ice , where one still makes the other ; and their loves ( Ice-like ) never last long ; and as soon as 't is dissolv'd , turns immediately to the same it was before , without any alteration or prejudice : Nor can water be more apt and ready by the coming of Frost to turn to Ice , than our Young Men and Womens hearts are apt and enclin'd to return to love , at the approach of fresh-fancied Beauty . And truly the inconstancy of our Young Men cannot be so great , nor their inclinations so ill , but the tongues of many of our Young Women are grown as bad : For now if a Young Maid be but cry'd up for handsom , and resolves to continue vertuous , and therefore will not turn vain , and deserve censure , as much as the rest , they will be sure to speak her as bad as the worst ; and if they cannot with justice wound her Vertue , they will attempt by ill arts to murder her Reputation , ( Envy being the parent of wicked invention ) it being now a Mode-principle amongst most of our handsom Women , that no Woman that enjoys a large proportion of Beauty , but must , a● an unavoidable appurtenance , carry with it a load of scandalous censures ( a false Character of some , though too true a one of most ) which occasions their not caring how unjustly they increase anothers burthen , in hope to lessen their own load ; and by overstretching the miscarriages of others greater than they should be , hope to shrink theirs less than really they are ; vainly fancying , that spattering with dirt and reproach other Womens reputations , were a kind of wiping clean their own ; which suits not at all with the mild and moderate rules of Vertue , which only allows Women to correct each others faults , by their good Examples , but not to increase them by their bad censures . For , scandalous censures , like Mushooms , grow without any root ; so tender and mutable a thing is a handsom Womans good Name : there 's no taking its true Elevation by any certain outward Rules and measures , since it depends more on her Neighbours good or bad report , than on her vertuous or ill actions ; and more on what they say , than what she does . And really such reports are usually so sophisticated with self-concerns , and so strongly byass'd by aversion or inclination , as you may daily hear in common Discourse , both Men and Women turn Vertue into Vice , and Vice into Vertue ; and so characterize Good Women to be bad , and bad Women to be good ; speaking not as Women deserve , but as they fancy ; and therefore it often happens , that many Women save their reputations , even by a speedy losing their chastity , whilst other Women lose their reputation in their very defence of it ; that is , in short , more Women lose their reputation in admitting to be much courted ( though that be all ) than by being ill injoyn'd : And the reason is plain , Because the Courtship is publick to all , but the injoyment is only private to themselves ; and 't is more rational two concerned persons should keep their own counsel , than many unconcern'd should keep it for them ; so that it cannot necessarily follow , that the roported reputation or disreputation of handsom Women must needs be the true issue of their merits , but often the by-blow of chance ; and therefore common report can be no right rule to measure Womens reputations by : For many reports have much of the Devils nature in them , who is a lyar from the beginning . And indeed , if we but truly consider , we shall find Women general censure one another , not as they are really faulty , but as they appear , and are esteemed handsom ; and therefore ugly Women have the priviledge of Popes , who cannot err , but may do what they will , and take what liberty they please ; and handsom Women will be as far from censuring their actions , as Young Men from praising their persons : So that really in effect , we find most Womens censures are not proportionable to the ill others act , but rather suitable to the Beauty they possess ; which by their leave is a way of judging , that 's both iriational and uncharitable ; since I am sure none can deny , but there are some unhandsom Women unchast ; and some chast Women handsom : For Vertue and Beauty are not so declar'd enemies , but they sometimes meet ; though I cannot deny , but that Vertue which in former Ages was esteemed one of the greatest adornments of the soul , is now so Eclipsed by the outward Beauty of the Body , as Vertue and Piety ( the true inward Beauty ) cannot shine out : A good Soul being nothing now in comparison of a good face ; Beauty being now the Great Empress that commands the whole World , and makes the Supremest of men become subjects to Her. And yet this so ador'd Beauty , ( which all Women are so ambitious of , and all Men so court ) has at best no intrinsick value in it , but just like riches , they enjoy most , that are contented with least ; since 't is not much , but enough , that 's the true measure of satisfaction . But Madam , 't is now more than time to beg your pardon ; for I find I am stray'd both beyond the time , and beside the road of my design'd Discourse , which is not to present you a Character , or List of the fine Ladies , and Mode-vices of the times ; they will require a much wittier Pen than I pretend to be Master of , and a larger Volume than I design to trouble you with : but this Character which indeed merits Volumes of Praises , I am sure I can give you , without needing wit , or abusing of time ; and if I could here cast up the sum total of all the vices that your Sex are eitheir guilty of , or scandaliz'd with , ( which I 'le assure you are more than a few ) their number might be tedious to read , but need not be disagreeable for you to hear , since by naming all those faults they are infected with , I should but tell all those you are free from .

But , Madam , my design is now to remove my Battery , and change my Scene of Writing , as you have your place of Living ; and to level my Discourse , not at the vices and pleasures of London , nor the pastimes of the Court , but at your Country-Neighbours , the Woods and Mountains of Macroome , which renders it a place much fitter to exercise your past-time , than satisfie your delight , were you of the humour of most Ladies ; but all know you are not only an excellent Woman , but an extraordinary wife , I mean in Goodness , ( for 't is rare now to meet a wife that 's not extraordinary ) for you take as much satisfaction in the cares of well managing and improving your Estate , as most other Ladies delight , in the lavishing theirs ; so that I can truly say , you have not only brought your Lord a large sum of money for your Portion , but a continued increase of Rent by your Industry .

And I am sure , Madam , if you were now askt as the Philosopher was , Where was his home ? you would answer now , as he did then , My home is still where my chief business is . So that now your chief Concerns and Family , ( which is still the good Wives Treasure ( being at Macroome , I must conclude your heart is there also .

A place , where in lieu of London , crowds of good Company , and swarms of divertisements , you must prepare to meet with , and do Penance to your self , among the Flocks of Priests and Fryars , against whose Popish insinuations , and infectious perswasions , I here present you a small , but necessary Collection of Arguments to carry about you , as a Preservatitive in your own Religion , and an Antitode against theirs ; and though I cannot pretend this pocket-Pistol is a sufficient Battering-piece , to beat down their infallible Church , yet I doubt not but it will at least be a sufficient Life-guard to defend you and your Chamber against their assaults .

They are most of them argumentative reasonings I pickt out of Mr. Chillingworth , as one that reasons best , and satisfies me most , of any I ever read ; and knowing you want a Collection of choice Flowers , I heartily wish that these I have gathered out of his Garden , and here sorted and made up to present you in a Nosegay , may serve you against the unpleasing savour of Popish Doctrine : And I wish they may not altogether degenerate from common nature of Flowers , which the Naturalist tells us , grow larger and better by being transplanted ; so that I hope you will not find them the worse , nor like them the less , for being transplanted , but receive these Arguments just as you do your Rents , without caring whether your Tenants have the Money out of their own bags , or borrow it , so you have it to supply your occasions .

Truly , Madam , I have taken some pains , and spent much time in reading the Discourses of Papists against our Religion ; and though I have consider'd their Arguments without the least Byas , or antedated prejudice ; yet I can give no better a character of them , than I do of ill Dealers , The more I have to do with them , the worse I like them : They savour much of Self-interest , teaching Church-Government , before Gospel-Obedience ; witness their holding Marriage a greater crime in a Priest , than Fornication : The one is but forbid by their Churches Law , which they all know is disputable , the latter by the Law of Christ , which they cannot but know , ought to be past all dispute .

And truly , Madam , if you please to admit your reason to make but a short progress into the Popish Religion , you shall find much to create your wonder , but little to satisfie your reason or belief ; for the Gospel of Christ is the Gospel of Truth , and therefore ought still to be pictur'd naked as Truth , without any Art of Roman Dresses , which are only obscure shadings of the true light of Scripture , by making dark Paraphrases on the plainest Gospel-Commands , which in all reason ought to be plain enough for the meanest capacity : For God forbid it should be otherwise ; for the meanest Christian must be saved or damned , for keeping or not keeping them ; and sure God's Justice will never send persons to Hell , for not doing what they could not understand was his Will they should do ; that were such a cruelty , as if a man should torment his Servant for not doing his Errant , when he knew he did not understand his Message ; yet the Papist must not take these plain Gospel-Commands as such , but as they are distill'd in the mysterious politick Lymbeck of the Popish interest : Indeed Mystery and Obedience is so interwoven in that Religion , that Papists must take what their Priest tells them , as Men do Wives , for better , for worse , and must marry their Faith to their Churches infallibility , which allows that only to be Gospel , which their Church says shall be , not what the Apostles write is so ; for the Papists must obey the Pope , though no where commanded in the Gospel ; but must not read the Gospel , though they are commanded there to do it .

Nay , when once the Papist can but touch the small Needle of any ones reason with the great Loadstone of the Harmonious Doctrine of a necessary Obedience to their infallible Church , then they make such follow it , to every point of the Compass , be it good , bad , or indifferent ; and so they fail all their life , in a Trade-wind of ignorance and superstition , and must believe their Priests words before their own senses , in the plainest objects of them ; as in the Miracle of Transubstantiation , where you must have eyes and see not , and hands and feel not , but must believe in a moment real Bread and Wine to be turned into perfect Flesh and Blood , though you cannot see the least change whatsoever : yet they are bound to believe their Priest , before their eyes , smell , tast ; nor dare their Priest say , that the Consecrated Bread ( which they esteem the real Body of Christ ) will be less mouldy , or more uncertain of corruption after Consecration than before ; and the jest of it is , that at the same time the Papists believe that Miracle , they also believe this Scripture , That God will not suffer his Holy One to see corruption . And tho for these and many other reasons , I cannot believe this Transubstantiation-Miracle ; yet I cannot but admire this Miracle that belongs to Transubstantiation , which is , how the Pope can bring so many , that have sense and reason to believe it .

But I shall pass by their adoring this Sacrament , their praying to Saints , and a multitude of their superstitious observances never used in the Primative Church ; & shall only desire you , Madam , to observe in general , that the Papists follow the Gospel , just as they read Hebrew , that 's backward ; for God plainly commands , that all should search the Scripture . And our Blessed Saviour ordered the Sacrament to be administred in both kinds , 1 Cor. 11. 28. And St. Paul forbids publick Prayers in an unknown Language , but that which is most for Edification , 1 Cor. 14. 15 , 16. But these plain positive commands do not hinder the Church of Rome from declaring , that unlearned men shall not read and search the Scriptures ; but if we believe St. Paul before the Pope , we may read in the 17th of the Acts , 11. how he commended the noble Bereans for searching the Scriptures ; and therefore if searching the Scriptures had not been not only lawful , but a commendable act , certainly St. Paul would never have commended them for so doing . So that the Popish Clergy forbids the reading the Scriptures , under pretence that their Laity might not truly understand them . Next , the Church of Rome allows only their Clergy ( except free Princes , for they are excepters of Persons , though God is not ) to receive the Communion but in one kind , tho our Saviour commands , that all drink of the Cup ; and the Papists cannot deny , but that the Communion was taken in both kinds in all Christian Churches for above a Thousand Years after Christ .

And lastly , for the poor vulgar sort , they shall only hear their publick Prayers in an unknown Tongue , viz. Latine , which a Tenth part of them do not understand ; and therefore how that can be most for Edification , let the Papists tell if they can ; I am sure we cannot , nor do we believe they can , without the help of another Transubstantiation-Miracle , and making an unknown Language to most to be chang'd at the same time into a common known Language to all .

And now , Madam , I shall humbly desire you to consider in general , that tho the Papists do out-noise us ( as shallow Rivers do still the deepest ) with the high and mighty Rodomontades of their Churches Infallibility ; yet such high Rants , without true proof , are but like School-boys paper-Kites , which soar high and lofty , but have nothing else worth taking notice of . They will have the confidence to tell you , that their Popish Church ●…s the Roman Catholick , and only true Christian Church ●…n the whole World : But the Protestants Answer to this their boasting , is , that all the Christian Churches in the whole World ( besides the Popish Churches , tho more in number than they ) declare quite contrary . They will ask you , where your Protestant Church was before Luther ; which was wittily answered by one ; ( where the Papist Church never was ) in the Bible .

The Papists do divert themselves very much at our stiling our King , Head of the Church , as we do , for their doing so : for we esteem our King Head only in his own Dominions , without the Popes title of infallible ; and sure 't is more rational that those of a Kingdom should allow their King to be Head of the Church in his own Kingdoms , than that a few Cardinals should make the Head of the Church over all Kingdoms . And for all their jeasting , I am sure we can shew ( in sober earnest ) Scripture-presidents for Kings being Heads of Churches in their own Dominions , which is more than the Papists can shew for their Pope , or his Churches infallibility : For sure they cannot object against it as new Doctrine ( though Doctrine that 's new is their greatest Trade ) that the Kings of Judah , and the first Christian Emperors were Heads of the Jewish Churches , and in their own Dominions : And Solomon tells us , That a Divine Sentence is in the lips of the King , and his mouth transgresseth not in Judgment : ( which I am sure Popes have not , witness Liberius ) and Solomon gives the reason , because the Heart of the King is in the Hand of the Lord . If the Papists will pretend so much Scripture for their Pope , I shall only answer , 'T is more than ever Protestants read , or the Apostles writ .

The Papists will tell you with a great deal of confidence , though we say the Bible is the Religion of Protestants , yet there is no Protestant Religion , or Church , mentioned in the whole Creed , which are the Articles of the Christian Faith : And they will tell you , that their Church is the Catholick Church ; and to believe the Catholick Church , was an Article of the Christian Faith from the very infancy of the Church in the beginning of the Apostles time . Now let the Papists tell us , if they bring this as an Argument against the Protestant Religion in the Bible , or not ; if not , what cause have they to name it , or what need have we to answer it ? but i●… it be one , we make this reply ; That the Roman Church i●… no more named in the Apostles Creed , than the Protestan●… Church is ; for the Apostles Creed was made before th●… Roman Church was a Church ; and this I am sure they cannot deny ; so that since the Catholick Church wa●… then in being , and the Roman Church not in being , i●… must necessarily follow , that the Roman Church canno●… be the Catholick Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed ▪ and consequently is not the Mother-Church , as the Papist●… would have her to be : Thus the Papists have so overcharg'd this Argument to shoot at us , as it recoils an●… flyes in their own faces .

And of kin to this , is their grand Battering-piece o●… all , which so thunders in the ears of all Papists , and makes the Popes power so absolute , and the poor credulous Papist so obedient , and that is the power given by our Saviour to St. Peter , in the 16th of St. Matthew , beginning the 18th Verse , Thou art Peter , and on this Rock I will build my Church , and give thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven ; and whomsoever thou shalt bind on Earth , shall be bound in Heaven ; and whomsoever thou shalt loose on Earth , shall be loosed in Heaven ; and these words the Papists understand literally , that St. Peter's person is the Rock that Christ builds his Church on ; which cannot possibly be , by the verses just following : For there when our Saviour tells his Disciples of his going to Jerusalem , where he must suffer many things , and be killed , and raised again the Third day ; Peter took him , and rebuke him , Be it far from thee , Lord , this shall not be unto thee : But our Saviour turned , and said unto Peter , Get thee behind me , Satan , thou art an offence to me , for thou savourest not the things that he of God , but those that be of men . By which words 't is most clear and evident , that our Saviour did not mean Peters person could be the Rock of the Christian Church : For if Peter's person had been that Rock meant , sure our Saviour would never have removed it behind him ; and it would be not only irrational , but impious , to believe that Christ would build his Church on Satan , for so he calls St. Peter's person ; and it were as unreasonable to believe that the Rock of Christ's Church could be an offence to him , as St. Peter's person was ; and as improbable again as all this , that Christ's Church , the Foundation of all Christianity , should savour , not of the things that be of God , but those that are of Men , as Peter's person did .

Therefore if you but please to read the words of our Saviour carefully , you shall find they are most plain : for Verse 13th . When Jesus came into the Coast of Caesarea , He ask'd his Disciples , Whom do men say that I am ? and they said , Some say that thou art John the Baptist , some Elias , and others Jeremias , or one of the Prophets : but whom say ye that I am ? and Simon Peter answered and said , Thou art Christ-the Son of the Living God : And I say also unto thee , that thou art Peter , and upon this Rock , ( not this person ) I will build my Church ; that is ( upon this Rock of Faith ) that I am Christ the Son of the Living God , I build my Church , and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it . Now this must necessarily relate to his faith , not his person ; for the gates of Hell , that 's the power of evil , did prevail against Peter's person , or he had not deny'd and forsworn his Lord and Master again and again ; and been afterwards proved blame-worthy by St. Paul to his face , and indeed as blame-worthy as any of his Disciples . So that 't is most plain , that Christ's words ( of making him the Rock of the Christian Church ) related not to his person , but his faith of Christ's being the Son of the Living God.

And for the other part ; whereas the Papists believe a particular favour and power , given by our Saviour to St. Peter ; of the Keys of Heaven ; that was given as much to the Eleven Disciples , as to him , as you may read in the 18th of St. Matthew , and in the 20th of St. John's Gospel , Vers. 23 , 24. As my Father hath sent me , even so send I you : and when he had said this , he breathed on them , and saith unto them , Receive ye the Holy Ghost : whosesoever sins ye remit , they are remitted unto them , and whosesoever sins ye retain , they are retained . So that you see this power is general to the Disciples , and not in particular to St. Peter , more than to any of the rest , as the Papists misbelieve .

The Papists have many such Questions , which I am sure , Madam , you have neither the patience to read , nor I the time to write ; but those that are most material of them , you will find I have here presented you , truly answer'd , by pure Scripture , clear reasons , plain arguments , and all in few words , fit for the weakest memory , or smallest pocket , to carry about them : For true reason doth not consist in large Volumes , long Gowns , or gray Beards ; for many live to One and twenty , without attaining to years of discretion ; the degrees of Age being not still the measures of Wisdom . For the World will never be without old Fools and young Philosophers .

And truly , Madam , for my part , I cannot so much as think of the Papists Religion without wonder , that so many rational men of them should rather fasten their faith of salvation on the pretended infallibility of their Church ( which is deny'd by most Christians ) than on the Holy Scripture , which is granted by all , to be the will and word of God , and the very Foundation of their Churches Foundation , as containing in it all things necessary to our salvation . And we Protestants have at least this satisfaction and advantage , that not only the Papists , but all sorts of Christians that are in the circumference of the whole World , meet and joyn with us in this center of Faith , That the Scriptures contain all things necessary to our salvation ; which being a general granted Truth , I confess I admire how any Papist can make the least scruple , which is the safest Heavenly Guide , the Pope , or the Gospel . If there be any rational man so extravagant as to put them in the same ballance , and to commit a rape upon his Reason , I shall only desire him to consider this plain Question . If he were to go a Journey in an unknown way , would he not think it more rational and safe to follow a certain true Guide , that all the Christians in the World declare is certainly able and ready to shew him the right way , than to follow a pretended Guide , which the greatest part of the Christians in the World assures him will lead him out of it . And this being the real difference between the Papist and Protestant in gross , concerning the Heavenly Guide , the Bible , and the Pope , I think I need now say no more , because so many have already said so much , and I am sure enough to satisfie any , except such , who will believe a crooked Rule is better to draw a straight line by , than a right one .

And now , Madam , I shall only beg so much of your patience , as to let me tell you , that the plot and Heads of this following discourse , I have Extracted out of the worthy Collingworth . Before I begin the discourse it self , I know , in writing a Play , to have Rank'd the plot in the Front of it , and to make the whole design of the Prologue to be the Key to uncipher the plot of the Play , ( though anciently in use ) had been now , not only out of fashion , but beside reason : For the design of Plays aiming chiefly to please the senses , they ought to be compounded and mixt with hopes and fears , certainties and uncertainties , expectations and delays of the event of the plot ; which being all so interwoven together , creates the agreeableness of the Play ; for when once the whole plot is discovered , the pleasure of the Play is ended ; like Hare-Hunting , the sport lies not in presently taking the Hare , but in following him , in all his Rings and Doubles . And those that love Plays , and such Huntings , resemble jealous men , who eagerly pursue what they apprehend to overtake ; or as old Age , which we all pray to attain , but fear to approach .

But now I come to soar my discourse to a much higher pitch , and a more Elevated Subject , and to treat of the most noble part of man , the Soul ; and of true Religion the only way to Heavenly felicity : For without Holiness , no man shall see the Lord . We must therefore now , Madam , change the Scene of sense for a spiritual one , and climb where earthly nature can never follow us , to the pure and high Region of Heaven ; which will inform us that the earlier discovering our plot of attaining Heaven , will but better the play ; and the more speed , the better success : For the joys of Heaven are everlasting , and admit of no increase or diminution : not like the divertisements of Stage-plays , or Hunting , or any earthly delights , which cannot last but for a season , and decay in our very injoying them , and must soon leave us , or we them : But Heavenly thoughts , the more and longer we practice them , the better we shall like them ; Heavenly joys so far exceeding all we can here leave , as they are all we can ever aspire to have : This we all know , but few of us practice ; and we all love God , but few love to keep his Commandments .

I shall therefore now , Madam , tell you , as the Prologue to my insuing discourse , that the grand Plot , and whole design of it , moves chiefly on these two hinges . First , in confirming you , that the foundation of the Protestant Religion is built on God's holy Word , the Scriptures ; which we Protestants esteem to be a perfect Rule of Faith , and guide to our actions , and true Touch-stone to try all matters by , that relate to the good of our Souls ; as certainly containing in it all ●…hings necessary to our salvation . The second thing I ●…hiefly design to prove , is , that neither the Pope or the Popish Church are infallible : and these two shall make ●…p the principle stories , in the little Model of this small ●…uilding . The pretended infallibility of the Church of Rome , is the grand perswasive Argument and lure to in●…ite men to it , and the strongest commanding Garrison 〈…〉 all the Popes power ; and all other Arguments and ●…erswasions , are but like the small open Villages about ●…his Garrison , which must be servants to them , that are ●…asters of it ; and if a Papist can be but once convinc'd , ●…hat neither the Pope , nor the Popish Church are in●…llible , they will soon be brought to reason , and our re●…aining differences will not be very considerable : I ●…hall therefore only lightly discourse on them , and shall ●…o further trouble you , Madam , than briefly to answer ●…hem in my own defence , as I meet them , or as they ●…ollow me ; and shall only do as the Wolf does when ●…ursued , snap and bite in his own defence , against all ●…pposers , without altering his pace , or changing his ●…oad : I shall neither meddle with the Papists , but as 〈…〉 meet them in the way , or towards making of my way ●…o my two designed points , which are ( as I said before ) ●…o prove the Scripture to be a perfect Rule of Faith , and ●…uide to our actions ; and to answer , as I go , the Papists ●…ain Arguments and Objections against it .

Next , that 't is against all Scripture , and Reason , that ei●…her the Pope , or the Popish Church should be infallible ; which is the main design of this discourse : and if I can by God's assistance make but the Papists believe reason , ( when ●…gainst their own Church , ) I doubt not but by this little Pigmie-discourse ( as very dwarfish as 't is , ) not only to ●…inder many tottering Protestants from turning Papists , ●…ut to bring some stubborn Papists to turn Protestants , or ●…t least not to have such an infallible good opinion of their Church , and so damnable a bad one of ours .

And now , Madam , 't is requisite that this my discourse ●…hould be ended , as soon as your Patience ; and therefore ●…ll that I shall add , either to the excusing my self , or justifying Mr. Chillingworth , is , that thus far of this discourse being my own writing , I confess , deserves only my Apology , and scarce your perusal ; but the following discourse being extracted out of Mr. Chillingworth , deserves your reading , but needs not any Apology .

And because I find the word Protestant is so badly and over-largely interpreted ; I shall first acquaint you , that w●… are not to understand by the word Protestant , the Doctrin●… of Luther , or Calvin , or Geneva , or only the Articles o●… the Church of England , but that wherein they all agre●… with perfect Harmony , That the Bible is a perfect Rul●… of our Faith , and guide to our Actions ; and this ( afte●… having made the most diligent and impartial search of th●… true way to Eternal happiness ) I fully believe , and tha●… we can never find any convincing satisfaction , but on thi●… Rock of God's word , the Bible , which I conceive to b●… the only true Religion of Protestants .

If the Pope were indeed ( what he unjustly says he is and the Papists unreasonably believe him to be , ) an infallible guide , then there needed no Bible ; but if the Bible be then there needs no Pope : For if I were to go a Journey , an●… had a guide that could not err , what need I be taught th●… way ? and having such a guide , what need I apply m●… self to another ? So that , in a word , let us inform ou●…selves the best we can , and consider as much as we please 〈…〉 the more consideration we take , the more confirmation we shall find , that there is no other foundation fo●… a considering Christian to build an assured dependency on●… than the Scriptures : For I am fully assur'd that God doe●… not ( and therefore man ought not to ) require of an●… more than this , to believe the Scripture to be the word 〈…〉 God , to use our best indeavours to find the true sens●… of it , and to live to our utmost according to it .

This I am sure in reason we ought to believe ; a wiser choice than if I should guide my self by the Roma●… Churches Authority , and Infallibility ; when really they have nothing of certainty , but their uncertainty ; witnes●… Pope against Pope , Councils against Councils , some of their Fathers against others ; and rather then fail , some against themselves ▪ new Traditions inrolled , and old ones Cashiered ; in a word , one Church against another , and ( if ●…hat be not enough ) the Church of one Age , against the Church of another : whereas the Scripture being true and ●…nalterable , and containing all things necessary to our Salvation ; I am secure , that by believing nothing else , I shall ●…elieve no falshood in matter of Faith ; and if I mistake the ●…rue sense of Scripture , and so fall into error ; yet I am secured ●…rom any dangerous error , because whilst I am truly endea●…ouring to find the true ground of Scripture , I cannot but ●…old my error without obstinacy , and be ready to forsake ●…t , when more probable and true sense shall appear unto me : and then being assur'd , that all necessary truths are plainly ●…et down in Scripture , I am certain by believing the Scripture , ●…o believe all necessary truth : and he that does so , if his life be ●…nswerable to his Faith , how is it possible he should fail of Salvation ?

And tho the Roman Church pretend to be a perfect guide of Faith , and teacher of all Divine Truths ; yet sure that ●…itle might much better , and more justly be given to the ●…cirptures , as their Teacher and Master .

The Roman Church brags how ancient their Church is ; but doubtless they cannot deny but the Scripture is more ancient , ●…f they will but allow the Mother to be older than the Child .

The Papists say their Church is a means of keeping Chri●…tians at unity , so are also the Scriptures , to those that be ●…ieve them in unity of belief , in matters necessary .

The Papists say their Church is Catholick : certainly the Scripture is more Catholick ; for all true Christians in the universal world do now , and ever did believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God , so much at least , as to contain all things necessary to salvation ; whereas the Papists say , They only are the true Church ; and all other Christians ( tho more than they ) give them the lye for saying so .

By following the Scriptures , I follow that whereby the Papists prove their Churches Infallibility : For were it not for Scripture , what pretence could the Papists have for it , or what true Notion could they receive of it ? So that by so dong , the Papists must plainly confess , That they themselves are surer of the Truth of Scripture , than of their Churches Authority ; for we must be surer of the proof , than of the thing proved , or else 't is no proof . So that following Scripture , I follow that which must be true , if the Papists Church be true ; for their Church allows it's truth : Whereas if I follow the Roman Church , I must follow that , which tho the Scripture be true , may be false , nay more , must be false , if the Scripture be true , because the Scipture is against it . Following the Papists Church , I must be a servant to my Saviour , and a subject to my King , only at the pleasure of the Pope ; and renounce my Allegiance , when the Popes will is to declare him an Heretick ; nay , I must believe Vertue Vice , and Vice Vertue , if he pleases ; for he both makes and unmakes Scripture as he thinks convenient ; witness the Apocripha , which hath not past for Canonical , but of late years , in the Papist●… Church , who interpret Scripture according to their Doctrine ▪ but will not judge their Doctrine according to Scripture ; for none like to weigh light Mony in true scales . In short , the Pope adds , and lessen , and interprets Divine Laws as he pleases ; and they must stand for Laws , and be obeyed as such ; so that in effect he rules his people by his own Laws , and his own Laws by his own Lawyers , his Clergy , who dare not speak nor uphold them , other than just such as the Pope would have them ; and indeed Cardinal Richelieu gave the reason why more hold the Pope above the Councils , than the Councils above the Pope ; Because the Pope gave Archbishopricks and Bishopricks , but the Councils had none to give : And tho the Papists say , his Holiness cannot err , yet let not the Papists forget what God says in the Scripture , if ( not only the Pope , but if ) angel from Heaven shall preach any thing against the Gospel of Christ , let him be accursed .

In following the Scripture we have God's express command , and no colour of any prohibition : but to believe the Papish Church infallible , we have no Scripture-command at all , much less an express one .

Following the Popish Church , we must believe many things not only above reason , but against reason , witness Transubstantiation ; whereas following the Scripture , we shall believe Many mysteries , but no impossibilities ; many things above our reason , but nothing against it . Nay , we need not believe any thing , which reason will not convince us we ought to believe : for reason will convince any sober Christian , that the Scripture is the Word of God ; and there 's no reason can be greater than this , That God says it , therefore it must be true .

In a word , we Protestants believe that all things necessary to our salvation are evidently contain'd in Scripture , & what is not there evidently contained , cannot be necessary to be believed ; and our reason is just and clear , Because nothing can challenge our Belief , as to salvation , but what hath descended to us from our Blessed Saviour Christ Jesus , by original and universal Tradition . Now nothing but Scripture hath thus descended to us , therefore nothing but Scripture can challenge our Belief .

Now the grand difference between the Papists and us , concerning the Scripture , is this : We hold the Scripture to be the only perfect rule whereby to judge of controversies . The Papists say , That they acknowledge the Scuriptures to be a perfect rule : only they deny that it excludes unwritten Tradition ; which in effect is this : they say , 'T is as perfect a Rule , as a Writing can be , only they deny it to be as perfect a Rule as a Writing may be . Either they must revoke their acknowledgment , or retract their contradiction of it , for both cannot possibly stand together : For if they will but stand to what they have granted , That Scripture is as perfect a Rule of Faith as a Writing can be , they must then grant it so compleat , as it needs no addition ; and so evident that it needs no interpretation : for both these properties are requisite to a perfect Rule . And that a writing is capable of both these properties and perfections , is most plain : for he that denies it , must say , that something may be spoken which cannot be written ; for if such a compleat evident rule of Faith may be delivered by word of mouth , as the Papists pretend may , & is , and whatsoever is delivered by word of mouth , may also be written ; then such a compleat and evident rule of Faith , may also be written : For the Argument is most plain , Whatsoever may be spoken may be written ; a perfect rule of Faith has been spoken , therefore a perfect rule of Faith may be written . If the Papists cannot see this plain Conclusion , they had best desire more light to be added to the Sun.

The Papists pretend their Church to be the infallible teacher of all Divine Truths , and an infallible Interpreter of all obscurities in the Faith : But the Papists will , I hope give us leave to admire , how they can pretend to Teach them in all places , without writing them down ; that is certainly beyond the reach of their power to do , as well as our belief that 't is to be done .

And for the Papists saying there must be a living authority beside the Scripture , or else controversies cannot be ended ; Protestants answer : Necessary controversies are and may be decided ; and if they be not , 't is not the defect of the rule in Scripture , but the default of men ; so that if necessary controversies be ended , 't is no matter if the unnecessary be not : for doubtless if God had required it , he would also have provided some means to effect it ; but sure it does not stand with any reason it should be the Pope , because he cannot be a Judge , being a party : indeed in civil controversies , a Judge without being a party may end them ; but in controversies of Religion , a Judge of necessity must be a concerned party ; and I am sure the Pope to us i● the chief , and most concerned party , being really concerned as much as his Popedom is worth .

Now we Protestants make the Papists this plain answer , that the means of agreeing differences , must necessarily be , either by the appointment of God , or men : men sure it cannot be , for then rational wise Protestants may do as well as Papists ; for let the Papists shew us if they can , where God hath appointed that the Pope alone , or any confirm'd by the Pope , or that Society of Christians which adhere to him , shall be the infallible Judge of Controversies : we desire the Papists , if they can , to let us see any of those assertions plainly set down in Scripture , as in all reason a thing of this nature ought to be , or at least delivered with a full consent of Fathers ; nay let them so much as shew us where 't is in plain terms taught by any one Father in Four hundred years after our blessed Saviour Christ : and if the Papists cannot do this , as we believe they cannot ; where I pray is their either Scripture or Reason , that the Pope or his Councils should obtrude themselves as Judges over us Protestants .

Next , we would desire to know from the Papists , whether they do certainly know , or not , the sense of those Scriptures by which they are led to the knowledge of their Church ; for if they do not , how come they to know their Church is infallible ? but if they do , then sure they ought to give us leave to have the same means and ability to know other plain places in Scripture , which they have to know theirs : for if all Scriptures be obscure , how come they to know the sense of those places ? but if some place of it be plain , why pray may not Protestants understand them as well as Papists ?

The Papists say , That the Scriptures are in themselves true and infallible , yet without the direction of the Church we have no certain means to know which Translations be faithful and Canonical , or what is the true meaning of Scriptures : and this is the common Argument and general Belief of all Papists . To which the Protestants answer , That yet all these things must first be known , before we can know the directions of their Church to be infallible : for the Papists cannot pretend any other proof of it , but only some Texts of Canonical Scripture , truly interpreted ; therefore either they must be mistaken in thinking there is no other means to know these things , but their Churches infallible direction ; or else we must be excluded from all means of knowing her directions to be infallible : for the proof must be surer than the thing to be proved , or 't is no proof . And upon better consideration , I am confident the Papists dare not deny , but that 't is most certain , Faith hath been given by other means than the Church : for sure they will not say , that Adam received Faith by the Church , nor Abraham , nor Job , who received Faith by Revelation ; and also the Holy Apostles , who received Faith by the Miracles and Preaching of our Blessed Saviour : So that you see , and they cannot deny , but their general Doctrine is contradictory . And to make it yet plainer , I desire to know of the Papists , if they should meet with a man that believed neither Scripture , Church , nor God , but declares he is both ready and willing to believe them all , if the Papist can shew him sufficient grounds to build his Faith upon ; will the Papist tell such a man , there are no certain grounds how he may be converted to their Church , or there are ? if the Papists say there are none , they make Religion an uncertain thing ▪ but if they say there are , then they must necessarily either argue woman-like , that their Church is infallible , because it is infallible ; or else shew there are other certain grounds besides saying the Church is infallible , to prove its Infallibility .

The Papists demand of the Protestants , If they believe the Apostles wrote all the Scriptures : for if they did not , how come we to call and believe them Apostolical , and not the Writings of those that writ them ? To which we answer ; Though all the Scriptures were not written by the Apostles themselves , yet they were all confirm'd by them ; and tho a Clerk writes a Statute , and the King , Lords and Commons confirm it in Parliament ; I believe they would esteem it very improper to call it the Statute of such a Clerk , tho writ by him , but an Act of Parliament , because it was confirm'd by all their censents , and becomes their Act , not the Clerks .

The Papists desire us to tell them in what Language the Scriptures remained incorrupted ; and we desire them to satisfie us whether it be necessary to know it , or not necessary : if it be not , I hope we may do well without it ; but if it be necessary , we desire first that they will please to tell us what became of their Church for One thousand five hundred Years together , all which time they must confess , they had no certainty of Scripture ; till the time that Pope Clement the 8th . set forth their approved Edition of the vulgar Translation ; and none sure can have the confidence to deny , but that there was great variety of Copies currant in divers parts of their Church , and read so ; which Copies might be false in some things , but more than one sort of them could not possibly be true in all things . And Pope Sixtus Quintus his Bible differ'd from Pope Clement his Bible , in a multitude of places ; which makes us desire to be satisfied of the Papists , whether before Pope Sixtus Quintus his time , their Church had any defined Canon of Scriptures or not : for if they had not , then 't is most evident that their Church was a most excellent keeper of Scripture , for Fifteen hundred years together , that had not all that time defin'd what was Scripture , and what was not ; but if the Papists say they had , then we demand , Was that set forth by Pope Sixtus Quintus , or was it set forth by Pope Clement ? or if by a third different from them both , why do they not name him ? if it were that set forth by Pope Sixtus , then 't is now condemn'd by Pope Clement ; if that of Clement , 't was condemned by that of Sixtus : So that error must necessarily be betwixt them , let them chuse which side they please .

And for the Book of Maccabees , I hope they will allow it defin'd Canonical before St. Gregorie's time , though he would not allow it Canonical , but only for the Edification of the Church .

We further desire to be satisfied of the Papists , if the Books of Ecclesiasticus , and Wisdom , and the Epistle to St. James , were by the holy Apostles approved Canonical , or not : if they were approved by the Apostles Canonical , sure the Papists cannot deny , but they had a sufficient difinition and authority , not to question them , and therefore err'd in doing so . And if they were not approved Canonical by the Apostles , with what impudence dare the Roman Church now approve them as Canonical , and yet pretend that all their Doctrine is Apostolical ? And if they say these Books were not questioned , they should do well to tell which Books they mean , which were not always known to be Canonical , but have afterwards been receiveed by the Roman Church to be such : so that this Argument reaches those , as well as these .

And further we are to consider , that there is not the same reasons for the Churches absolute Infallibility , as for the Apostles and Scriptures : for if the Church falls into an error , it may be reformed by comparing it with the Rules of the Apostles Doctrine in Scripture ; but if the Apostles have err'd in delivering the Doctrine of Christianity in Scripture ; then the Roman Church cannot be infallible : For Apostles , Prophets , and Canonical Writers , and the foundation of the Church , as St. Paul says 't is built upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets .

And now to conclude this part of my discourse in very few words , let the Papists answer , if they can , but these five words . All Scripture is Divinely inspired . Let them shew us so much for the Roman Church , and shew us if they can , where 't is written in Scripture , that all the decrees of the Popish Church are Divinely inspired , and all our Controversies will be at an end : but I believe they can never do that without another Transubstantiation-Miracle of words .

The Papists desire us to shew them an exact Catalogue of our fundamentals ; to which we answer , That God may be sufficiently known to one , and not sufficiently declared to another , and consequently , that may be fundamental and necessary to one , which is not to another ; which variety of circumstances renders it impossible to set down an exact Catalogue of Fundamentals : for God requires more of them to whom he gives more , and less of those to whom he gives less ; more of a commander of a Kingdom , than a poor simple Turnspit . 'T is a plain revelation of God to us Protestants , that the Sacrament of the Eucharist should be administred in both kinds , 1 Cor. 11. 28. & that the publick Hymns and Prayers of the Church should be in such a Language as is most for Edification , 1 Cor. 14. 15 , 16. yet the Church of Rome , not seeing this , by reason of the vail , would be very angry if we told them 't would prejudice their supposed Infallibility .

We read in St. Matthew , that the Gospel was to be Preacht to all Nations ; and this was a truth revealed before our Saviours Ascention : yet if the Church had been asked , before the conversion of Cornelius , they would have certainly told you , it had not been necessary to teach all Nations ; for 't is most apparent out of Acts 11. they all believed so , until St. Peter was better informed by a vision from Heaven , and the conversion of Cornelius ; and then they turn'd quite of a differing belief , and esteemed it necessary to teach all Nations ; and yet were still a Church . The Papists are pleased to say , the Protestants differ in Fundamentals ; which indeed appears to us very irrational : For if they say , We Protestants differ in Fundamentals , how then can they say , We are members of the same Church , one with another , more than they are with ours , or ours with theirs ? and why do they object our difference more with one another , than with themselves ? and if we do not differ in Fundamentals , why do they upbraid us with Fundamental differences amongst our selves ? We believe the Catholick Church cannot perish , yet we believe she may and did err , as I prov'd just before : but thus much we Protestants declare in general , That we esteem it sufficient for any mans salvation , to believe God's Word , the Scripture , and that it contains all things necessary to our salvation ; and that we do our utmost endeavours to find , believe , and follow the true sense of it ; and being we are sure that all that is any way necessary is there , believing all that is there , we are sure we believe all that is necessary .

And therefore 't is but reasonable to say , that any private person , who truly believes the Scriptures , and heartily endeavours to know the Will of God , and to do it , is as secure , nay securer from the danger of erring in Fundamentals , than the Roman Church : for 't is impossible any man so qualified should fall into an error that can prove damnable to him ; for God requires no more of any man to his salvation , but only his true and best endeavours to be saved . And for the Papists Sacrament of Confession , which they hold is so absolute and nenessary , and so much upbraid us for the want of it ; we answer : We know no such absolute necessity of it ; but yet we hold , we must not only confess our sins , but forsake them , or we shall not find mercy : And we Protestants farther believe , that they that confess their sins , shall find mercy , though they only confess them to God , and not to Man : And more , that they who confess them both to God and Man , and do not in time forsake them , shall not find mercy .

And so for the Papists Sacrament of Repentance for Remission of sins ; tho we Protestants know no such , yet we allow & observe the same Duty , but publick before the Church ; which was the constant practice of the primitive Church ; and Rhenanus himself , though so great a Champion for the Papists , writes , That the confession then used , was before the Church ; and that Auricular confession was not then in the World.

The Papists will tell you that our Bishops have not the true power of Ordination : but that has been so clearly answered , and so truly proved at large by so many already , as I shall not need here so much as to name it : only let me in a word remember the Papists , that they cannot well deny , but that the Donatists themselves , whom the Papists esteemed as bad as us , as being Hereticks and Schismaticks ; yet St. Austin , and Optatus Bishop of Rome , did both acknowledge that they had the same Baptism , Creed , and Sacrament ; and that these Donatist Fathers , tho Schismaticks and Hereticks , gave true Ordination , or else some of these were not then esteemed Sacraments ; therefore let them take which they please , there must be error of one side .

The Papists pretend they have an unanswerable Objection against Protestants , which is , That we have discords in matters of Faith , without any means of agreement : To which we answer , That the Scripture does not let us want solid means of agreement in matters nessary to salvation ; and for our agreement in all controversies of Religion , either they must say we have means to agree about them , or we have not : if they say we have , why did they before deny it ? if they say we have no means , why are they so unjust to find fault with us for not agreeing , when they themselves say we have no means to agree ?

But for a Plaister to this Saor , they are so extraordinary civil , as to tell us , we may come to their Church ; and they agree in matters of faith : But the plain truth of it is , that they define all matters of faith to be those wherein they agree ; so that to say the Roman Church does agree in matters of faith , is but to say , they do agree in those things they do agree in : and sure they cannot deny , but we Protestants do the same .

But we must desire the Papists to give us leave to tell them , that they most grosly mistake , if they say , they agree in matters of Faith : as for proof ; some of them hold it against Faith , to take the Oath of Allegiance , others 't is against Faith to refuse that Oath .

Some hold it of Faith , that the Pope is Head of the Church by Divine Law ; others the contrary : some hold it of Faith that the blessed Virgin was free from actual sin , others the contrary ; some that the Popes power over Princes in Temporalities is de fide , others the contrary : some that 't is universal Tradition that the Virgin Mary was conceived in actual sin , others the contrary . And how the Jesuits and Franciscans , and other Orders differ to this day , I am sure needs no memorandum ; and the best Jest of all is , the Papists have not so much as yet agreed in their very pretended means of agreement , and yet have the confidency to pretended an Vnity more than the Protestants ; for some of them say , The Pope with a Council may determine all Controversies , others deny it : Some hold , That a general Council , without a Pope , may do so ; others deny this : Others say , Both in conjunction are infallible Determiners , others deny this : And some among the Papists hold , The acceptation of the Decrees of Councils by the Universal Church , is the only way to decide Controversies ; which others deny , by denying their Church to be infallible ; and yet every part pretends to be part of the Church .

In a word , can the Papish deny , but that there has been Popes against Popes , Councils against Councils ; Nay , Councils confirmed by Popes , against Popes confirmed by Councils : And lastly , the Church of some Ages , against the Church of other Ages ? And since every part of the Body is so out of order , methinks they should not brag of so perfect a health as they do .

The Papists say ( and do but say it ) that their Doctrine is held Catholick ; and therefore they esteem it an insolent madness of us Protestants , to dispute against the practice of the whole Church . First , That their Doctrine is Catholick ; we answer , That the greatest number of Christians in the world deny it ; so that they cannot truly say , we dispute against the practice of the whole Church . And farther we say , Supposing we should in Complement to them grant , that their Church is Catholick and Vniversal ; yet we say , That is no sufficient proof it came Originally from the Apostles ; witness the Doctrine of the Millenaries , and the necessity of the Eucharist for Infants ; which was generally taught by the Vniversal Church , & believed as an Apostolical Tradition , but yet contradicted by the Vniversal Church afterwards : This , I am sure , the Papists dare not deny ; so that we unavoidably cast the Papists upon this Rock , That they must either conclude the Apostles were Fountains of contradictory Doctrines , or that the Universal Doctrine of the present Church is no sufficient proof that it came originally from the Apostles , because the Church Vniversal of one time , and the Church Vniversal of another time did differ .

Next , for their saying , 't is insolent madness to dispute against the practice of the whole Church ; First , we are sure , we can bring more Christian witnesses that deny they are the whole Church , than they can bring to prove it : but supposing we were as mad as they say we are , and would have us to be , to dispute against the whole practice of the Church ; yet I hope we may desire to know of the Papists , if they can deny but that 't was the practice of the whole Church in St. Austin's time , and esteemed then an Apostolical Tradition even by St. Austin himself , that the Eucharist should be administred to Infants ? And then let them tell us , Whether it be insolent madness to dispute against the practice of the whole Church , or is it not ? If it be not , why do they accuse us for it ? But if it be insolent madness , how mad and insolent is the Papists Church , not only to dispute against this practice of the Vniversal Church , of administring the Eucharist to Infants , but utterly abolishing the practice of it ?

So that the very worst the Papists can say of us , allowing what they say to be true , is , that we but do , what they themselves own already to have done .

And tho the Papists are pleased to say that the Holy Scriptures , and ancient Fathers , assign separation from the visible Church as a mark of Heresie , yet they cannot shew one plain Text of Scripture to confirm it .

And for the Papists bragging of the Antiquity and Vniversality of their Churches Doctrine , ( tho we allow it very ancient , bating the primitive times ) we answer first as to its Antiquity , we desire to see what Antiquity they can shew for their giving the Communion but in one kind , when they know that the administring it in both kinds , was the practice of the Church for a Thousand years after Christ ; what Antiquity for the lawfulness and expediency of the Latine Service ; for the present use of Indulgences ; for the Popes power in Temporalities over Princes ; for the Picturing the Trinity ; for the lawfulness of worshipping Pictures and Images ; for their Beads ; for their whole worship of the blessed Virgin ; for their Oblations , in the notion of Sacrifices to her and other Saints ; for their saying Pater Nosters and Creeds to the Honour of them , and Ave Maries to the Virgin Mary ; for the infallibility of the Bishop or Church of Rome ; for their Doctrine of the blessed Virgins Immunity from actual sin ; for the necessity of Auricular confession ; for the necessity of the Priests intention to obtain benefit by any of their Sacraments ; and lastly , for their licentious Doctrine , in holding , that tho a man lives and dies without the practice of any Christian Vertue , and with the Habits of many damnable sins unmortified ; yet if at the last moment of his life he has any sorrow for his sins , and joyn confession to it , he shall certainly be saved : This is a Doctrine may keep many Souls out of Heaven , but I doubt will scarce carry any one there . So that the Papists Doctrine being ancient , is nothing , as long as 't is evident that they hold many dangerous errors : As for instance , the Millenaries , and the Communicating Infants was more ancient than their Doctrine ; and 't is plain that Antiquity , unless it be absolute and primative , is not a certain sign of true Doctrine , and the very Apostles themselves , assure us , that in their days the mystery of Iniquity was working .

The Papists demand how comes it to pass that their Doctrine is so Universal , ( forgetting that weeds spread faster than good herbs : ) And we ask them how the errours of the Millenaries , and the Communicating Infants became so universal ? let them tell us this , and we will tell them that : for what is done in some , may be done in others .

The Papists ask us where our Ch. was before Luther ; and tell us , because 't was no Ch. before him , therefore it can be no true Church at all . To which we answer , That this cause is no cause : for tho Luther had no being before Luther , yet none can deny , but that he was when he was , tho he could not be before he was . So there may be a true Church after Luther , tho there was none for some Ages before him : as since Columbus his time there have been Christians in America , tho there were none for many Ages before . For it does not follow , that nothing but a Church can possibly get a Church , nor that the present being of a true Church depends necessarily upon the perpetuity of a Church in all Ages . For though I cannot deny the Churches perpetuity , yet that 's not here necessary to rur difference : but that a false Church ( by Gods providence over-ruling it ) may preserve a means of confuting their own Heresies , and so reduce men to Truth , and raise a true Church , ( I mean the integrity of the Word of God with Men. ) Thus the Jews preserve means to make men Christians , and Papists preserve means to make men Protestants , and the Protestants false Church ( as the Romans call it ) preserves men Papists . Nor does it appear that the perpetuity of the Church is the truth of the Papists Church : for they speak as if they were the only Christians in the World before Luther ; when the whole World knows , that this is but talk , and that there were other Christians besides the Papists that might have perpetuated the Church , tho there had not been then one Papist in being . For sure there was a Catholick Church before the Roman one .

Next , the Papists say , To hold that the Visible Church is not perpetual , is a Heresie ; so that Luther's Reformation being but particular , and not universal , nor but of late date ; it can have nothing to do with the visible and perpetual Church . Which the Protestants answer thus . To say the visible Church is not perpetual , is properly a Heresie ; but the Papists cannot deny , but that the Apostles who preach'd the Gospel in the beginning , did believe the Church universal , tho their preaching at the beginning was not so . So Luther also might well believe the Vniversal Church , though his Reformation was but particular ; the Church in the Apostles time being universal de jure of right , but not de facto in fact .

Nor did Luther and his followers ( as the Papists are pleased to mis-call many Protestants ) forsake the whole Church , but the corruptions of it , in renouncing some of their corrupt practices ; and this the Protestants say they did without Schism , because they had cause to do it ; and no man can have cause to be a Schismatick , because he is only one who leaves the Church without a cause : for 't is not only separation , but a causeless separation from the Church , that is Schismatical : and I think 't will not be amiss , before I go any farther , to distinguish the difference between Heresie and Schism . Heresie is an obstinate defence of any error against any necessary Article of the Christian Faith. Schism is a causeless separation of one part of the Church from another . Now we Protestants say still , That we never forsook the whole Church , or the external Communion of it , but only that part of it which is corrupted , and is to be fear'd will still continue so , viz. The Papists Church ; and forsook not , but only reformed another part , which part they themselves were . And sure the Papists will not say , the Protestants forsook themselves , nor their own Communion : and therefore the Papists Argument must be very weak , in urging that the Protestants joyned themselves to no other part of the Church , therefore they must separate from the whole Church ; which the Protestants say is a false conclusion , in as much as they themselves were part of it , and still continue so ; and therefore the Protestants could no more separate from the whole , than from themselves .

So that by the rule of Reason , if Protestants be Schismaticks , because they differ from one part of the visible Church ; by the same reason the Protestants may say that the Roman Church is in a manner made up of Schismaticks : for the Jesuits are Schismaticks from the Dominicans , and the Dominicans from the Jesuits , and the Jesuits from the Canonists ; the Franciscans from the Dominicans , and the Dominicans from the Franciscans : for all these ( as the world knows ) differ in point of Doctrine , and betwixt them there is an irreconcilable contradiction ; and therefore one part must be in error . And if the Papists will but stand to justifie what they declare as truth , That every error against a revealed Truth is a Heresie ; they holding for certain as a revealed Truth , the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary , then consequently the Dominicans that hold and declare it an error in Doctrine , must necessarily hold a Heresie . Now it may be a fault to be in error , because it many times proceeds from a fault ; but sure Protestants forsaking error , it cannot be a sin , unless to be in error , be a Vertue : So hardly do Papists deal with us Protestants , as they will either damn us in making us follow their false opinions , or else brand us as Schismaticks for leaving them .

And yet the rational sort of Papists can hardly deny , but the Protestant Religion must be a safer Religion than theirs , in worshipping Pictures , in Invocating Saints and Angels ; in denying the Lay-men the Communion in both kinds , as was commanded by our blessed Saviour ; in celebrating their Church-Service in an unknown Tongue , which was condemned by St. Paul ; in adoring the Sacrament : and in all these a rational Papist cannot deny , but he is on the more dangerous side , as to the committing of sin ; and the Protestant in the more secure way , as to the avoiding it .

For in all these things , if Protestants say true , the Papists do that which is impious ; but on the other side , if the Papists were in the right , yet the Protestants might be secure enough too : for their fault would be only this , that they should only not do some things which the Papists themselves confess is not altogether necessary to be done .

And truly the Protestants are so Charitably civil , as only to say of Papists , as St. Austin did of the Donatists , That Catholicks approved the Doctrine of the Donatists , but abhorred their Heresie of Rebaptization . So Protestants approve the Fundamental and necessary Truths which the Papists retain , by which many good Souls among them may be saved ; but abhor the many superstitions they use in their Religion . And supposing these Errors of the Popish Church were in themselves not damnable , to them that believe as they profess ; yet for us Protestants to profess what we do not believe , and esteem those as Divine Truths , which we believe not to be either Divine or true ; would be doubtless damnable as to us : for 't is certain , Two men may do the same thing , and it may be sinful to one , and not to the other : as suppose a married Woman gives herself out to be a Widow , and one knowing her Husband to be alive , marries her , doubtless his injoyment of her was adulterous : but a second man comes , and after seeing her pretended Husband buried , marries her , and dies without the least information of her first Husbands being then alive ; his ignorance sure protected him from sin , and the second Husbands knowledg of the sin he acted , condemned him of Adultery ; & tho his fault might be palliated with some excuses , yet it can never be defended by any just Apoligy . And so tho we read in Scripture , that it was St. Paul's Judgment , that meat offered to Idols might lawfully be eaten ; yet he says ; if any should eat it with a doubtful Conscience , he should sin , and be condemned for so doing .

And supposing we Protestants ought not to have forsook the Papists Church , for sin , and errours , if she had not injoyn'd and imposed them on us ; yet since she does maintain them with such obstinacy , and imposes them with such tyranny , we ought certainly to say with St. Peter , and St. John , 'T is better to forsake men than God ; and leave the Popish Church-Communion , rather than commit or profess known errors as Divine Truths ; for as the Prophet Ezekiel tells us , that to say The Lord hath said so , when the Lord hath not said so , is a high presumption , and great sin , be the matter never so small ; and therefore when St. Paul spoke concerning Virgins abstaining from marriage , he said , He had no commandment of the Lord , but I declare my own judgment of it . Now if St. Paul had given this as God's command , surely we might have justly contradicted him , and made a distinction between Divine Revelation , and Humane Judgment .

So that for a Protestant to abide in the Communion of the Roman Church , is so far from securing him from errour , as that if I or any Protestant should continue in it , I am confident I could not be saved by it : and the reason is , because the Papists will not admit of my Communion , without professing the entire Popish Doctrine to be true : and profess this I cannot , but I must perpetually exulcerate my Conscience : & tho the errours of the Roman Church were not in themselves damnable , yet for me to resist known Truths , and to continue in the Profession of known errours and falshoods , is certainly a capital sin , and of great affinity with the sin which shall never be forgiven .

In short , if the errours of the Roman Church did not warrant our departure , yet the tyrannous imposition of them would be our sufficient justification ; for they force us either to forsake the Papists Communion , or profess as Gospel-truths what our Conscience assures us is very little akin to them : so that the Protestants were oblig'd to forsake those errours of the Popish Church , and not the Church , but the errours ; and we Protestants did , and do still continue members of the Church ; having only left what appeared most plain to us to be superstitious and impious . And we separate no more from the Popish Church , thant she has separated from the Ancient Church : and indeed , to speak properly , our difference is more against the Court , than Church of Rome ; which has introduced so many new ceremonies and practises in the Popish Church , as was never heard nor practised in the Primitive Times : as for one instance of a Thousand , I might give you Their denying the Cup to the Laity , which was never practised in the Church a Thousand years after our Saviour .

But because the Papists brag so much of , and depend so entirely on the Infallibility of their Church , I shall pass by their Out-works , and search a little into this their Grand Fort , the Infallibility of their Church : for except they prove that , they prove nothing ; but in proving that they prove all : and if the Papists could satisfie me either by Scripture or Reason , that their Church is infallible , I should not only be of their Church to morrow , but repent I was not sooner : but really by all that I ever heard or read for their making it good , I find cause only to admire their confidence , but not at all to esteem their reasons .

The cheif method they take , and degrees they use , to prove the Infallibility of their Church , are by whole-sale these , First , that St. Peter was head and cheif amongst the Apostles ; and there was given to him and his Successors by our Saviour , Universal Authority over his Militent Church ; That the Pope or Bishop of Rome is St. Peter's Successor , and has his Authority of Vniversal Bishop ; and consequently the Roman Church being built upon this Rock is infallible : all which I doubt not but to prove to be inconsistent with , and contradictory both to Scripture and Reason .

As to the first point of St. Peter's being Head of the Apostles , which the Papists all stile him , and say he was called from thence Cephas , which is derived from the Greek word Head : it is a most gross mistake ; for Cephas is a Syriack word that signifies Stone ; but this is only by the by . Now we Protestants say , tho we allow St. Peter might have primacy of Order , yet we cannot grant he had supremacy of power over the other Apostles ; for sure it cannot stand with the least reason , that St. Peter should have authority over all the Apostles , and yet never act the least authority over any one of them .

Nor is it reasonable to believe , that St. Peter having authority over all the Apostles for above 25 years together , should never shew the least power over any of them all that time , nor so much as receive the lest subjection from them : sure any one must think this as strange , & unreasonable , as if a King of England for 25 years together should not do one act of Regality among his Subjects , nor receive any one acknowledgment from them .

Nor sure is it less strange & unreasonable , that the Papists should so many Ages after , know this so certainly as they pretend they do , and yet that the Apostles themselves , after that these words were spoak in their hearing by vertue whereof St. Peter is pretended to be made their head , should still be so ignorant of it , as to question our Saviour , which of them should be the greatest ? By which sure we may rationally conclude , they did not then know ; for if they did , their question had been needless , and superfluous , in desiring to be taught , what they already knew .

And what yet appears more strange than all , is , that our Saviour should not have helped them out of their error , by telling them St. Peter was the man ; but rather confirmed them in the contrary , by saying , The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Authority over them , but it should not be so among them .

And again , it is as strange and unreasonable , that St. Paul should so far forget both St. Peter , and himself , as in mentioning so often St. Peter , he should still do it without ascribing him any title of Honour : Nor does it stand with reason , that St. Paul speaking of the several degrees of men in the Church , should omit giving St. Peter the highest , if it had been his due , but place him in the same rank and equipage with the rest of the Apostles : for St. Paul says God hath appointed ( not first St. Peter , then the rest of the Apostles ) but first Apostles , secondly Prophets ; now certainly if Apostles were all first , that is , all equal , how could one be in greater power than the other ?

But besides all this , though we should grant against all these probabilities , and many more , that Optatus Bishop of Rome meant that St. Peter was Head of the Apostles ; yet sure the Papists are still very far from proving , the Bishop of Rome was to be so at all , much less by Divine right , Successor to St. Peter in his Headship and Authority . For what incongruity is there , if we say that Optatus might succeed St. Peter as his Heir and Successor , in that part of his Government of that particular Church of Rome ; ( as sure he did even whilst St. Peter was living ) and yet that neither he , nor any man was to succeed him in his Apostleship , nor in the Government of the Church Vniversal ? as tho a Bishop should leave his Son Heir to all he died possessed of ; I hope you will not conclude , therefore he must necessarily succeed him in the Bishoprick he died seized of . The Apostles were men all called , and Divinely inspired by the Holy Ghost ; which was the immediate gift of God , and therefore could not be left as a Legary by man ; for though it be in any mans power to leave his Estate , yet 't is in no mans power to leave to his Son his acquir'd parts at his death . 'T is further worth your observing , and special notice , that St. Peter himself and the rest of the Apostles , by laying the Foundation of the Church , were to be themselves the Foundation of it ; and are accordingly so called in Scripture . And therefore as in a building 't is incongruous that foundations should succeed foundations , so it may be in the Church , that Apostles should succeed Apostles , the Church being built upon Apostles and Prophets .

Nor indeed does the grand argument of the Papists for their Pope , extend any further in reallity then the particular See of Rome : for thus goes their main argument : St. Peter was first Bishop of Rome , and the Apostles did not then attribute to themselves each one his particular Chair ( understand in that City of Rome ▪ for in other places , others had Chairs besides St. Peter ) and therefore , says the Papists , he is a Schismatick who against that one single Chair erects another : ( understand still in the same place ) and this this the Ground and the Authority the Papists say the Pope has to be Successor to St. Peter , and to exercise Authority over the Universal Church .

But sure the Protestants urge more rationally , in arguing thus : That St. Peter wrote Two Catholick Epistles , in which he mentions his own departure ; and writes to preserve the Christians in the Faith : but yet in neither of these Two Epistles does he commend the Christians to the guidance & authority to his pretended Successor the Bishop of Rome ; which sure if St. Peter had intended , he would never have forgot to have named it .

And since the Papists so reverence and adore the Popes power , let us Protestants also admire his way and means of attaining this power : For though the Papists say , that as soon as he is made Pope , he has his authority immediately from Christ ; yet at the very same time the Papists all know , that he cannot be made Pope , but by authority and Election of the Cardinals ; so that I am sure by the very same reason , any man that is chosen a Magistrate in any Town under the Pope's Territories , may claim his Authority as immediately received from Christ , as well as the Pope . And further , that the proving his being made Pope , does not render him infallible , I could give a hundred instances out of the History of Popes , but that will not suit well with my designed brevity , but let 's ask the Papists , if Liberius Bishop of Rome , after Two years Banishment , did not by the sollicitation of Fortunatianus Bishop of Aquileia , subscribe to Heresie , and consequently could not be infallible . And though the Papists rely so much on the Authority of the Fathers , to support and justifie the Infallibility of their Church ; yet upon true Examination we shall find , they make no more for their Universal Bishop , than St. Peter's Two Catholick Epistles do .

And for their arguing out of St. Cyprian's 55 Epistles , that sure makes rather against , than for them ; for there St. Cyprian writes to Cornelius Bishop of Rome , but writes not so much to him , as of himself , who was Bishop of Carthage , against whom a Faction of Schismaticks had set up another Bishop . Now though the Papists say reasonably , that 't is a mark of the Vniversal Bishop , that other Bishops should make their Addresses unto the Bishop of Rome ; yet sure 't were better Reasoning to conclude thus : If the Bishop of Rome had been acknowledged Universal Bishop , and his Authority and Supremacy had been believ'd and own'd , sure St. Cyprian had not been satisfied with only barely writing him his sad story , ( for he did no more , ) but doubtless would have made his complaint to him , and desired and expected redress from him , as Universal Bishop over the whole Catholick Church ; but his not doing so , argued he esteemed him Bishop only of one Church .

And further , St. Cyprian , all know , did resolutely oppose a Decree of the Roman Bishop , and all that adhered ●…o him in that one point of Rebaptizing ; which the Popish Church at that time , delivered as a necessary Tradition , and Excommunicated the Bishops of Capadocia , Galatia , and all that were against that Tradition , and would not so much as allow them lodging or entertainment in Rome .

Now since the Papists affirm , that not to Rebaptize those , whom Hereticks had Baptized , to be a damnable Heresie ; 'T is well worth asking the Papists , when this begun to be so ? for if they say , from the beginning it was so , then they must maintain a contradiction ; for then was St. Cypria●… a Professor of damnable Heresie ; and yet the Papists estee●… him a Saint and Martyr .

And on the other side , if 't were not so from the beginning , then did the Pope wrongfully Excommunicate those other Churches of Cappadocia and Galatia , without sufficien●… ground of Excommunication and separation , which by thei●… own Tenents is Schismatical : So let them chuse which sid●… they please , the Pope was in an error .

And tho Victor , Bishop of Rome , obtruded the Roman Tradition touching the time of Easter upon the Asian Biships , under the pain of Excommunication and Damnation ; yet we read that Irenaeus , and all the other Western Bishops , though they did agree with the Bishop of Rome in his Observation of Easter , yet they did sharply reprehen●… his Excommunicating the Asian Bishops for their disagreeing with him ; which most plainly argues , that the Western Bishops thought that not a sufficient ground of Excommunication , which the Bishop of Rome did ; and therefore it must necessarily follow , they did not esteem the Roman Bishop infallible , nor the separation from the Church of Rome an Heresie . And this I am sure is true and undeniable reason .

The Popish Story tells us , That Optatus Bishop of Rome upbraided the Donatists as Schismaticks , because they held no Communion with the Church of Rome , by adding afterwards that they were Schismaticks , for they held no Communion with the Seven Churches of Asia ; which occasions this Question of the Papists , Whether a separation from these seven Apostolick Churches , was a mark of Heresie , or not ? If they say it was not , how comes it that the Pope's Authority is a stronger Argument for the Popish Church , than the Asian Authority for the Asian Churches ? And if the Papists say , a separation from those seven Asian Churches , was a mark of Heresie , then they must confes●… their Church was for many years Heretical , as separating many years from the Asian Churches .

And Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus , and Metropolitan of Asia , despised the Pope's Vniversal Supremacy and Authority , and kept contrary to the Pope , Easter-day the Fourteenth of March.

And indeed tho the Papists do so much quote the authority of the Fathers , yet I find they as little befriend their Churches Infallibility , as the Asian Bishops themselves have done : for tho the Papists say St. Hierome conceived it nenessary to conform in matters of Faith , to the Church of Rome ; yet before the Papists brag of that , let them answer us this , How came it then to pass ▪ that St. Hierome chose to believe the Epistle to the Hebrews Canonical upon the authority of the Eastern Church , and to reject it from the Canon of the Roman Churches Authority . And how comes it also that he dissented from the Roman Church touching the Canon of the Old Testament ? Let the Papists take heed of losing their Fort , by endeavouring to maintain their out-works .

And now to conclude this point , and excuse the Papists mistake concerning their universal Bishop , we read in Scripture of the Prophet Elias , who thought there was none ●…eft beside himself in the whole Ringdom of Israel , who had not revolted from God ; and yet God himself is pleased to assure us he was deceived . And if a Prophet , and one of the greatest , err'd in his judgment touching his own time & Country ; why may not the Papists ( subject to the same passions ) err in their opinion and judgment about the Popes being Vniversal Bishop , when plain reason tells them , as well as us , that there were other Bishops as much Vniversal as the Pope .

I now come to examine this infallible Pope , whether he cannot make his infallible Church more infallible than he has made himself ; and free the Popish Church from error , tho he could not the Pope from Heresie .

Now towards the disproving the pretended Infallibility of the Roman Church , I lay this as the foundation of my Discourse ; That the whole Roman Church can be no better than a Cengregation of Men , whereof every particular , not one excepted , and consequently the generality , is nothing but a collection of men : and if every one be polluted , ( as who dare say he is free from sin ? ) how can the whole but be defiled with error ? As reasonably may a man brag he is in perfect health and strength , and yet at the same time confess he hath not one sound part about him . And truly it very much creats my wonder , but does not in the least satisfie my reason , what the Papists can pretend by the Infallibility of their Church : for if they will allow their Pope to be no better than St. Peter was , their Church to b●… composed of no better men than the Holy Apostles were ; 〈…〉 shall desire no more , and I am sure they can never prov●… so much : for they that pretend to it , declare as great a●… ignorance , as St. Peter did a sin , in denying his Lord an●… Master : and there are many other known circumstances ▪ which made St. Paul prove him blame-worthy to hi●… face .

And for the Apostles being in error , we have not only the examples of the Apostles themselves , who in the time of our Saviours Passion , being scandalized , lost their Faith in him ; and I believe the Papists will not say they could lose their faith in our blessed Saviour Christ without error ▪ and therefore our Saviour after his Resurrection upbraided them with their Incredulity , and called Thomas incredulous for denying the Resurrection , in the Twentieth o●… St. John.

And further , 't is most apparent that the very Apostle●… themselves , even after the sending the Holy Ghost , did through Inadvertency , or Prejudice , continue some time in an error , contrary to a revealed Truth . And if the Papists will not own to know this Truth , they may be fully satisfied of it in the Story of the Acts of the Apostles , where they may plainly read , that notwithstanding our Saviours express warrant and injunction to the Apostles , to go and preach to all Nations ; Yet notwithstanding , till St. Peter was better informed by a Vision from Heaven , and by the Conversion of Cornelius , both St. Peter and the rest of the Church , held it unlawful for them to go and Preach the Gospel to any but the Jews . Now since we can prove that St. Peter did err , and that the Church composed partly of the Holy Apostles themselves , who were blessed with , and inspired by the Holy Ghost , could mistake , and that there is no man free from sin ; and yet that the Body of men that make up the Popish Church , should be infallible , is , I confess , beside my faith to believe , or reason to comprehend .

For sure if the Roman Church had been esteem'd by the Apostles , infallible , what needed the Apostles any other ●…reed , than this short Creed ; I believe the Roman Church ●…fallible ? and that would have been more effectual to ●…eep the Believers of it from Heresie , and in the true Faith , ●…an this Apostolical Creed we now have .

And sure the Papists cannot but believe with us , that ●…ose Holy Men that wrote the New Testament , were not ●…nly Good Men , but also Men that were desirous to direct ●…s in the plainest and surest way to Heaven . And the Pa●…ists cannot also but believe with us , that they were likewise ●…en very sufficiently instructed by the Spirit of God , in all ●…e necessary points of the Christian Faith : Therefore cer●…inly 't is most rational to believe , they could not be ig●…orant of this unum necessarium , that all Faith is no Faith , ●…cept we believe the Church of Rome was design'd by God 〈…〉 be the Guide of Faith , as the Church of Rome believes , ●…d would have us believe so too .

We also further believe , and that with great reason too , ●…at the Writers of the New Testament were Wise Men , espe●…ally being they were assisted by the Spirit of Wisdom ; and ●…ch that must know , that an uncertain Guide was as bad as ●…ne at all ; and yet after all this , is it possible for a Philoso●…ical or Contemplative man , nay , for any man that has rea●…n or common sense , after all these suppositions , to believe ●…at none among these holy Writers of the New Testament ●…ould remember ( ad rei memoriam ) to set down plainly ●…is most necessary Doctrine , not so much as once , That ●…e were to believe the Roman Church infallible ?

Again , that none of the Evangelists should so much as ●…ce name this Popish necessary point of Faith , if they had ●…teem'd it necessary for us to believe it , when St. Paul says , ●…e kept not back any thing that was profitable for us ; and sure ●…e Papists cannot deny , but was is necessary to salvation , ●…ust be very profitable : And St. Luke also plainly tells ●…hristians , his intent was to write all things necessary . And ●…re it stands also with reason , that when St. Paul wrote to ●…e Romans , he would have congratulated this their ex●…aordinary priviledge , if he had believ'd it belong'd to ●…em .

And though the Romans bring it as a great Argument ●…or them , that St. Paul tells them , Their Faith is spoken all the world over ; Yet pray let them moderate those thought●… with this consideration , that St. Paul said the very same thing to the Thessalonians : And let them further consider this , that if the Roman Faith had been the Rule o●… Faith for all the World for ever , as the Papists hold ; sur●… St. Paul would have forborn to put the Romans in fear o●… a possibility , ( for though Raillery is much in fashion now 〈…〉 sure 't was not then ) that they also , nay the whole Churc●… of the Gentiles , if they did not look to their standing might fall into Infidelity , as the Jews had done , 1 Ephesians 11.

And methinks it also stands with great reason , that the Apostles writing so often of Hereticks , and Antichrist●… should have given the Christian World this ( as Papists pretend ) only sure Preservative from them , To be guided b●… the infallible Church of Rome ; and not to separate from it ▪ upon the pain of damnation .

Methinks also St. Peter , St. James , and St. Jude , in their Catholick Epistles , would not have forgot giving Christian●… this Catholick Direction of following the Roman Church ; and St. John instead of saying , He that believes that Jesus 〈…〉 the Christ , is born of God , might have said , He that adheres to the Doctrine of the Roman Church , and lives according to it , is a good Christian , and by this mark you shall know him . In a word , can there be any thing more irrational , than to believe , that none of these holy Men , who were so desirous of mens salvation , should so much as once remember to write , that we were to obey the Roman Church , but leave it to be collected from uncertain Principles , and by more uncertain Consequences .

So that upon the whole , I cannot without much wonder look on the Pope's Confidence , and the Papists Credulity , in esteeming the Pope or his Councils to be an infallible Guide : sure either they never read what they ought to believe , or else they will not believe what they read , though it be never so known a Truth , and worthy of belief : for if they did , they could never believe the Infallibility of the Popish Church , For indeed , if they would read the Popish Story , or , as I may well call it , the Civil Wars of the Popes , you shall find , as I said before , Popes against Popes , Councils against Councils ; some Fathers against others , nay , some against themselves ; new Traditions brought in , and old ones turn'd out ; one Church against another ; nay , the Church of one Age against the Church of another . In a word , the Papists say their Church is infallible ; and all other Christians besides themselves , tho more in number than they , absolutely deny it ; and yet we must for all that believe the Popish Church infallible .

And to speak the plain Truth , and in a word to unravel the real cause of the Grandure of the Church of Rome above all other Churches , is only this : Rome was the Imperial Town of the Empire , and its greatness was given by Men , and not God ; and when afterwards Constantinople was the Imperial City , they Decreed that the Church of Constantinople should have equal Priviledges and Dignities with that of Rome .

And now to end this Discourse , I desire you will please to consider this Conclusion , which is , that after all that the Papists have said , be it never so much and mighty , to shew the Infallibility of their Church ; I am verily perswaded they cannot shew more , if so much , out of the Scriptures , for their Church , as the smallest Society of Christians met together in prayer , can for themselves , that when two or three are met together in my name , I will be amongst them , says the Lord : And now I have just done this small Discourse , and the Sun is just upon finishing this days visit ; I can very readily follow that holy advice of not letting it go down in my anger : ( which I thank God I have to none living ) and therefore am in so much Charity with the Papists , as to wish that neither they , nor Protestants , might waist their precious time in meer speculative controversies about words and ceremonies , which of themselves will never carry us to Heaven ; but that we may spend our time like wise Christians in the ways and fear of God , which is the only beginning of wisdom ; and not consume it in studying and maintaining of Disputes and Factions ; but if we must still differ , let Protestants and Papists differ in Opinions but as Aristotle and Cicero did , who , tho they were of differing Judgments touching the natures of Souls , yet both of them agreed in the main , that all men had Souls , and Souls of the same nature .

And as Physicians , though they dispute , whether the Brain or the Heart be the principal part of a man , yet that all Men have Brains , and Heart , they sufficiently agree in : So though Protestants esteem one part of the Church-Doctrine , and Papists set a higher value on another part , yet the Soul of the Church may be in both of them : and though the Papists account that a necessary truth , which the Protestants account neither necessary , nor perhaps ture ; yet in truth truly necessary they both agree , viz. The Apostles Creed , and that Faith , Hope , and Charity , are necessary to salvation . And lastly , though Papists hold they may be justified by their Works , and Protestants hold none can be justified barely by them , ( in regard of the Imperfections of their Works ) yet on the other side , we so much agree with the Papists , as to esteem none can be justified without them : for without Repentance , and Charity , none can be good ; they being both like Health to our Bodies , the want of which is sufficient to disturb all other pleasures . Therefore when we read St. Pauls Treatise of Justification by Faith without the works of the Law ; let us at the same time read what he writes to the Corinthians concerning the absolute necessity of that Excellent Vertue of Charity , and they will reconcile one another . And I wish , that we were all so reconciled in the unity of the Spirit , and in the bond of peace . And tha●… you , Madam , may be the sooner reconcil'd to me , for thi●… tediousness ; I shall now make a Conclusion , which afte●… such an overgrown Letter , must needs be the best Complement that can be made by ,

Madam , Yours , &c. FINIS .

Errata : Page 9. line 27. for past-time , read patience .

The Tryal of Philip Standsfield , Son to Sir James Stansfield , of New-Milns , for the Murther of his Father . And other Crimes Libell'd againg him , Feb. 7. 1688. For which he had Judgment , &c. price 1 s.

An Historical Relation of several Great and Learned Romanists who did Imbrace the Protestant Religion , with their Reasons for their Change , deliver'd in their own words . 6 d.

A Seasonable Collection of plain Text of Scripture , for the Use of English Protestants . price 2 d.

ROME'S RARITIES ; OR THE Pope's Cabinet UNLOCK'D , And Expos'd to View .

BEING A true and Faithful Account of the Blasphemy , Treason , Massacres , Murders , Lechery , Whoredom , Buggery , Sodomy , Debauchery , Pious Frauds , &c. of the Romish Church , from the Pope himself to the Priest , or inferiour Clergy .

TO THE Triple-Crown'd Prelate OF ROME . HOLY SIR ,

I Do here , with all imaginable Deference and Humility , present you ( I will not be so unmannerly as to say , with a Pig of your own Sow , but ) with a Rich Cabinet , and good reason too , because your own : for 't is unjust that you should be the Proprietor , and another the Usufructuary . A Cabinet , wherein are display'd all the commendable Qualifications , and inimitable Perfections of some of your Famous Predecessors , that have had the Honour to sit in St. Peter's Chair ; and in some particulars , a weak Character or Adumbration of your Holiness's Endowments , which no Pen can fully delineate . Nor can you any way complain of foul play herein , since this Tract contains no Quotations but what are collected from the most Authentic and rigid Romanists that ever espoused the Catholic Cause and Persuasion .

The Candid Reader , by a serious perusal of this Treatise , will , I presume , not onely receive satisfaction thereby , but also make a Discovery of those rare Vertues which embellish the minds of St. Peter's Successors , more to their renown and Glory , than the resplendent Diamonds and Rubies that shine in , and adorn the Triple Diadem ; and therefore , I hope , that your Sanctity will leave the Author out when you presume to Curse all Hereticks ( as you miscall them ) once a Year in the Bulla Coenae ; or otherwise you shall hear of him agen in a more Sarcastic Style and Satyrick Humour , this being only at present Joco-serious . If any thing herein clinch too close , and offend ; let those of your own Party beg your pardon , ( whose Duty it is ) that afforded the Materials , which , compiled together and collected , make up this Epitome of your Memorable Acts and Monumental Transactions . But withall , I must needs confess , that no Bigoted Protestant , who moves in the highest Sphere of Ecclesiastical Dignity , dares presume or pretend to arrive to the height of those Excellencies herein mentioned , which are only peculiar to the Roman Miter . If the subordinate Clergy storm at the Contents of this Book , let them thank themselves for exposing to the Public their Cheats and Chicaneries so apparently , that an inconsiderable Lay-Protestant could not possibly avoid taking notice of , he being only the Amanuensis of their own Authors , and hath taken the pains to transscribe out of them such Memorials as he thought convenient to reduce to the Method observ'd in this small System or Collection . I bequeath this Aurea Legenda to your Holiness first , and then to the rest of the Inferiour Clergy ; it being a Brat of their own Brain , a Babe of their own Procreation ; and so bid you all farewel , who subscribe my self

Philanax Misopapas .
THE Pope's Cabinet UNLOCK'D .

APapa Principium . Why not this as good an Invocation now-a-days , as à Jove Principium , in times of Yore ? for my part , I know no reason to the contrary ; since the former is styled God by some , and Vice-God by most Romanists ; the latter known by all to be no God at all , or at best , a false one . Therefore to begin with Holiness must needs be commendable , nay , with His Holiness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that cannot prove successless . Avaunt then , fond Protestant , and do not hit him so often in the teeth with the flurting Nick-name of the Man of Sin. No , no , he 's the Man of Sanctity ; there 's the Mistake ; nor with that frequent unmannerly Title of the Whore of Babylon ; for that is both incoherent with Sense , and inconsistent with the Sex ; but be not too bold with that Argument , whatever you do , good Papist , for fear some blunt Protestant round you in the Ear ( and that he is like enuf to do ) with the Story of Pope Joan , and tell you to your face , when you say you are abus'd herein , that it is with a matter of truth , and shew you good reason for it too ; i●… there be either Truth or reason in a great many of your own Popish Writers , who allow the History to be authentick : bu●… of that more anon . An ordinary Physician , by the Indisposition of the Head , can soon judge of the Temper of the Body ; and no doubt when the Reader understands how this Head of the Church stands affected , he will soon guess at the foulness of the Stomach , and give an account of the weak and crazy Constitution of the whole Body Ecclesiastick . Do but observe the numerous and haughty Titles that he so magisterially assumes to himself , as the Universal , the Infallible Bishop of Rome ; the Head of the Catholick Church , the Supreme Pastor , the Holy one , the Pope , Christ's Vicegerent , God's Vicar , a Vice-god , nay , a God upon Earth , and God knows how many more ; and then tell me truly , whether in his Pride and number of Names he may not out-vye both Turk and Persian ( and at length prove as little a Christian as either of them ) who upon the bare Report of this usurped Authority , have bestow'd on him two glorious Denominations , the one calling him Rumbeg , that is , Prince or Lord of Rome , the other Rumschah , King of Rome .

First then to begin with the Blasphemies used by several Popes themselves , which are so great , that if Profaneness it self , could it assume an humane Shape , would not be guilty of ; and Lucian , that Arch-Apostate , were he now alive , would , if compar'd to them , be accounted moderate .

Leo the Tenth , Son to the Duke of Florence , was a chuck-farthing-Boy Cardinal , who was thought to deserve the Red Hat at the Age of Thirteen , and 〈…〉 Pope at Twenty , the unerring Bishop o●… Christendom in hanging Sleeves , who before he could write Man , or of Age , wa●… Father of all the Aged ; and truly h●… verified the old Proverb , Soon ripe , soo●… rotten ; for what a more putrid an●… blasphemous Expression could be belch'●… forth by the Devil himself , than that o●… his , who when Cardinal Bembo quote●… a place out of the New Testament , replied , Quantum nobis profuit haec Fabul●… de Christo , What Wealth have we gain'●… by this Fable of Christ ? Was not thi●… becoming Christ's Vicegerent ? And afte●… a Dispute de Anima , 't was as good 〈…〉 Sentence of the Good Soul , Et redit in nihilum quod fuit ante nihil .

Julius the Third , a mere Epicure , when he was at Table with several Grandees of Rome , had a Peacock serv'd in at Dinner , ( his beloved Dish ) and gave strict order it should be kept cold for his Supper ; but it seems some of his Servants through neglect dispos'd of it otherwise : now when the time of his Evening Repast came , and he found it wanting , he fell into so great a Chafe and Rage , for this Sin of Omission in his Servitor , that his Holiness was guilty of a Sin of Commission ; insomuch , that a more moderate Cardinal , one of his Guests , told him , that it was ill done to be so passionate , and fly out into so great a Fury for so small a Trifle ; but he fuddenly replied , If God was so angry as to expel Adam Paradise for an Apple , well might he , who was his Vicar , be offended for the Disappointment of his Peacock which was of greater value than any Apple could possibly be .

The same worthy Pope missing his Pork , which was one of his standing Dishes , ( for he was a great Lover of Pork and Peacock ) asked the Reason of it ; his Steward answer'd , that his Physicians had given order there should be no Pork serv'd in because it was very injurious and destructive to his Health ; whereat he began to fly in the very face of him whose Vicar he boasts himself to be , saying , Porta mi quello mio Piatto al dispetto de Dio , Fetch me my Pork ( my Dish of Meat ) in spight of God himself . These Words savour of more than Lucianisme .

Paul the Third , in a Procession at Romè , where the Body of Christ , as they term it , was with great Solemnity and seeming Piety carried before him , said , That if the Company did not make more haste he would renounce Christ ; whereupon some Persons made up to them that were in the Front , with all speed , and caused them to mend their Pace . Nay farther ,

Pope Paul being in an open Consistory of Cardinals , boldly told by one of them , that he could not bestow Palma and Piacenza on his two Bastards , unless he would inevitably purchase his own Damnation . To this he answer'd , If St. Paul , the Apostle of the Gentiles had so tender an Affection for his Country-men , whom he calls Brethren , as to wish and desire himself to be separate from Christ , so that they might obtain Salvation ; why may not I with as great Love and Affection to my Sons and Nephews , study by all means possible to aggrandize them , and make them honourable with the hazard of my own Salvation ? O the yearning Bowels and tender Compassion of this Holy Father to the living Monuments of his Infamy ! Poor cow-hearted Hugonot ! Where is there a Calvin , Beza , or Bishop among you all that dares or can show such strange and strong efforts of a noble and undaunted Spirit , who for the Promotion and Welfare of his Children here , dares damn his own Soul for ever hereafter ? Alas ! There 's no such Spirit among you .

What think you of Gregory the Seventh ? tho his proper name ( which Popes renounce at their Election ) was Hildebrand , which signifies Fire-brand of Hell in the Tutonick Tongue , as the Germans affirm ; and Chemnitius gives him the same Title , calling him Titio Infernalis ; when he consulted the Oracle of his Breaden God , threw it into the Fire , before many Cardinals , who could not withhold him , because it gave him no answer as to the event of his War with the Emperour Henry the Benno Card. in the life of Hildebrand . Fourth of France .

John Bishop of Port , in a Sermon in S. Peters Church before a numerous Auditory , being upon the profanation of the Blessed Sacrament , said , Hildebrand and we with him have done a Fact for which we Deserve to be Burnt alive ; meaning the forementioned Action . Nay , this Hostia was so Contemned and Slighted by him , that he most wickedly caused Pope Victor the Second to be poisoned with the Consecrated Wine of the Holy Eucharist ; and yet Cardinal Bellarmine had the confidence to Justifie this Man , as a Saint , by Twenty seven Authors ; and another had the impudence to own him as a Canoniz'd Saint by two more , which he throws into the Bargain to add to the former Number ; These are a pack of Saints of the Devils Canonizing undoubtedly .

What will you say of another of these Pious Arch Prelates , who was the Person that caused the Emperour Henry the Seventh , surnam'd of Luxemburg , to be poisoned , and that with the consecrated Bread , given him by a Jacobine at Florence in the Eucarist . And about the year 1154 his Name-sake Math. Paris . P. 88. the Arch Bishop of York was poison'd in England with the Wine in the Sacrament . What will the Friar's Devil do , trow we , if their God be so dangerous , saith the learned Frenchman , Stevens , who composed this Huictain upon the very Subject ;

Les Payens ne vouloyent mettre au nombre des Dieux Ceux qui an genre humain ètoyent pernicieux : Si le Dieu de Paste est un Dieu qui empoisonne , Dont l' Empereur Henri tesmoignage nous donne ; Que dicoyent les Payens de ces gentils Docteurs , Qui les hommes ont fait de luy Adorateurs . Car si leur Dieu ne fait de meurtrir conscience , Entre leur Diable et Dieu quelle est la difference . I th' number of their Gods Pagans we find Ner'e rank't such as were hurtful to Mankind ; If that the God of Paste can poison men , As the Emperour Henry testifies , what then Would Heathens of these brave Doctors have said , Who teach Men to adore a piece of Bread ? For if their God with Murder can dispence , 'Twixt God and Devil what 's the difference .

As for Boniface the Eighth , it is too notorious how he undervalued and vilified the same Host when he was Prisoner to the Gibellines of the Emperour's Platina . Faction in the City of Agnania .

Julius the Second , when he was defeated by the Earl of Faix , and totally routed near Ravenna , he out of extraordinary Zeal and Fervor ( I must not call it Madness , or Irreverence ) threw away the Hostia , and made it be trampled upon by the unsanctified Feet of the rude Multitude , which hath been formerly taken by them with so much Reverence and Adoration .

Gregory the Ninth renounced the Gospel , and embraced in lieu of it an infamous Legend , compos'd Baleus li. 5. of the lives of the Popes . by as infamous a Monk , Cyril by name . Thus you see how these Holy Pastors of Christ's Sheep behave themselves in Person , and this is not all , but their Canons published in Print , and allowed , are as blasphemous as their own common Discourse , or that of their Parasites ( who are so far from punishment that they are loaded with Rewards ) asserting the Bishop of Rome to be a God. I 'll warrant you this Dist. 96. c. satis evidenter & Panorm. c. Quanto Abbas . bold assertion will frighten the Poor spirited Protestant to his Litany , From such Blasphemy good Lord deliver us .

Pope Gregory is so bold as to couple abomination with the merit of the Holy Passion . We ordain ( saith the Pope ) that for all such Cap. inter opera Charitatis despons . l. 4. Decretal . men who shall take common Strumpets out of the Stewes and Marry them ; that it shall advantage them as to the remission of Sin.

Cardinal Bellarmine establisheth Bell. lib. 1. de Pontif. c. 9. the Pope over the Church Militant etiam Christo secluso ; Christ being secluded from him .

His Flatterers exclude all Patriarchs and Bishops , from the Popes Lieutenancy to the Son of God , in these words . That he executeth C. quantol . 1. Decretal . tit. 7. de translat. Episcop . not the Function of a meer Man here upon Earth , but of a true God. Nay farther ; That the Pope is able to change the nature V. Gl. v. Veri Dei. cap. unico . De jurejurando . gl . v. Vicarium in Clement . of things : That his Authority is heavenly ; that of nothing he can make something , ( contrary to the old Rule ex nihilo nihil fit ) that his Will is sufficient for Reason ; that none may be so bold as to question him ; that he can dispence above the Law , that he can make Justice of Injustice , that he hath fulness of Power ; And elsewhere , that every Creature is Can. omnes Dist. 22. cap. &c. subject to him , that he hath the Rights of Heavenly and Earthly Empire .

Nay they proceed in higher strains , and say , We declare and define , that it is necessary to Salvation Extrav . commun . c. Vnam sanctam de Majorit . & obedien . See all the gloss of the chapt . for all Creatures , in all things , and in all places to be under the Bishop of Rome . Observe what the Blasphemous Parasite saith , Our Lord would have been very indiscreet , if he had Bertrand . in gl . Extrav . com . cap. unam sanctam de majorit . Petri. not left a Man behind him , that had an equal power with himself . To conclude this subject , take an abstract of this Oration pronounced in the Lateran Council , printed by the Authority of Leo the Tenth , in the presence of the whole Council . Although the Aspect of your Divine Majesty Orat. Ant. Puccii Clerici . Apostol. 3. Non. Maiae 15 , 15 sess. 10. by whose resplendent glory my weak Eyes are dazzled . Again , In thee alone , the true and Lawful Vicar of Christ and God , this Prophecy is to be fulfilled , All the Kings of the Earth shall worship him , and all Nations serve him , Psalm 71. Then , he saith ; Before , and now the Universal Body of the Church is subject to one only Head , viz. unto Thee . Item , Knowing that to thee alone hath been given all Power from the Lord in Heaven and Earth , that thou mayest judge , not only Spiritual , but also the Earthly Powers of the World. If this be not like the Man of Sin , to exalt himself above God , let all men judge .

Another Flatterer was General of the Order of Preachers , who received a Cardinal's Cap as the Guerdon of his Blasphemies ; It shall obtain , if you will ( speaking of the Sess. 2. in orat . Cajetani . Church ) and command it , if you imitate the Power and Perfection of the Almighty , whose Lieutenant you are here upon Earth ; not only in honour of Dignity , but affection of Will . Gird your Swords ( for you have two , the Spiritual and Temporal ) one common to other Princes , the other belongs to you only : And speaking of the Pope's Mercy ; It will render you worthy of Worship , Gracious and most like unto God. And afterwards , by the Mercy of God & yours , &c. and so runs on with such a continued Series of Blasphemies , as Black as the Hat could be Red , which he purchased by his Adulation in this Hyperbolical Elogy of his Imperious Master .

But I presume I have tortur'd you sufficiently with this horrid Discourse ; therefore I close it with the Words of Seneca ;

Magne Regnator Deum , tam lentus audis scelera ! Tam lentus vides ; Ec quando saeva fulmen emittes manis ? Great God of Heaven ! can'st thou both hear and see Such horrid Crimes as these so patiently ? When will thy incens'd Justice send , I wonder , From thy Almighty hand revenging Thunder .

The next Vertues that qualifie them for the Papal Chair , are Chastity , Continencie and Abstinence from Carnal Lusts , &c. and how well they are gifted with these will appear by the following Examples .

Pope John the Thirteenth was a Monster of Men , nay , of Popes too ; who , a●… it was articled against him in a General Council , committed Incest with two of his Sisters , deflowred innocent Virgins , lay with Stephana his Fathers Concubine ( a lovely Generation , like Father like Son ) with Raynera a Widow , and one Anna , with her Neece likewise . He was a great Enemy to the Married Clergy ; and from him Dunstan received a Commission to be unnaturally incestuous .

Pope Sylvius left a brace of Bastards here in England , the one got on a Scotch , and the other on an English Woman ; nay , whilst he was Cardinal , he kept his Concubine .

John the Twelvth was kill'd by the Devil in the Act with another man's Wife , saith Sigebert ; but others report that he was taken in the Act , and by the hand of an abused Husband , like Zimri , had the just reward of his foul and open Adultery ; for the fatal gash that he receiv'd sent him packing to the other World in Eight days time .

Rodorique Borgia , stiled Alexander the Sixth after he came to the Papacy , was the first Pope that was so ingeniously modest as to own Guicciard . Hist. Ital. 1. p. 10. his Bastards , and tho his Predecessors disguised them under the appellation of Nephews and God-sons , ( looking upon Fig-leaves to be some , tho but a slender covering of Nakedness , ) yet he was so shameless in his Lust , as publikly to acknowledge his base Off-spring ; and particularly took cognizance of Caesar Borgia , one that had a Soul of as swarthy a Complexion as his Father , and procur'd him a red Hat ; but he being soon weary of the Gospel , which might well be asham'd of him , did as suddenly procure a Dispensation to un-Cardinal himself ; these two committed Incest with their own Sister , Lucretia by name ; as famous for Guicciardin . l. 3. p. 179. Whoredom in the new , as her Name-sake for Chastity in old Rome ; of whom Pontanus writes this Epitaph .

Conditur hoc tumulo Lucretia nomine , sed re Thais , Pontisicis Filia , Sponsa , Nurus . Here lies Lucrece by Name , Thais in Life , The Pope's Child , Spouse , and yet his own Son's Wife .

He caused his eldest Brother , the Duke of Candia , to be murthered as he rode one Night in the City of Rome , and his Body cast into Tyber , because he thought him a Rub in his way to Preferment . He was , like his Father , very lavish in his Lust , insomuch that he did not forbear to tread both Hen and Chicken when the Fit was upon him ; nay , at the taking of Capua , where he assisted the French , he had a Reserve of no less than forty of the fairest Ladies for his own use , to satiate his inordinate Lust .

Martin the 4th kept his Predecessor's Harlot , ( Nicholas 3. ) and was so tender of her , that he caused all deformed Pictures to be remov'd out of his Palace , for fear she should be delivered of a monstrous ugly Child . Surely if his Holiness was so kind to a Whore he would be very fond of a Wife .

Of this Pope's Simony , which he was compelled to for the maintaining his own and his Nephew's Incests and lustful Extravagancies , there is extant this Distich :

Vendit Alexander Claves , Altaria , Christum ; Vendere jure potest , emerat ille prius . Pope Alexander sells Christ , Altars , Keys , And well he might ; for first he bought all these .

This Alexander the Sixth dispenced with Peter Mendoza , Bishop of Valencia , to use his Bastard Son , the Marquess of Zannet , as his Ganymede or Sodomitical Boy : insomuch that Charles the Eighth being at Rome , during his Pontificate , he was so hated by , and odious to all Men , that the whole Conclave of Cardinals ( two only excepted ) did entreat him to vindicate the Holy Church from the Violence and Tyranny of the Pope , who was rather a Successor of Judas than St. Peter , and a greater Observer of the Alcoran than the Gospel . A fine Character of a Pope from his own Cardinals !

A German Prince sent an Ambassador to the Pope , who after he was dispatch'd , taking his leave of his Holiness , he in Latin said to him , Tell our beloved Son , &c. which put the honest German into such a Chafe , that he had almost affronted the Pope with the Lye ; withal rounding him in the Ear , that his Master was no Son of a Priest ( meaning no Bastard . ) See the Chastity of these Holy ones when their Incontinency and Lasciviousness is grown proverbial .

Joan , Queen of Naples , hang'd her first Husband , and before he was cold married the Prince of Tarentum , one of the handsomest Men in the Universe ; she kept her self in a whole Skin by the Schism that then hapned between Pope Vrban and Clement , and so escaped unpunished , ( tho at last she was executed ) who bestow'd Avignon in France ●● Pope Vrban and his Successors , under pretence of Sale. This is only to let you know that his Holiness has not so sickly and squeamish a Conscience but he can dispense with a fair , large Gift from a foul , filthy hand : which contributes much to the Justification of the pretended Chastity of Rome , since she hath been so great a Gainer by Strumpets and Harlots , Stews and Brothels , a Tribute far worse and baser than that of Vespasian , ex lotio : therefore well might honest Mantuan say ,

I pudor in villas , tota est jam Roma Lupanar . At wanton Rome there is no room we know For Shame-fac'dness , to Hamlets let her go .

And Naso , once a Roman , to the shame of such Popes , could sing , Turpe Tori reditu census augere paternos .

What a miserable thing is it that St. Peter and St. Paul should be maintain'd by those who live by the Sweat of their Bodies . In the time of Paul the Third , he had upon his Roll or Register 45000 Courtisans ( nay , Naples the Voluptuous has 20000 registred in the Office of Savelli , allow'd of . ) This Word Courtisan came originally from the Court of Rome ( the modestest Synonomon of a Whore ) viz. from those Religiosa's or holy Dames who conversed with his Holiness both at Bed and Board .

Pope Gregory the Thirteenth was a Man of the same Constitution as the rest of that sanctified Tribe , and was subject to Failings as well as Persons of an inferiour degree ; witness his Bastard , James Buoncourpagno , a good Catholick no doubt , and according to the Proverb , he was very fortunate ; for his Holy Father in a double Sense , both Natural and Spiritual , gave him Ireland , and created him Marquess of Lemster , Earl of Wexford , &c. and sent one Thuan. Hist. l. 64. Stukely to reduce it to his Obedience .

Pope Paul the Third , encouraged by the Example of Alexander the Sixth , committed Incest with Constantia his own Daughter ; but finding that he could not enjoy her as formerly , being married to the Duke of Sforza , he poison'd her ; and then courted his Sister , and grew very fond ; but he soon dispatch'd her also the same way , because she was not so much delighted with his Embraces as with others .

Pope Martin the Fifth dispensed with one to marry his Anton. Sum. p. 3. tit. 1. &c. one of their own Writers . own Sister ; of whom it was a common Lampoon among the People , nay the very Sing-song of little Children in the Streets of Florence ,

Il Papa Martino . Non vale un quatrino . Martin the Pope Is not worth a Rope .

An Argument they stand not much in awe of him .

In Rome , the sacred Seat of his Holiness , the Courtizans are many , who are tolerated and publickly allow'd , for which they pay a smart and certain Annual Tribute ; and every common Whore is oblig'd to have her Name registred in the Vice-Gerents Office , an Officer belonging to the Vicario , the Pope's Vicar General ; so that they enjoy an absolute liberty to be licentious throughout the Year , except at the times called Vacanze , or Vacation-time , which happens to be about Christmas and Easter ; for then the Sbirri , or Bailiffs , may make a strict Search in all their Houses , and if they find any there , may commit them to Goal ; but by paying a Sum of Money , they send to the Office , and so prevent their being molested by such kind of Persons . Nay , in those infamous Houses those Harlots boldly and impudently commit their Crimes by the Pope's Approbation and Protection . When Alexander the Seventh sate in the Pontifical Chair , there was some discourse of suppressing these Brothel Houses , but it was but Talk ; yet it occasion'd this impious and horrid Pasquinata , Laudate Dominum Pueri . This Rome is that famous holy City , and the City of his Holiness , but the honest Carmelite Mantuan tells you a quite contrary Tale , when he saith ,

Vivere qui sancte cupitis , discedite Roma : Omnia cum liceant , non licet esse bonum . You that will live well must leave Rome , for there All things are lawful but what lawful are .

Or thus .

You that will pious be , shun Rome , for now All things but being good they do allow .

Pope Sixtus the 4th had his Strumpet Tiresia , built Stews at Rome , which yielded him an annual Income of 2000 Ducats , and gave a Dispensation to all the Family of the Cardinal of St. Lucie to commit a Sin not to be named among modest Hugonots , Vessel . Groving Tract . de Indulgent . citat . à Jac. Laur. during the three hot Months of June , July , and August . And this made Pasquin cry out ,

At Romae Puero non licet esse mihi . A Boy to Rome must never come .

This sin the Italians say is ( if in any ) excusable in them , because they live near his Holiness , who doth not only give Licence by permission , but a President by his own Example ; this is a common Adage among them .

We cannot I think bring up the rear of these Chaste ones with any other Person , fitter or more deserving , than Madam Gilberta , commonly called Pope Joan , a strapping Lass indeed . She was once a Maid of Mentz in Germany , sans doubt , and after Miss to a Monk of Fulda , with whom she ran away to Athens in Man's Apparel , and there did cohabit with him , till he unkindly forsook her , and went into the other World ; all which time that she did reside there with him , she personated the Man so lively , and wore the Breeches so well and handsomly , as some Viragoes will do , that she bid defiance to all Discovery of her so cunningly counterfeited Sex. Well , what then ? Why having lost her beloved Gallant she trips away to Rome , and had made so great a Progress in all the Liberal Arts and Sciences , that she was thought worthy , it seems , of a Cardinal's Cap , and at last of the Triple Crown , and for two years and a half behav'd her self very notably , and wanted no Qualification becoming the Papal Chair , but that of her Sex. Yet see how Murder will come out at last . Going in a solemn Procession to the Church of St. John of Lateran , between Colosses and St. Clements , she by the way , in the publick Street , was rid of her vicious Life and an infamous Burden both together ; ( a pretty teeming Prolifick Papess , this must needs be a Babe of Grace that her Holiness was delivered of , and she the Whore of Babylon in a double Sense ) and at the very place where this unlucky Accident hapned there was erected the Colonna infame , or infamous Pillar , ( as they ever after called it ) in memory of this Accident , to the end it might the better be transmitted to Posterity ; and out of a zealous Abhorrence of so black a Deed , her Successors baulk that way in their usual Processions , and steer another course to this very day . But this is not all ; to prevent such Female Gossips for the future from putting the like Tricks upon the Conclave of Cardinals , they prudently found out the Porphyry Chair , an infallible Invention to avoid such gross Mistakes , to the Prejudice of Infallibility , and the Shame and Scandal of the Roman Religion . Thus far Platina in his Life of that Papess , who was a great Friend to Popes , wrote the Lives of Popes down to his time , was Secretary to a Pope , and dedicated his Book to a Pope ; and indeed the Story were almost incredible had he not the Suffrage of fifty more of their own Authors to justifie his Writing upon this Subject , tho Card. Baronius leaves her out ; of whom we may truly say , as Scaliger did , Facit Annales non scribit , He makes Chronicles , but writes them not .

But here will arise possibly a Question , How comes it to pass that this Porphyry Chair is now laid aside ? That 's a poignant one , upon my Word : but the Catholicks may be satisfied , if they please , with the Answer of John Pontanus in an Epigram of his , translated by Mr. Stevens into French , which runs thus :

Nul ne pouvoit jouir des saintes Clefs de Rome , Sans monstrer q'uil avoit les marques de vray homme , D'ou vient donc a present ceste preuve est cessée Et qu'on n'a plus besoing de la Cháire persée ? Cest pource que ceux la qui ores les Clefs ont , Parles Enfans qu'ils font monstrent bience qu'ils sont . None had the Keys of Rome in times of yore , But such as shew'd true marks of Man before . How comes it then that this Proof's now laid by , And that the Porphyry stool is useless ? Why ? Because those now , who sit ●ith Papa●… Chair , By the base Brats they get show wha●… they are .

But I blush to think that I have offended the chaste ears of the Protestant Reader by harping so long upon such loose Notes , and made his Cheeks glow at the rehearsal of such immodest actions , therefore I 'll leave off this filthy discourse , and see if I can hit upon a more cleanly Argument , not troubling you with Mathilda , Gregory 7th's Miss , nor with Sergius the third's Morezia , nor a Donna Olympia , fresh in the memory of most men of this Age.

As for the Popes Humility , Poverty , Patience , Clemency and Blood-guiltiness , &c. take these few Examples for instance .

The Proud and Magisterial name of Universal Bishop , Rome was at first a mere Stranger to ; and Gregory the Great , a Learned , Good man , declar'd ir to be the name of Antichrist , a name of Blasphemy , and to admit it was to shipwrack the Faith. See here S. Greg. l. 4. Ep. 76. 83. Ep. 78. one Pope Proclaiming another Antichrist . But bold Boniface the third , his Successor , received the Title of Universal Bishop from Phocas , who murthered the Emperour Mauritius and all his Family , and usurped the Dominion of Constantinople .

The blessed Apostle St. James , called by the Antients the Bishop of the Apostles , Clem. Epist. 1. who was a Prince of the Blood Royal , and Cousin German to our Saviour , was President in the first Council ; though he gave his opinion last , yet he took upon him no Superiority above others , and within the bounds of such Christian modesty did the Holy Prelates of Christendom contain themselves , till the year 607.

The Venetians were Excommunicated by Pope Clement the fifth for attempting to besiege Ferrara , which is Tributary to the See of Rome , whereupon Francis Dandalo , afterwards Grand Dogue of Venice , went to France , where the Pope then had his Seat ; submissively to beg his Pardon for that imaginary Offence ▪ when he arriv'd there he spent much time 'ere he could be admitted , but at last he was brought into his presence with an Iron Chain or Dog's collar about his Neck , crawling on all four the Sabellicus in fine 9 Aeneid . l. 7. length of the great Hall , and afterwards lay among the Dogs under his Table , till his wrath was appeas'd ; and then he obtain'd a Pardon , for which Act he was ever after called Dog by his own Countrymen . Surely he very undeservedly had the Name of Clement , who could be so inhumane and haughty to an ancient Person , and treat him so currishly , that prostrated himself at his Feet with so much slavish submission .

This Pope walking through the City Bogenci upon the River Loire in great State , had for his Attendants or Servitors , the Kings of England and France , one upon his right , the other on his left hand , and one leading his Horse by the Bridle .

Alexander the Third , after he obtain'd the Popedom , had many dangerous Conflicts with the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa , and was so often worsted by him , that he was forced to fly to Venice , and there live for some time incognito , in the habit of a Cook ( a prety greazy Disguise for a Pope ; see what necessity will do ; who would have thought so proud a Bishop should stoop to so base a Condescention ) but at last he was known , and honourably embraced by the Venetians ; and this coming to the Emperours Ear , he was highly offended at them for entertaining his Enemy , insomuch that he sent his Son with a powerful Army , and great Navy , to take the Pope by force and violence ; but the young Prince had the ill fate in that Engagement to be taken Prisoner by the Venetians , nor could his freedom be possibly procur'd , unless Frederick would come in his own Person to Venice , and endeavour to be reconcil'd to the Pope ; which the Emperour , for his Son's sake , condescended to ; went to Venice , and procur'd it upon these unreasonable and Unchristian conditions . That he should restore the City of Rome , and all the Royalties thereof , and undergo such further Penance as the Pope should injoyn . This being submitted to , the Emperour came to the Door of St. Mark's Church , the People being Spectators , where the proud Pope commanded him very imperiously to ly prostrate on the Ground , and to ask his Pardon and Forgiveness ; and then he gently treading upon his Neck , prophanely wrested the 13 verse of the 91 Psalm , to his own purpose , saying ; Thou shalt walk upon the Asp●… and Basilisk , and shalt tread upon the Lion and Dragon ; And when the Emperour said unto him Non tibi sed Petro cujus Successor es , pareo ; the Pope replied , Et mihi & Petro , proudly placing himself before the blessed Apostle , whose immediate Successor he falsly pretends to be . See the unexampled humility of this Servus Servorum Dei.

Platina , in the Life of Gregory the Seventh , tells you , that the Emperou●… Henry the Fourth of France , commonly stiled the Great , was Excommunicated by the Pope , and that for a Trifle too . The Emperour being inform'd of this his rigorous proceedings , came to Canosse ( where his Holiness was then dallying with his wanton Mathilda ) and divesting himself of his Imperial Robes ( fine work indeed that the Scepter must bow to the Crosier ) went bare-foot and bare-head , in the depth of a hard Winter , to the City Gates , and there humbly crav'd Admittance ; but his Entry was denied , and he , like an obedient Son of that See , bore it with unimaginable and uncommon Patience , remaining three dayes complete in the Suburbs fasting , continually beging Absolution , which at length by the earnest Intercession , and repeated Request of Mathilda , the Popes Minion , or St. Peters Daughter as they call'd her , the Earl of Savoy , and the Abbot of Cluniac , was obtain'd . A brave Jaunt indeed for a Puissant Potentate , at such an Unseasonable time of the Year , and very kind usage he receiv'd for his pains , but this must be done or he is undone , and forfeits all his Regalia , for disobliging a proud , peevish Pope . Where is there ever a Gueux of you all that has so much courage to maintain your Protestant Privileges and Episcopal Dignity ? But one Swallow makes no Summer ; all Frenchmen are not so soft Spirited .

Well fare Philip the Fourth , surnamed Philip Le Bel , who in the year 1320 had to do with a Monster of a Man , Boniface the eighth , when France shook off the Supremacy of the Pope in Temporalibus ▪

This Prelate wrote to the King i●… these and such like arrogant Terms ▪ We will that thou know ▪ thou art our Subject i●… Annales Nie : Giles . Spirituals , as well as Temporals . T●… which the King return'●… this Princely answer , Q●… Sciat fatuitas vestra , &c. ta tresgrande sottise scach●… &c. Let your Sottishness and gre●… Temerity know , that in Temporals w●… have none but God for Superior & 〈…〉 And not being satisfied with this , h●… commanded a Lord of Languedoc , a●… Albigeois , of the House of Nogaret , t●… Seize on the Pope , which he did , and withal gave him such a Blow on the Ear with a Gantlet that fell'd him , for saying his Father was Burnt for an Heretick , and afterwards cast him into Prison , where he died of a Phrenzie , gnawing his own hands out of Rage and Fury , and left this worthy Elogium or Epitaph behind him . Intravit ut Vulpes , regnavit ut Leo , mortuus est ut Canis . He entred the Papacy like a Jo. Andr. & Bald. c. 1. defend . gl . ad 6. Decretal . Fox , reigned like a Lion , and died like a Dog. T was valiantly done of the Stout Monsieur to knock down four at a Blow , the Campanian , the Cardinal , Boniface the Eighth and the Pope ; This Pope was so shameless as to boast ( having denied three times to confer the Title of Emperour of Germany upon the Duke of Austria ) that he himself was Lord and Emperour of the whole World. Nor did Lewis the Twelfth stand in awe of the Pope , whose Motto was , Perdam Babylonis nomen , I will destroy the name of Babylon . But this usurped power of the See of Rome is but Novel , and Modern , for instead of their deposing Kings , they deposed Popes ; nay Constantius the Son of Constantine the Great , deposed Pope Liberius ; the Emperour Otho Pope John the Twelfth , Henry the Third , Bennet the Ninth , Sylvester the Third and Gregory the Sixth , and Sigismund deposed as Platina in vit. Greg. 6. Abbas Vesp . anno 1406. many more at one time . The French Kings have not only outed but created many Popes formerly . Philip the Fair displac'd Boniface the Eighth , who translated the See to Avignon , where it continued 74 years , and by the King's appointment Six Popes succeeded one another in that place . And this right of dethroning Popes is treated of by a Chancllor of the Academy at Paris , Gerson by name , one of the most learned Sorbonists , in his Treatise de Auferibilitate Papae . So that you see they were farr from being Lords in Spiritual and Temporal things originally , what ever they pretend to the contrary : and the saying of Pope Nicholas in his Eighth Epistle makes it out , that they which are both Kings and Priests under the Gospel , are Members of the Devil . Thus one Pope contradicts another ; yet all infallible . Nay two Popes more Pelagius and Gregory , look'd upon the Title of Universal Bishop as nomen Blasphemiae .

But the gravest Sages and greatest Doctors of them all must needs confess , that the Largest and Fattest of the Popes Possessions , are but the Largesse of Kings , and therfore they have little reason to carry themselves so Loftily and Exalt themselves above all , which intollerable Insolence makes them guilty of the Blackest of Crimes , Ingratitude , if they are unthankful to their first Promoters ; for Phocas an adulterous Assassine the Murtherer of his Master Mauritius the Emperour , gave them their Name , and Pepin An. Dom. 607. An. mundi 4559. their Revenues . But their carriage , now adays is quite contrary to the Discipline of the Apostles , and humble and Submissive Deportment of St. Gregory , who writing to the Emperour Mauritius begins in this lowly Stile , I the unworthy Servant of Li. 2. Epist. 61. in dict. 11. your Piety &c.

Nor was Henry the Fifth terrified by Pope Paschal the Second , who wrought upon his own Son to rebell against his Father , ( but what may not Infallibility countenance and approve ) insomuch that he surprised his Father with great Forces , divested him of his Regalia , together with the Empire ; insomuch that the Aged Potentate died with Grief : and this Paschal was so inhumane as to deny him Inhumation , not permitting him to have Christian Burial for five Years after his Death . But Henry the Fifth , the new Emperour , went immediately after this into Italy to the Pope , who expected to be gratified for his pious assisting the Son to murder the Father , and therefore demanded the Right of Investiture ; which so incensed the Emperour , that he took him by the Shoulders , and boldly shook his Holiness into a panick Fear ; nor was that all , for he was committed close Prisoner , never to enjoy his Freedom unless he renounced his unlawful Claim to Investitures and Collations of Benefices . I could instance in many more ; but let these satisfie the Reader , that Princes heretofore did under-value the Pope and his Excommunications , or else the very Citizens of Rome would never have presum'd to expell Pope Gregory the Ninth that City ; for indeed they never took any great notice of the Pope's Excommunication . But now to our intended Discourse .

Boniface the First began first of all to assume the Dominion of the African Churches ; but he was soon curb'd in his Career by the sixth African Council , where the great Pillar of the St. Austin . Western Church was present .

Nay , Charles the Fifth , being shrewdly menaced by Paul the Third , if he would not surrender Placentia to him after the Death of Peter Lewis ; gave his Holiness to understand , by an Ambassador , that if he would needs be thund'ring with his Excommunications , he would both thunder and lighten with his Artillery in Answer to him .

Do but observe the Humility of this Man of God at his Election to the Papacy . A Fortnights time is appointed for Preparations , in order to the carrying of him with great Pomp and Magnificence , being seated in a Chair of State , is borne on Mens Shoulders to St. Peter's Church to possess himself of the Popedom ; and if an Emperour happen to be at the Solemnity , it is the greatest Honour he is capable of , to be one of the Bearers of that sanctified Burthen or Lump of Holiness : and a Fortnight after , or thereabout , he rides in a Cavalcata to the Church of St. John of Lateran to the same Intent and Purpose .

Platina tells you in the Life of Clement the Fifth , that Philip King of France , Charles , the Monsieur , his Brother , and John Duke of Britain , with many other Persons of the highest Quality , were present at his Inauguration , who lost their Lives , many of them being overwhelmed with the fall of a Wall , and buried in the Ruins ; King Philip being lamed , and his Holiness himself with an unlucky lucky Blow , was dismounted from his Bucephalus , and lost a Rubie out of his Miter that cost 6000 Ducats , ( how many poor Protestants are worth less that deserve much more ) which I do not find by the Relator that it was ever heard of afterwards . Now I leave it to the nice Casuists of their Church , to decide , whether this was not a piece of grand Sacriledge in the Finder , to imbezel such Goods as were consecrated to sacred Uses , and convert them to his own .

Frederick the Emperour waited upon Pope Adrian the Fourth , and like an Imperial Groom , quietly held the Stirrop whilst he came off of his Horse ; and by all good Signs and Tokens he received a proud taunting Check for his Humility , in holding the left instead of the right Stirtop ; which moved him so much , that he said , I was never brought up to this Trade , and thou art the first upon whom I ever attended so servilely ; but for all this he was compell'd , the day following , to hold the right . O brave Country-man ! thou did'st like a bold Britain , a true Nicholas Break-spear ( for that was his Name before his Papification ) that makes no distinction of Persons ; and if an Emperour be his Groom he 'll make him know his Duty ; and Reason good too , if such Potentates will submit to such Servility merely to gratifie the ambitious Humour of a proud Prelate .

When Celestine the Third was to Crown Hen. 6th , and his Empress Constance , he did it not with his hands but feet ; setting it on , and proudly spurning it off again , with these words in his mouth , Per me Reges regnant . It is in my sole Power to make and unmake Kings and Emperours .

The State of Rome extends three hundred miles in length , and two hundred in breadth ; and the Pope is able upon occasion to put 50000 men in the Field well equip'd , besides his Naval strength in Gallies , which is very great : Nor is he destitute of Money , for as Sixtus Quartus usually said , So long as the Pope can finger a Pen , he can want no Pence . Besides , the sale of Offices is very gainful ; and some reckon that a Pope hath 6000 l. a day , besides casual Incomes , which are as advantageous as numerous . The Legate à Latere , when he goes abroad upon publick Affairs , hath the allowance of twenty five pound Sterling per diem .

Gregory the fifteenth , who sate in the Chair but two years wanting a Month , left his Family 250000 Crowns per Ann. i. e. 62500 l.

Alexander the 6th scrap'd up such vast Sums of Money by the sale of Indulgences , that his Son Caesar Borgia lost one night at Dice 100000. Crowns , saying , Germanorum tantum haec peccata sunt .

Sixtus the 5th , of a poor Family , Peretti by name , tho he was Pope but a lustre of years , erected the Palace di San Giovanno Laterano , fortified Civita Vecchia , began to build Monte Cavallo , founded many Colleges , and did as many sumptuous and chargeable Works as stood him in fifteen millions of Crowns , that is , four millions of English pounds Sterling , and yet left five millions of Crowns behind him at his decease .

Gregory the 15th , who reigned but two years wanting a Month , yet made a poor shift to leave his Family 250000 Crowns a year . If St. Peter had been so wealthy , he would not have followed his poor Trade , assure your self ; indeed his Successors you see have sailed in his Ship for Traffick with such fortune and success , that they cannot say as he did , without manifest falshood , Silver and Gold have I none ; for they have scarce any thing else .

Paul the 5th left 1000 Crowns a day to his Nephew , the Prince of Salmona , besides what he bestowed on other Relations .

So much of the Pope's Humility and Lowliness ; now for a touch at his Clemency , Pity , and Mercy .

And here we must make bold with the Papalines , and beg their pardon , if we prove and reprove the horrid Actions of some Silvesters , Johns , Bonifaces , Julii , Gregories , Sexti and Alexanders , who have either kindled a fire in the very Bowels of Christendom , or made her swim in innocent blood .

Pope Hildebrand , Bellarmine's Saint , poisoned seven or eight Popes to make way for his obtaining the Papal Chair , and when he enjoy'd it , committed all Barbarisms imaginable , and did hang up men at pleasure , with a stat pro ratione Voluntas ; My Will is my Law.

In the Life of Honorius the third , it is reported , Anno 1223. that one — Bishop of Cathness in Scotland , was burnt in his Kitchin by the People of his own Diocese , because he excommunicated some of them for Non-payment of Tythes ; which Story reaching the Pope's ear , did so distract and discompose his Holiness , that he could not be at rest till he had hang'd four hundred of them , and castrated all their Children , and all this insufferable Cruelty upon Innocents too , to revenge the Death of one single Person .

Pope Vrban the Fourth instead of Vrbanus was called Turbanus , because he was so great a Boutefeu , that he set all Christendom in a Combustion .

Pope Vrban the Sixth did , out of a revengeful Spirit , cause five Cardinals to be cast into the River and drown'd .

It was the usual and pitiful Expression of Sixtus Quintus , or Sise Cinque , occasion'd by the Death of a Noble , renowned Princess ; Che gusto di tagliar teste corronate ! Oh what a Pleasure is it to take off crowned Heads ! Well said , Reverend Head of the Church ! We will take thy bare Word for cutting of Throats without Security ; 't is honestly done to speak plainly without mental Reservation ; for to mince the matter were a piece of Cowardize not to be brook'd in the triumphant Chieftain of the Church Militant .

Clement the Seventh was convicted of notorious Crimes ; among the rest , to shew his insatiable Thirst after Blood , he sewed five Cardinals in Sacks ( not the five Cardinal Vertues I 'll warrant you ) and threw them into the Sea ; beheaded three more , and after burn'd their Bodies to Ashes , which he urn'd up in Chests , and placed Cardinals Hats upon them , carrying them about with him where ever he went , to give all People to understand what Reliques were contained in them . And if he were so kind to those of his own Religion , what mercy could others expect from him that were of a contrary Perswasion ?

Sergius , who stood Candidate for the Pontificate with Formosus , prevail'd so far as to obtain it ; and when he afterwards came to be Bishop of that See , in revenge of his former repulse , compell'd the Romans , by his threats and menaces , to make the Ordination of Formosus null and void ; and made him be taken out of his Grave , ( an Act not to be thought on without horror ) after he had layn there a considerable time , and then rob'd him with the Papal Vesture , plac'd him in St. Peters Chair , commanding him to be beheaded , and to have three of his Fingers cut off , and so disgracefully and barbarously cast him into the River Tyber , and withal degraded all Persons that were ordain'd by him .

During the time of the Popes Innocent the third , Honorius , Celistine , Innocent the fourth , and Gregory the ninth , against Frederick the second , there was a most horrid Slaughter made by them , that lasted for thirty three Years . And then it was that Mahomet , the Imposter , and inveterate Enemy of Christianity , advanced himself in the East ; whom the Emperour intended to repulse ; but that the good Pope in that juncture of time made War against him in Italy , which hast'ned his return , and made him leave Greece to be harass'd by the Turk ; nor would the Pope admit of a Reconciliation , till 11000 Marks of Gold procur'd it . And with the same zeal Pope Innocent , and his Successors acted all along , who kept Zemin Ottoman , Bajazet the second 's Brother , in custody , for which he receiv'd annually 40000 Ducats . Nay , when King Charles the eighth would have made an advantage of the Prisoners in his War against this mortal Foe of Christendom , Alexander the sixth advertis'd the Turk of his intended Designs ( like a good Pope ) and took such care to prevent him , that Zemin was poisoned ; ( an Action which a Mufti would scorn to do unto a Christian ) for which goodly and godly Work , he was rewarded with 200000 Crowns , which were paid him by George of Antia , the Messenger of that wholsome advice . By these foregoing Works we may guess at the Bloody temper of these Sanguinary Popes ; and the best and truest Character we can bestow on them is that shameful by-word of young Tiberius , that the Pope is Lutum sanguine maceratum , a mere Lump of Clay kneaded together with Blood.

John the thirteenth was addicted to all manner of vices , as Perjury , Sacriledge , and Cruelty , &c. He dismemb'red several Cardinals , because they inclined to Otho the Great , Emperour , by Exoculating them , cutting off their Hands , and Castrating of them . He made Deacons in his Stable , among his Horses , like a Brute as he was ; created young Boys grave Bishops , for Money , out of a lucrative and sordidly covetous Humour ; whose Gehazisme and Simony , with some other Com-Popes of the Holy See , was the occasion of that known Distich ;

An Petrus fuerat Romae sub Judice lis est , Simonem Romae nemo fuisse negat . Whether St. Peter 'ere to Rome did go Is question'd , that Simon was there , all know .

He put out the eyes of his Ghostly Father Benedict , and committed many other matchless Cruelties .

Boniface the seventh was so wicked , that Baronius himself , that Grand Pillar of the Papal Cause , saith , he deserv'd the name of Thief and Murderer of his Countrey rather than of a Pope .

Hildebrand sainted Liberius the Arrian , exercised all sorts of Cruelty , cut off the Foot of a Widows Son , but at last , for the Impieties which he was guilty of , ( many of which are premention'd ) he was depos'd in a Senate at Brixia ; and as he lived wretchedly , so he died miserably in Exile , and left the Keys to Victor the third , an Italian , thrust in by Matilda , who was soon poyson'd by his Subdeacon in the Chalice ; so that you may see Christ's pretious Blood is no Antidote nor Preservative in these Cases .

But this is only Slaughter by retail , take a view of their Massacres by whole-sail .

As to the Cruelties of Merindol and Cabriere , they were so barbarous and inhumane , that when the Advocate Aubery , and other Civilians , related them in the High Court of Parliament at Paris , the Auditory stopt their Ears at the hideousness , and horror of them : take this single Example for instance among many others .

John Menier , Lord of Oppede , Chief President of the Parliament of Provence , and the French King's Lieutenant General ; who , tho he made choice of the worst Blood-hounds of the Army , could not meet with Soldiers cruel enough to execute his bloody Edicts , commanding them to rip up the Bowels of big-bellied Women , and to trample their innocent Babes under foot ; and this was done before his Face to his delight , who was then Spectaror and Author of this Inhumanity . This was a piece of cruelty beyond that of Pharaoh to the male Children of the Hebrew Women in the old , or the other of Herod to the Innocents of Bethlehem in the new Testament , and yet promoted and approv'd of by the Holy Man of Rome .

The Parisian Massacre was so detestable and unparallel'd a Cruelty , according to Thuanus , that some curious Persons perusing the Annals Thuan. Hist. l. 52. & 53. of other Nations , could not meet with the like in all Antiquity . The manner of this hellish and bloody Persecution , was as you find it in this ensuing Relation . Catharina di Medici , the Daughter of Pope Clement's Brother , and Mother to Charles the ninth , did Govern the Kingdom of France during the King's Minority , through the supine negligence of Anthony King of Navarre , with whom the said Queen's Mother was joyned in the office of Protectorship , contrary to the Salique Law , which denies the Inheritance , or Administration of the Realm to the Spindle . And she persuaded her Son to this Massacre . It was very speciously carryed on , and veil'd with pretences of the greatest Amity imaginable , and that was a Match between the Houses of Valois and Bourbon , the King resolving to bestow his Sister Margaret in marriage to Prince Henry , Son to Joan , Queen of Navarre , the former being a Romanist , the latter of the Religion . But before the Nuptials were Celebrated , the Queen of Navarre ( being then at the Court of Paris , providing all things necessary for the wedding-Solemnity ) was poison'd by Renat , an Italian , the King's Apothecary , with the venomous scent of a pair of persum'd Gloves ; by whose unnatural death , the Kingdom descended to the said Henry , precontracted to the King's Sister . Shortly after the Marriage was solemniz'd with Royal Pomp and State in the chief Church at Paris , to the great joy of his Majesty and all good Men ; to this wedding the Grandees of the Protestant party were courteously invited , viz. Henry Prince of Conde , Gasper de Coligni Admiral of France , and Cousin to the King , Francis de Andelot , the Admiral 's Brother , Captain of the Infantry , and other Princes and Nobles . And the Magnificence , Jollity , and Caresses of Entertainment were so great as are not to be expressed . Nothing is seen but Banquets , Balls , Masques , Stage-Plays , and such kind of Divertisments , all personated in the Night . And this was the reason the Admiral had a desire to quit Paris , because he could not have accesse to the King , who was altogether taken up and delighted with these nocturnal Revels . But those of the reformed Religion hearing of his purpose to depart , with all speed delivered their Petitions to him for redress of Grievances , begging of him not to quit the place till he had presented them to the King , which he did on the 22th of August 1572 , being the fifth day after the Marriage . Returning home about noon , a Harquebuzier shot the Admiral with a brace of Bullets through both the Armes , out of the Window of a near adjoyning House ; but the Villain made his escape , before they could reach the House . The King was then at Tennis with the Duke , when one of the Admiral 's Gentlemen acquainted him with the news ; which he no sooner heard , but he , with a seemingly violent Transport of Passion , threw away his Racket , and retir'd to his Castle : as young as he was he made good use of the Motto of Lewis the 11th his Predecessor , Qui nescit dissimulare , nescit regnare . The King swears most desperately , severely to revenge this injury ; grants the Admiral a Guard at his request , but such a one as would be sure to ruine rather than secure him : and Cossin , Captain of the Guards , was the Man that commanded them ; a most Inveterate and Irreconcileable Enemy to the Admiral and his Party , and a fast friend to the Guisians . The Admiral hear's a noise and ratling of Armour , tho altogether undisturb'd , having the King 's Royal word for his security ; Besides , he reflected on the Oath for Peace publiquely and frequently sworn by the King , his Brethren and Mother , the League with Queen Elizabeth , the Articles with the Prince of Aurange to that purpose ; the King's faith ingaged to the German Princes ; some Towns taken in the low Countries by the King's order ; his Sisters marriage celebrated but six days before ( yet her Bridal Robes were stain'd and defil'd with innocent Blood ) the judgment of foreign Princes , succeeding Posterity ; the honour and Faith of a Prince , and the violation of the Law of Nations ; all these , one would think , might easily oblige a Man to beleive that it was incredible he could ever assent to so outragious and monstrous a Fact.

Well , notwithstanding all those Protestations , Promises , Oaths , and Vows , the Queen-Mother and the King had resolv'd upon a general Massacre throughout the City of Paris , and this bloody Butchery was to be executed on the 24th of August being Sunday ( no matter for that , the better day the better deed ) and accordingly it was perform'd : for Cossin first brake in , which the Admiral understanding , caus'd those few Servants that were with him to lift him out of his Bed , for he could not rise without help , being so disabled by his Wounds , and put on a Night-gown , desiring them to make their escape , he himself resolving to dy with an undaunted Courage and Christian-like Resolution .

These Assassines soon gain'd the Admiral 's Chamber , broke open the doors , and Benvese , a German Miscreant , educated in the House of the Duke of Guise , with Cossin the Gascoign , and others , rush'd in with Swords , Targets , and Coats of Male. Benvese presenting his Sword to the Admiral , after he had first blasphem'd God , ran him in the breast , and then cowardly struck the aged Gentleman on the Head ; Attin Shot him with a Pistol , and Benvese gave him the third Wound on the Thigh , and so he fell down Dead upon the Spot . The Duke of Guise that staid in the Court call'd to him and bid him throw him out at the window , which he accordingly did . Then he commanded the sign to be given by ringing the Tocksein , or great Bell of the Palace , ( which is never done but on extraordinary occasions : ) the mark whereby the Murderers were distinguished was by a general consent to be a white linnen Cloth tied about their Arm , and a white Cross on their Caps . Then an Italian Souldier of Captain Lewis Gonzagua's , Duke of Nivers , cut off the Admiral 's Head , and sent it to Rome , preserv'd with Spices , to the Pope and Cardinal of Lorrain ; others cut off his Hands , and some , void of all modesty , his Privities . Then the rude Rabble , for three days together drew the dead Body , thus mangled and weltering in Gore , thorow the Streets , and afterwards out of the Town , to the common Gallows , and there hang'd it up by the Feet . In the interim the rest brake into the other Chambers of the House , and slaught'red all they met with ; among others , there were two young Pages of honour , of noble Birth , Count Rochfoucaut , and young Theligius , who was Guilty of no other crime , but being the Admiral 's Son in Law. So they ran about from morning till night , ransacking 400 Houses , sparing neither Age , nor Sex , and threw the Bodies out of the windows , so that the Streets were strewed with murd'red Carcasses , and ran down with Blood.

The next day the Butchery was renewed , those disperate Villains stripping the dead Bodies of their Garments , and throwing them into the River of Sein . Nor was their Blood-thirstiness yet quenched , for Messengers were sent Post to all Cities , commanding them to imitate Paris , and to kill all of the Religion . Many Women with Child , Ladies and Gentlewomen , Advocates , Physicians , and other eminent Men of Learning and Piety ; among the rest Peter Ramus , and several Students , were assassinated , without Plea , Sentence or Condemnation . I must not omit one passage that deserves a marginal Asterism in blood , that is of Ma'sson de Rivers , a Pastor , and the first that laid the foundation of the Protestant Church at Paris . Mansorel , a mortal Enemy of the Religion , as soon as the Slaughter was began in Paris , was sent Post to Angiers to prevent the News of Massacre by others : as soon as he arriv'd there , he was conducted to Masson's House ; in the very Entry he meets with his Wife and there saluted her very ceremoniously ( a right Judas kiss , for he came to betray her Master ) he demanded where her Husband was , she replied in the Garden , and being brought to him they mutually and lovingly ( as to outward appearance ) embraced each other , Mansorel told him in plain terms , like a bloody Butcher , I am come hither by the King's command to kill you , as you may perceive by these Letters , producing his Dague ready charged . Masson answer'd , I have committed no Crime ; however , I beg the favour of a little time to call upon God and recommend my self to his merciful hands . Which short Oraison being soon concluded , he with a meek Christian temper receiv'd his Death-Wound , being Shot through the Body ; but to return to Paris . We left the Admiral 's Body hang'd up ; the Parisians went thither in great Multitudes , and the Queen Mother carried the King along with them and her other two Sons to glut their eyes with that barbarous Spectacle ; but the next night the Body was conveyed away , and interr'd , as 't is conjectur'd . Their cruelty not being yet satiated , they bring some to publique Tryal , to efface the blot of dishonour that might justly reflect upon the King ; and there was a parcel of Judges call'd out for that very purpose , who made an Order that a man of Hay ( since the Admiral 's Body could not be found ) should be made , and be dragg'd by the Boureau through the Streets , in Effigie , which was accordingly done , his Arms and Ensigns of Honour broken , his Memory blasted , his Castles and Farms razed to the ground , his Issue declar'd Ignoble , Infamous , and Intestate , and all the Trees in his Woods to be cut down , to the height of six Foot.

Thus in all Towns great Murthers were committed , but none more horrid or devillish than the Massacre at Lions , Mandolet being Governour . As soon as he received the Letters , he , by a Trumpet and Cryer , summoned those of the Religion to appear before him , which they readily did . Then he committed them to several Prisons , and desir'd the common Executioner to call some to his assistance , and to murther them in Prison , but he refus'd it , saying , he executed the Law on none but such as were publickly condemned , ( a goodly Governour indeed , more cruel than the common Hangman ! ) Upon this denial , he commanded the Garrison Souldiers of the Castle to take upon them that worthy action , and they refus'd it likewise , upon a punctilio of Honour , that they did not use to fight with naked men ; but the Butchers and Water-men at last ( verifying the old Saying , that they are pessimum genus hominum ) were the wretched Actors of his Bloody Design , committing unheard of Cruelties , and sporting with them in the midst of their misery . Insomuch that the Blood which came out of the Goal , call'd the Arch-bishop's Prison , was seen in the day-time , to the horrour of the standers by , to flow reaking hot in the Channels of the Streets , and so into the River of Seine . Thus for the space of thirty days complete , there was no intermission of Murther and Slaughter all over France , so that there were about 100000 Persons slain . The * * Guignard , in his Oration , said , It was a great mistake that they did not cut the Basilisk Vein . Bridegroom and the Prince of Conde , who were secur'd , and turn'd Papists to escape their fury , yet could not avoid it ; for the one was poison'd , and the other stab'd by the Papists . But now to the purpose . His Holiness surely could not but detest and abhorr such barbarous Inhumanity ; yet since this was done upon the account of Religion , and he is held to be the only competent Judge of it ; let us give ear to his Opinion , which we find recorded in Thuanus , a Papist , and an Authentick Historiographer , Hist. l. 53. The Pope's Legate at Paris gave him an exact Relation of this Massacre , which he received with great Joy and Satisfaction ; read the Letter openly in the Consistory of Cardinals , and fell to consultation about the matter ; where it was concluded and decreed , nemine contradicente , that they should go to St. Mark's Church , and return solemn thanks to God for so great a blessing bestowed on the Roman Church , and the whole Christian World : and this being performed , that a Jubilee should be forthwith published throughout all Christendom , to give thanks to the Almighty for destroying the Enemies of the Church , &c. The Guns were fir'd at the Castle of St. Angelo , Bonfires made , and all demonstrations of Joy manifested for this great Victory . Within a short time after , there was a Procession to St. Lewis , made by his Holiness , under a Canopy , his Train being born up by the Emperour's Ambassadour , with many of the Clergy and Nobility : and an Inscription was set over the Church door ; whereby the Cardinal of Lorrain in the name of the French King congratulated his Holiness and the Cardinals , &c. for the plainly stupendous effects , and altogether incredible events of the Counsels they gave him , of the Assistance they sent him , and of their twelve years desires and Prayers . Not long after the Pope sent Cardinal Vrsin to Congratulate the French King in his name ; who in his journey highly extoll'd the zeal of those who had a hand in the Massacre , and very prodigally distributed the Pope's blessings among them ; and at Paris he used these words ; The remembrance of the late Action , to be magnified in all Ages , as conducing to the glory of God , and the dignity of the holy Church of Rome , &c. What could a Dionysius , or a Phalaris have said more to purpose ? 'T was nobly spoken , like a Man of God in Armour , one that intended to make more use of St. Paul's Sword than St. Peter's Keys to do the work of the Lord more effectually .

Pope Sixtus the fifth , because he suspected Henry the fourth of France to be an Heritick , moved Thu. Hist. l. 91. the Guisians ( whom he stiled the Maccabees of the Church of Rome ) to enter into an holy League against their Lawful Sovereign ; calling in Spain and Savoy to their Assistance , which Succors they paid off with the Rights of the Crown : and did all that in them lay to rob him , both of his Kingdom and Life ; which forced this King to treat them as they had the Hugonots ; and for standing thus manfully upon his own Legs , in his own defence , he is shamefully abused by one of the Romanists , a Man of a common and shameless Brow , to bespatter a Puissant Monarch with such base and scurrilous Language : for he doth not blush to affirm , that he was 1000 times worse than Mahomet ; nay , he goes farther , saying , that no Nation ever suffered such a Tyrant from the Creation to his time . Kos . saeus p. 17. However , the Pope Excommunicates the King , grants an Indulgence of nine Years , to any Subject that would fight against him , as the wages of his Rebellion ; and did prognosticate ( which he might easily doe without Necromancy , an Art that many of them have been very expert in ) that it would not be long 'ere he came to a violent Death . The Subjects take up Arms against their King , and earn the Indulgence ; and a Friar with his Knife verefies the Prediction : and the exultation and joy that was at Rome for this Assassination , can hardly be believ'd , were it not warranted by the Popes Harangue to his Cardinals , printed at Paris 1589 , wherein he saith , this work of God ( the King's murther ) is to be compar'd with the Incarnation and Resurrection of Christ for it's Stupendiousness ; and prefers the Friar's courage and fervent zeal to God , before that of Elezar and Judith , averring , that the King died in the Sin against the Holy Ghost , tho a profest Papist . Thus a Popish King is stab'd , and condemn'd to Hell for sparing the Blood of Hugonots .

I will not trouble you with the story of the Spanish Invasion in eighty eight , in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth ; nor the Gun-powder Plot in the timeof King James , tho the former was plotted , countenanced , and abetted by Pope and the latter had it's rise from the Breves of Pope Clement the eighth ; ( for where shall you hear of any monstrous Design that his Holiness hath not a Hand in ? ) These wicked Practices are so modern , and well known , that , I presume , the Reader wants not a Remembrancer to put him in mind of them , but my Pen is almost choakt up with Blood and Gore ; therefore I will conclude these Tragedies with this Epilogue , made ready to my hand , on the deplored death of the Lady Jane Gray .

Nescio tu quibus es Lector lecturus ocellis , Hoc scio quod siccis scribere non potui . I know not , Reader , how you can forbear , I 'me sure I could not write without a Tear.

The next thing that falls under our consideration is , the Popes Heavenly-mindedness , Knowledge , Learning , Sobriety , Infalibility , and some other particulars .

As to the first , to shew how heavenly they are inclin'd ; Baronius and Genebrard , both mortal Enemies to Protestants , and great Promoters of the Popish Interest and Religion , cannot but confess ingeniously , without any provocation thereunto , that from the Year 870 , to the Year 1050 , none sate in the Papal Chair , but such as were Necromancers , Magicians , Adulterers , Murtherers and Impious Persons .

Hildebrand was a notorious Necromancer , raised Devils familiarly , shook sparks of Fire out of his sleeve by Magick Art , being elected by Soldiers , contrary to the Canons of the Church , and when he obtain'd the Papacy , play'd the Devil for Gods sake , expell'd Cardinals at his pleasure , and supported himself by his Sorcery and Witchcraft .

John thirteenth , Monstrum Papae , a monster of a Pope , he , besides other filthy and enormous crimes which he commited , call'd for the Devil to assist him at Dice , and after drank a Health to him , and , like a Devil incarnate , would ramble about and break Windows , fire Houses in the night , and run away by the light of them .

Pope Sylvester the second , was a Necromancer , and gave his Soul to the Devil , by compact made with him , provided he might obtain the Popedom . This is strange , tho true , to part with that for mony , that cannot be purchas'd with mony ; sure he had but a very bad Bargain on 't .

Alexander the sixth , was guilty of Witchcraft as well as Incest , and a concatenation of other Crimes .

Paul the third was a Magician , as well as John the 8th , 12th , 13th , 14th , 15th , 16th , 17th , as if the name , whose Etymology implies Gracious , could be so impure and satanical ; and you will find , if you consult their own Authors , Idolatry in a Marcelline , Arrianisme in a Liberius , Diabolical Applications Platina in vita Marcelli . and Inhumations in a wicked Celestine , and such barbarous Cruelties , that Paganism it self , is comparitively merciful , and Mahometism morally vertuous .

Their Learning and Knowledge in the Arts and Sciences will appear in a Pope Paul the second , who was brought up a Merchant's Factor , and was so great a hater of Learning and the Learned , that he pronounced them Hereticks , who durst so much as name the word Academy , either in jest or earnest : Platina in vit. Paul. 2. Nay farther , my Author saith , Hunc ob rem Romanos ad hortabatur , ne filios diutius in studiis literarum paterentur ; satis esse si legere & scribere potuissent ; therefore he advis'd the Romans not to suffer their Children to go to School any longer , than till they had learnt to write and read .

Calixtus the third , an old decrepit foolish Spaniard , of whom Cardinal Pontanus de magni , c. 12. of his Election , Quam fatue , fatui , fatuum creavere Calixtum . How foolishly did the fools elect thee , foolish Calixtus , to the Papacy ?

The poor Bishop Virgilius , a German Mathematician , was cited to Rome for an Heretick , because he asserted the Antipodes , and there ( as one hath it ) by the fiery zeal of Pope Zachary , was committed to the Flames , to shew how infallible the Roman Oracle is in condemning that which all do maintain ; and himself maintain'd the Antipodes in his life , his footsteps being opposite to those of his meek and pious Ancestors .

Some Popes have been mere ignorant Lay-men at their Election .

Boniface the ninth , a Neopolitan , was so illiterate , that he could neither write , sing , nor say , ( a fit Person to be Universal Pastor , and to instruct the ignorant ) nor understand matters discuss'd before him ; yet a notable Huckster for selling Livings , who expos'd all to sale ; no Dolt could be long unpreferr'd if he came open-handed , and could purchase with money .

One of the Benedicts was a Boy of ten years of age , a Popeling , not manumitted from the rigour of the ferula ; John the 13th , an aged Stripling of nineteen : Nay , some Popes , as Alphonsus de Castro intimates , were such Learned Clerks , ut penitus Grammaticam ignorarent , that they had scarce read their Grammar . What ? beardless Striplings ascend the Chair ! surely 't is not come to that yet ! but it is , assure your self , whatever is the matter . Hence we may rationally infer , that that Church must needs be well manag'd that hath such Reverend Guides and Learned Heads , yet if you look about you , you 'l find more in 't than you imagine ; 't is very probable these Successors of St. Peter did it to avoid the imputation of St. Paul ; Too much Learning hath made thee mad .

Take a spice of their Sobriety in Pope Benedict the 12th , who was so great a Drinker , would carouze so briskly , and turn off his Cups so merrily , that it seems he deserv'd this Epitaph , which some good Fellow or other bestow'd on him : the Latin's honest , but homely .

Iste fuit vero Laicis mors vipera Clero , Devius à vero , Cupa repleta mero . He was to Lay-men death in sooth , To Clergy and Divines A Viper ; deviating from truth ; A mere Hogshead of Wines .

Well , I 'll say this for him , and a Fig for him , he was a boon blade I 'll warrant you ; this is the only sociable Pope that we have met with in the whole crew hitherto .

Innocent the eighth , a dull ignorant Sot , who would take a Cup too much in the midst of his Affairs of greatest weight and importance , and like a true Philosopher drink till his head run round with the World , in vindication of the Copernican Systeme .

Their Conversation of yea , yea , and nay , nay , they observe very perfunctorily , for the Laity and inferiour Clergy out-hector the whole World in blasphemous and customary Oaths ; nor are the Popes themselves free from this vain Vice , that is neither sweetned with Pleasure nor season'd With Profit .

The Barons of England , seeing that the Kingdom and Crown was become absolutely tributary to the Pope , to their great grief and perplexity , demanded some Priviledges of King John , which he had engaged by Oath to grant ; to which he return'd no answer , but referr'd them wholly to Pope Innocent the third , as his Liege-Lord of whom he held his Crown . Ambassadors were sent to Rome , with Instructions and Demands to that purpose : but his Holiness resented it so ill , that in the close of his Speech , he Swore , with a furrow'd Brow , by Saint Peter I cannot suffer this injury to be unpunished . Boldly done Innocent ! 'T was more than St. Peter himself durst do , had he then sate in the Chair . And another time , upon some occasion being moved to Passion , he Swore by St. Peter and St. Paul both , that neither of them might take exceptions ; of whom one wrote this Distich .

Pope Innocent , the worst of all the rout , If you would spell his name right , put In out .

Robert Grosthead , the honest Bishop of Lincoln , opposed Pope Innocent , and laught at his thundring Excommunications ; of whom it is reported , that he came to him after his death , and put his Holiness in mind , by a blow with his Crosier , of this Item , Surge miser , & veni in Judicum Dei : and soon after he died of a Plurisie .

Now for the Grand Palladium of Rome , their so much boasted of , and highly applauded infallibity , which is infeof'd upon St. Peter's Chair , tho the Pope be Heretick , Idolater , Incestuous , a Necromancer , Sodomite , nay , what not , if he once claps his Apostolik Seat there , he must necessarily be free from error .

Doctor John Funecius , a Man of great Learning , in the 10th Book of his Chronology reports , that in the year 1332 Pope John the 22th , fell into a great Heresie , which was this ; That the Souls departed this life , did not injoy the Beatifical Vision , that is see God , till the last day ; yet this Pope must be infallible , tho guilty of so gross an Error .

There hapned a great difference between this Pope and the Franciscans ; he charging them with Heresie , and they again , to requite his kindness , disowning him , as a damnable Heretick , and no Pope ; thus his Infallibility of Judgment is disclaimed by his own Crew , and he himself un-Pop'd by them .

There were three blazing Comets conspicuous in the Roman Horizon at one and the same time , that was in the 11th Century , viz. Benedict the 9th , Sylvester the third , and Gregory the sixth , and , as one saith very well , It were very strange if they should produce no alteration in the Ecclesiastical Body . Three Popes cohabiting at Rome , and as many more residing in three several Countries ; a Grand Schism for the space of forty years ; and Ambition and Corruption , being more prevalent to advance to the Pontifical Dignity , than a good Christian Life . It must needs be a greater Prodigy , than a Miracle-monger , by the help of his forged Legends , can pretend to , that contrariety should meet and shake hands , and absolute Contradictions prove a Pope infallible . These were Anti-Popes in competition and opposition to the Papal Promotion ; nay , thei●… own Authors are at difference , yet a●… daggers drawn about his infallibility . Se●… Gerson , Occham , Alimain , Ecchins , Hosins , Pighins and Waldensis . Nay , the prettiest humour of all is , that they should impose upon us so much as to force us to believe , that when two Popes contradict each other , yet they are both infallible , or if they enjoyn the perusal of different Bibles we must use neither .

Pope Vrban the 8th liv'd the longest and died the richest of all the Popes ; for he sat in the Chair twenty years : a rare thing ( for they usually kick up their heels very suddenly , and the reason is this , if they should live long they would do too much mischief ) tho none of them ever attain'd to the years of St. Peter , who , as they say , was Bishop of Rome twenty five . This Vrban was a very active Man , and did not only pry into the present Affairs of the Church , but with a retrospect did rip up and dive into old matters ; to which end and purpose he appointed a select Committee to examine Accounts , and take cognizance of the Errors of his Predecessors ; upon which occasion this witty Pasquin was made at Rome ; where there are the Statues of St. Peter and St. Paul erected upon a Bridge there directly opposite one to the other , a merry wag had clapt a pair of Spurs upon St. Peter's heels , and St. Paul is supposed to say to him , Whither so fast in this riding posture ? who answers him ; I apprehend there is great danger in my stay at Rome , by reason of this new Commission , for I fear they will question me for denying my Master , therefore I 'll post away to some other place of Safety ; and truly Brother Peter , said Paul , I intend not to stay long after you , for I have as much reason to suspect that they will examine me for persecuting Christians before my Conversion .

Pope Zachary , when the trade of Church-merchandizes was very dead , and he had little or nothing to do , rather than he would be idle , wrote to Bishop Boniface in Germany directions when to eat Bacon , and he did very well in 't , whatsoever the prating Hugonot says to the contrary ; tho he had done far better , in the Opinion of some of our modern Casuists , if he had also given him some wholsom Instructions concerning the Manducation of Eggs , that so the Prelate might have had a complete Dish .

Leo the tenth had an intention to create Raphael Vrbin , a mere Painter , Cardinal ; And why might not a good Painter make a good Cardinal ? but sure it was not he who drew the Pictures of St. Peter and St. Paul , and made them so red-faced , that that he was reprov'd for it by some of the Conclave , because the ignorant might be apt to judge them great Drinkers , to the scandal of Religion ; but he soon replied , that is your mistake and not mine ; for I made them so ruddy , because I knew that if they were living they would blush for shame at the vicious lives of their pretended Successors . Now what if it were the same Man ? It was great and good Policie in the Pope , beyond the reach of a Protestant Noddle ; for hereby he might oblige all of that Profession , in hopes of the like Promotion , that when ever any of them for the future should undertake to draw the Pourtraicture of any Saint whatsoever , he should make them of a more pallid and sober Complexion . I 'll warrant you this leering Hugonot laughs in his sleeve at this pretty intrigue of Church-Policy : but no matter for that , the Papist cries out , Let him laugh that wins , and so gives you one Proverb in exchange of another .

It is reported in our History , that King James of blessed Memory did once in his Progress vouchsafe to bestow a visit upon Sir — Pope , Knight , whose Lady at that time was lately deliver'd of a Daughter , and the Infant was presented to his Majesty with a Paper of Verses in her Hand which the King was much pleas'd with , the Contents whereof were as followeth ;

See this little Mistris here , Who ne're sate in Peter's Chair , Or a Triple Crown did wear , And yet she is a Pope ; She hardly is a seven-night old , Nor did she ever hope To Saint one with a Pope , And yet she is a Pope . No Benefices she e're sold ; Nor did dispence with Sins for Gold ; No King her Feet did ever kiss , Or had from her worse look than this , And yet she is a Pope . A Female Pope you 'l say , a second Joan ; Nay , sure she is Pope Innocent , or none .

Now if any or all your Romanists can , out of your long Nomenclatura of Popes , produce one that may come near this Protestant Pope for Innocence , Modesty , or Humility , wee 'l save you the labour of compassing Sea and Land to make Proselytes , for wee 'l all unanimously return , and without any more adoe re-unbosom our selves with your Holy Mother the Church of Rome .

It is thought by some , and those Judicious Persons too , that Pasqin , among the many witty Jests he hath thrown upon the Pope and Clergy , never acted any thing with better Grace , than when he counterfeited himself so affronted that he was ready to die for very Grief , because he had receiv'd such an Injury as had almost broke his very Heart : and being askt by one that heard him bemoan himself ; what Injury , Friend , is this that is done to thee ? Has any one call'd thee Thief or Buggerer ? No , no , said he . What then ? And so went on naming most of the grossest Indignities that could be put upon a Man by opprobrious Language . No , no , pish , said he , you have not hit it yet ; and so breaking out into grievous Sobs and Sighs , Alas ! alas ! said he , 't is worse then all you can imagine , they have been so abusive as to call me Pope . Nay farther , he has given you to understand what conceit he and all Men should have of the Pope , by this following Hexastick .

Hic Carapha jacet Superis invisus & Imis Styx animam ; Tellus putre cadaver habet . Invidit paçem Terris , Diis Vota Precesque , Impius , & Clerum perdidit , & Populum . Hostibus infensis supplex , infidus amicis : Scire cupis paucis caetera ? Papa fuit . Here th' hate of Heaven and Hell , Carapha lies : i th' Grave 's his Body ; in Styx his Soul cries : He envied Peace with Men and Prayers to God ; To Lay and Clergy-men a wicked Rod. Suppliant to Foes ; but Faithless to his Friend : In short , he was a Pope , and there 's an End.

Pope Leo the 10th , being told by his Confessor , that he need fear nothing , because he had the Keys of Heaven at his Girdle , and those of the Church Treasury also , consisting in the Merits of Christ , and the blessed Saints , gave him ▪ this true answer . Thou know'st that he who hath once sold a thing , hath no longer right to it ; therefore , since I have made sale of Heaven and all to others , I have nothing to do with it my self ; which being the common Traffick at Rome , was the occasion of this saying .

Roma dat omnibus omnia dantibus , omnia Romae , Cum pretio . — Rome gives to all that part with all their Gold : For there all things are merely bought and sold .

The same Pope being reproved by some of his Cardinals , for leading so leud a Life , being grown worse and worse , since his Inauguration ; answer'd them , If I am wicked you are the cause of it , for you made me what I am ; which strange reply , put them to this question , what he meant by saying so ; why , quoth he , you have made me Pope , and it is impossible to be a Pope and a good Man ; Now this must needs be infallibly true , because Infallibility it self , maintains it to be so .

Thus you see what it is to be a Pope , and may rest satisfied with this as a Corollary for all ; if horrid Blasphemies , Oathes , and Execrations ; if filthy Whoredom , Adultery , Incest , Sodomy and Buggery ; if intolerable Pride , Ambition , Tyranny and Oppression ; if bloody Cruelty , Butcheries , Murthers and Massacres ; if sordid Avarice , Simony and Sacriledge , if Hellish Sorcery , Witchcraft , and Necromancy ; if blockish Ignorance , Stupidity , Gaming , and all manner of Debaucheries ; if these or any of these are commendable and sufficient Qualifications for the Papacy , then no Persons in the World were ever more fit to govern the See of Rome , than those Popes that we have given you an Account of ; but it is now high time to take our leave , and bid them all Adieu .

Sic explicit Actus primus . Exit Pope , Enter Cardinal .

Of Cardinals , Abbots , Bishops , and Jesuits promiscuously .

ANd first of the Cardinals , being next to the Pope , and Superior to others in Dignity ; let us observe whether the Cardinals Cap shrowds as many Vices as the Triple Crown ; but here I must tell you for your Comfort before hand , that you 'l find ne're a Barrel better Herring but like Master like Man ; like Head like Members ; and those as bad as bad can be , nay , which is worst of all , 't is a stark shame , that there is no shame among them .

The Popes have been Fathers to some , but Silvester the first was Godfather to all of them : for by him they were called Cardinals . qd. Cardines , because they are the Persons about whom , like Hinges , the Church Militant ought to move , repose upon , and be supported ; to intimate unto us , that those who attain to the Dignity of the Cardinalate , ought to be so Exemplary in their Lives and Conversations , that all Christians may be regulated by their Actions , and the very Infidels perswaded to return into the bosom of the Roman Catholick and Apostolick Church ; Who , when he is created by the Pope's Breve , 't is in these Words ; Creamus te Socium Regibus , superiorem Ducibus & Fratrem nostrum . We do make thee equal to Kings , Superior to Dukes , and our own Brother . Innocent the fourth gave them the red Hat , Boniface the ninth their Vestment , an●… Paul the second the Scarlet Cap , to signifie unto us how ready they are to venture their Lives and shed their Blood for the Honour of God , and Service of their holy Mother the Church , or which is more probable , to spill the Blood of those good Christians who oppose their superstitious and idolatrous Worship ; Now , how they deserve either Name or Habit bestow'd on them by his Holiness , whose Infallibility is as much to be question'd in this , as in any other Matter , these ensuing Relations will soon convince you .

And first , for their blasphemous and prophane Expressions and abuses of Scripture ; for we will be more plain with them than their Universal Bishop , and not cloak Vice with the name of Virtue .

Cardinal Bembo was so much affected with , and tied up to Cicero , that he would use none but his Words : therefore the Senate of Venice must be stil'd , Patres conscripti , Dukes and Dukedoms , Reges & Regna , the grand Turk and the Sophi , Reges Armeniae & Thracum : Excommu●…ication , Interdictio Igni & Aquae ; Faith , Persuasio ; Nuns , Vestals ; and the Pope Pontifex Maximus , and he was so puffed up with this Conceit , that he altogether slighted St. Paul's Epistles , abusing them with the Name of Epistolacciae , little idle Epistles , disswading his Friends from perusal of them , lest thereby they should corrupt their Eloquence . 'T was done like a true Christian Cardinal , to prefer Cicero the Pagan , before St Paul the learned and great Apostle of the Gentiles .

And another Popish Prelate had so great a stock of Impudence as to say , that St. Paul penn'd many unnecessary things , which might have been better omitted ; and farther , that if he had seriously considered the offence that might afterwards have been given thereby , he would have been better advis'd , before he had ventured upon the Publication of them .

Cardinal Baronius , in his Discourse against the Seignory Baron . in his admonition against the Venetians , p. 47. of Venice , blames the Venetians in these proud and profane words , The Venetians doing the contrary are as Monsters and Prodigies of the Devil ; adding this reason to corroborat●… and strengthen his Argument , and settin●… himself above the Angels , to prove hi●… authority over them ; Know ye not tha●… we shall judge the Angels ? Abusing tha●… Scripture , and wresting it for his own ends , whereas it speaks of all the Faithful , ( not Clergy-men solely ) who shall sit as Assistants to our Saviour at the last day , when he shall pronounce , Goe ye cursed , &c. against the wicked Sinners .

Bellarmine is so bold as to affirm , that the Pope is Head of the Church , Etiam Christo secluso , Bellar. l. 1. de Pon. c. q. though contrary to the Holy Gospel , I am with you alway , unto the end of the World : and in opposition to their own Canons : which says expressly ; Christ is always the Governour and Head of his Body , viz ; the Gl. v. non . consonam Clem. Ne Romam l. 1. de Elect. tit. 3. Church , and although the Vicar fail , yet he doth never fail it . It is reported by an Italian Writer , that a Cardinal lying upon his death-bed , desired to be shriven ; and when his Confessor came to do that Office , he told him that he must worship one God only ; who replied so I do , and that God is the Pope : for since his Holiness is God on Earth , ( and two Gods are not to be worshipped ) I had rather adore the visible than the invisible Deity : the Confessor rejoyn'd , the Pope is neither God nor Christ , but the Cardinal clos'd the discourse with this Blasphemy , I would have thee to understand , that if Christ were alive again , and should take a Journey to Rome , the Pope would give him a very cold ( or no ) reception , unless he would humble himself so far as to kiss his Pantofle .

It was the devout saying of a profound Doctor of the Roman Church , who did declare openly , that if he were satisfied no Person had St. Paul's Epistles but himself , he would commit them to the flames , and burn them , rather than they should be publikly Read.

Next , of their Riches , Lasciviousness , and Incontinency .

Baptista Fulgosius , though a great stickler for Popery , reports o●… Peter Riarius , one of Pope Fulgos . l. 9. c. 1. Sixtus the fourth's Cardinals , that his Gownes , the Tieks , and Coverings of his Bed , were all of Cloth of Gold , and his other Furniture of Silk , and that he feasted Elianor of Arragon , as she was on her Journey to Hercules d'Este , Duke of Ferrara , with whom she was to be married very sumptuously , I had almost said Royally , where there was such variety , and different sorts of Luxurious Viands , and Delicious Quelqueschoses , that the Banquet continued seven hours , and that his Guests might not be tired with so long and tedious a Treat , he diverted them with several Plays , which were acted whilst they sate at Table , and every Servitor that attended , to render the Entertainment more splendid , had a new Sute every Course that was brought in ; this is according to the Proverb , Prelates fare indeed , that is delicious Food ; yet all this is short of what he says afterwards , ●…hat he was so shameless as to keep his Whore Tiresia , publickly , and so splendidly rich in all her gorgeous Apparel , that her very Shooes were studded with Diamonds , Pearls , and pretious Stones .

The great and modest Prelate , John Bishop of Crema , who was commissionated to oppose the Marriage of the English Clergy , did perform his errand so well as to confute himself grosly ; for that very night he was taken in Bed with a Strumpet . What of all this ? you must not take notice of what they do , but what they say , thus the Catholicks excuse it , but I 'le warrant you the Hugonot will either laugh , or shake his head at such frivolous and sinful Evasions .

At the Council of Trent , ( a fit place for such an Action ) a Husband lent his Wife to a Cardinal ( see what Fripperers and Brokers they are , that can pawn their Wives Chastity for filthy lucre ) and though at first she was religiously scrupulous , pleading Conscience , yet she soon alter'd her Mind , and prostituted her Body to the holy Man's Embraces . The next Morning the Cardinal's Concubine went very confidently to her Husband , and paid him the Mony promis'd for her work ; telling him withall , that though you take it but for a Loan , yet assure your self it is an absolute sale , therefore you had best provide your self another Bed-fellow ; for to tell you the Truth , I had rather be sold out right , then barely lent , that I may not be put to the trouble of changing so often .

There was a Bishop who said these Words in the hearing of the Writer ; In former times Stevens Apol. for Heroditus . Clergy-Men were advanced for their Learning and Knowledge in the Tongues ; but for his own particular he understood not one Syllable of Latin but his Passe-Latin ( that is the Office of a Pander or Bawd ) by which means he was promoted to the Episcopacy .

John de la Casa , Arch-Bishop of Benevent , and the Pope's Legate in the whole State of Venice , was the Author of an Italian Poem , where he chanted forth 1000 Encomiums of Sodomy : among other Epithets which he gives it , he calls it a heavenly Work ; which Book was printed at Venice by Trojanus Nanus , as the Amanuenses that copied it out , do averr , Monstrum horrendum , &c. A Monster of of Men.

A certain Friar , summoned to appear before his Diocesan , being accus'd for a Lutheran , but he not only excus'd , but accquitted him , because he could wench , swear , be drunk , and did not quote Scripture ; which true Story gave birth to this facetious Epigram ,

Esse Lutheranum rumor te , Gaurice , clamat ; Sed tuus Antistes te tamen esse negat ; Tam Scortaris ait , quam si vel Episcopus esses , Et potas dubiam pervigil usque Diem : Nec memor es Christi , nisi cum jurare libebit , Nec scis Scripturas , nec breve jota sacrae . Nempe per haec suevit nunqam fallentia signa Ille vigil sanas noscere Pastor Oves . Gauricus by report's a Lutheran , His ghostly Father says he 's no such man , Because he wenches at that wanton rate , As if the Miter adorn'd his bald Pate , He 's such a fuddle Cap too , as they say , He tipples without ceasing Night and Day . Nor thinks on Christ , but when he 's swearing Oaths , Nor of the Holy Writ one tittle knows . Now by such never failing Marks as these , Which are his good Sheep th' watchful Pastor sees .

Cardinal Granvil was a debauch't Man , one of low Birth , but high Advancement , a Smith's Son ; and we may well say of him , as Juvenal did of the Greek Orator of the same extract , in his 10th Satyr , who , though an Heathen , did exceed him as much in Morality as Rhetorick ; and if his Lot had fallen within the Pale of the Church , would undoubtedly have deserv'd the Cardinalate much more than he , and prov'd a better Christian .

A carbone & forcipibus , gladiosque parante Incude , & luteo Vulcano ad Rhetora missus .

The private part of this Cardinal's Life , his secret Retirements , and Closet Conversation , was dissolute and detestably lascivious , even to Romanists themselves ; the dimensions of his Immoralities and Impieties were of a vast extent ; his Adultery , Lechery , and Wantonness banisht him from Rome , Naples and Millan : He , to promote his Lust , caused several exquisite Pieces of obscenity to be drawn and printed , and in his private recesses he had the Pictures of the Greatest Ladies and Beauties pourtraicted to the Life , which had been by him violated , and prostituted to his devillish Lust ; insomuch that there was a Pasquinata that went up and down of him and some others , that Carrera's Cowardise , the Duke of Sesa's Gout , Don John's Cod-piss and Cardinal Granvil's Breeches had lost the Guleta .

Heliodorus , was so captivated and taken with his Aethyopian , or amorous History of Cariclea , which was to be called in by reason of some loose passages therein , or he to lose his Bishoprick ; that the mitred Gentleman made choice of the latter , rather lose his profit , than his pleasure and wanton humour .

Octavian of St. Gelais , Bishop of Angoulisme in France , ( yet the worthy Translator of Ovid de arte amandi ) was so Poetically waggish , that he would lay a Wager , he could answer any one Extempore , should speak to him in Rythme . Done and done , Cock-pit Law ; the Wager is agreed upon and laid , and these three Verses were repeated to him , whil'st he was dandling his breaden God.

L'autre jour venant de l'Escole , Ie trouvai la Dame Nicole , Laquelle étoit de verd vestue . Coming from School the other Day , I met with bonny Bess by th' Way . Cloathed all in green .

To which he readily , replied without interruption to his devout Missification .

Ostez moy du col cest ' estole , Et si bien tost je ne l'accole , I'auray la gageure perdu . Some one take off my Stole , I pray , And if I kiss her not straightway , I 'll lose the Wager clean .

A pretty amorous and kissative Prelate indeed ? This can be no less than Osculum Charitatis , let what Female soever receive it .

Of their Cruelty , Massacres , Murthers , Coveteousness , Ignorance .

NOr have we done with Cardinal Granvil ; for tho we concluded the last , we must begin this Chapter with him . He was more than suspected to be an Atheist , very much addicted to Enchantments , Sorcery and Poysoning ; and he made an Essay of this his black Art on the wise and virtuous Maximilian the second , King of the Romans ; yet this walking Monument of Vices was lookt upon by the Pope and King of Spain to be a very fit Instrument in setling the holy Inquisition in the Netherlands ; a proper Agent , sufficiently qualified with Cruelty for that bloody Employment he was to excute .

This bloody Inquisition had no Cloak to shrowd it's Tyranny , but pious fraud covered with Robes of Sanctity , erected in several Parts of Europe ( but we will only mention that of the Netherlands , wherein the Cardinal was so much concern'd ) was confirmed and ratified by Pope Sixtus the fourth . This bloody Granvil , a Sanguine Cardinal , must be the good Man appointed to settle this horrid Inquisition , who , with the assistance of that Monster the Duke d' Alva , puts all in a Flame and Combustion ; and to enumerate the Troubles , Miseries , Cruelties , Massacres , Murthers , Barbarismes , and Devastations both of that People and Country , is a Task beyond my Weakness , and too sanguinary for a Man of my Constitution : only in short , these Inquisitors did imprison and execute all Protestants with the most exquisite and ineredible Tortures ; confiscate their Goods , and the Proprietors were ruin'd , expell'd , imprison'd , chain'd , fetter'd , burned , hanged , beheaded , broken on Wheeles , hanged alive by the Feet ; nay , these are but Infant-Cruelties , in the very Cradle , compar'd to the Wrack , the Trough of Water , Pulley : Barbarisms far excceding the Bull of Phalaris , Regulus his nailed Barrel , or the Tortures of the most bloody and arbitrary Tyrants among Infidels ; Cruelties that would melt a Rock , and so inhuman , that it is a Crime to think on them without the Tribute of a Tear : nothing was to be seen throughout this miserable Country but Wheels , Gibbets , Stakes , Wracks , and wretched Objects of Pity ; nothing to be heard but the cries of poor Orphans and Widows for their Parents and Husbands , the Sons living a deplorable life in Woods , the Daughters and Virgins ravished and brutishly used , beyond all Modesty ; insomuch that Cruelty in a Human shape could not have been more outragious and destructive , then these modern Pharaohs . The Duke d'Alva , that Spunge of Belgian blood , boasted , that in six years he had dispatch't to the other World by Course of Justice , at least 18000 Belgians , and yet the President of his Council said , that he quite spoiled the Netherlanders with too much Clemency and Mercy ; so that it might very well be said of him , as it was once of the Roman Emperour Caligula ; that he never spared Man in his Rage . Nobility , Honor , Merit , Chastity , nor any Virtue , could priviledge the Possessors from the Wrack , Pulley , Gibbet , &c. the usual Attendants of these distressed Souls , and constantly waited on their Hearses . They were so rigorously us'd by these Lords Inquisitors , that their very Thoughts must be supprest and stifled for fear of Discovery ; ( so that the Proverb fail'd here , Thoughts were not free ) for fear of the same misfortune of the Knight at Rome , who was executed for putting a Dream into Words ; Nay , the Torments of some were warnings to all ; witness the timorous temper of Sevilian , who had a fruitful Pear-tree growing in his Garden , and the Inquisitors requested some of that Fruit ; but he for fear of displeasing them , pluckt up the very Tree it self by the Roots , and freely bestow'd it on them , Fruit and Tree and all . I will conclude this Paragraph , with the saying of an English Knight , upon another occasion ; if all Cruelties were lost , they might be found in this Inquisition ; and yet this was settled , promoted , and principally managed by the Religious Clergy-man , Cardinal Granvil .

In the Reign of Otho the Emperour , Hatto Bishop of Mentz in Germany , was so pitiful to the Poor , that in a time of great Dearth and Want , he assembled a great Multitude of them together , put them in a Barn , and then set it on fire and burnt them ; justifying his inhuman Action , with as inhuman and unepiscopal an Expression , That they differed nothing at all from Rats , and Vermin that devoured the Corn , and consequently were good for nothing . But , he that sits above all , and sees all , sent such Troops of Rats to execute his Vengeance , that they eat him up alive ; though he thought to defend himself from their assaults , by climbing up his lofty Tower , but they pursued him thither , and never left hunting him from Place to Place , till they had dispatcht and devour'd him ; and this Place is called the Rats Tower to this very day .

And yet ( so obdurate are some Persons in their Cruelty ) notwithstanding this severe Judgment executed upon the former Miter'd Offender ; Herebert , Archbishop of Cologne , was so unhappy , as to be related to a Brother , Heir of the like Cruelty to the Poor , in the like Extremity .

The Cardinal of St. Eustace , poysoned Pope Alexander the 5th , who might rather be said to usurp the Papal Throne , then to be fairly made choice of , and elected to it , and adopted to himself the name of John the 23th .

The cruel Prelate of Verdan , was the first that ever shewed Phil. Comines . King Lewis the 11th , the Invention of Iron Cages ; and for a reward of his Mitred Cruelty , was justly mewed up in one of them , to make the first Experiment of the Invention , and confin'd like a bloody Bird of prey , to that Cage for 14 years together .

As to their Avarice , and Covetousness ; Pontanus in his Book of Liberality , tells you , that one Cardinal Angelot , was such a close-fisted griping Miser , that he would creep privately by night into his own Stable , and steal away the allowance of Hay from the poor Horses ; which he so constantly us'd , that his resolute , and bold Horseler took heart of Grace , and bang'd him well-favourdly for his pains .

It is reported , that when a covetous Prelate begg'd a fat Benefice of Lewis the 12th , King of France , ( notwithstanding the Pluralities he already enjoy'd ) he made him this answer , Tot dabo tibi , quod Diabolus portabit omnia , I shall give thee so long , that the Devil will carry all away at last .

As to the leud Lives , Fraud and Coveteousness , of the Popish Clergy ; there is a standing Monument thereof in the stone walls of the Library at Fulda , which remains still to their Reproch , viz. the Picture of a Wolf with a shaven Crown , a Monk's Cowle , leaning on a Staff , and preaching to a company of Geese , and this is his Doctrin ; Testis est mihi Deus quam cupiam vos omnes in visceribus meis ; and another of a Cat , with a Miter on her Head , and a Crosier in her Paw , instructing the Mice ; to whom one of the most apprehensive of those diminutive Animals , as nimble with her tongue , as her feet said ; Charius est mihi ut moriar Paganus , quam sub vestra manu fiam Christianus ; but crafty Mrs. Evans suddenly replies ,

Quod fueram non sum Frater , caput aspice tonsum . I am not what I was of late , Brother , behold my shaven Pate . But she rejoyns , Cor tibi restat idem , vix tibi praesto fidem . Thy heart 's the same as formerly ; Therefore I dare not credit thee .

These Pictures are above 200 years old , and do notably discover the temper of the Prelacy , and are not a whit the worse , because Wicelius calls them Lutheranissimas , but the better .

As to their Pride , Stupidity and blockish Ignorance ; It is recorded in History , of the Cardinal of Avignon , that when the French King saw the Grandeur , State , and Pomp of the Popes Court , and the Haughtiness and Pride of his Cardinals ; he ask't him whether the Apostles were ever lacquey'd with such a Train at their heels , or attended by such a numerous Retinue ? To whom he answer'd , No surely Sir. But you must understand , that they were Apostles , when Kings were Shepheards , that 's the reason ▪

Arch-bishop Parker , in his Antiq●… Britan. saith , that a French Bishop , being to take his Oath before the Archbishop of Canterbury , met with the word Metropoliticae , which he could by no means Pronounce , so ignorant he was , and therefore past it over with this bald expression in French , Soit pour dit , Let it be so said or spoken ; so be it .

He was a wise Bishop indeed , ( as wise as the Fellow that put out the Candle , that the Fleas might not see to bite and sting him with their proboscis , ) who commenced a Suit with his Canons , which prov'd very dilatory , but he at last overthrew them , and took order in his life time , that his Tomb should not lye along in the Church as others do , but stand upright , for fear that after his death they should piss upon his Body by way of revenge . A pretty Pastor , who took more care of his Body while living , than of the state of his Soul after death .

Not many Years ago , a President of the high Court of Parliament , was so just and modest as to beg the favour of a Night's Lodging with a Lady of Quality and Honour , upon which Terms he promised her audience , the Lady having at that time a Cause depending before him : his Name I will conceal , but withall give you this notice of him , that it was the same Person , who not not long after being made an Abbot , wrote a severe Book against the Lutherans ( which he dedicated to the Pope ) in so harsh and uncouth a Stile , that his Holiness was resolv'd to make Cul-paper of it ; for going one day to the Close-Stool ( to shew as Platina says , that he is subject to the Necessities and Infirmities of Nature as well as other Persons ) to ease himself , brought a Disease upon himself by making cleanly use of a Leaf of it ; for it did so chafe and gall his Apostolick Seat , that he lost a great deal of Leather , and was as sore in the Fundament as he could have been in the Feet , had his Devotion put him upon the Trott in a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem . See the dire Effects of crabbed Latin ; 't is ten times worse than the Piles , Hemorrhoids or Fistula in ano ; but I 'll warrant you this was such a warning to him , that his Holiness , of his own accord , and for his own good , without the Advice of a Physician , did forbear ever after the use of such excoriating Abstersives .

This Question was once propos'd in a Councel , An sint Episcopi immediate à Christo , an mediate à Pontifice ? A Reverend Bishop moved with it , made this learned and Christian reply , Parcat mihi Dominus Christus , non sum ab ipso .

Another of their Reverend Doctors , being quite baffled and beat off of the Stage with downright Scripture , pleaded this as an excuse , Ego non sum Theologus , Ego sum Canonicus .

One of these Reverendissimi , was not at all asham'd to declare openly his admiration , that such young Fellows and Boys should now a days quote the new Testament , per diem , whereas he did solemnly and truly profess , that he was fifty years of Age and upward before he was so wise as to understand what the New Testament meant .

But here we will bid adieu to these Illustrissimos , and pass from the Cardinal's red-Hat , to the Jesuits black-Cap ; which I fear will prove more mischievous .

Take but a view of some of their Pranks , and you 'l find them as expert and knowing in the exquisite Methods of crafty and circumventing Wickedness , as any of the Popes or preceeding Cardinals .

As to the name of Jesuit , it breaths nothing but health and prosperity , being deriv'd from Jesus ; but as to the nature of the Persons , nothing but death and damnation ; and for their presumption in assuming to themselves this name , they were very much maligned , and hated at first , and that was the reason they called themselves afterwards Socios Jesu , the Companions of Jesus . Now in the sacred Writ , if you strictly examine it throughout , you will find only one , and that a goodly one , that was call'd Christ's Companion , viz. Judas : so much for their name . They have also a Nick-name , which they will carry to their Graves . When they first negotiated for footing in Paris , they demanded what they were , whether Seculars or Regulars ; and they made answer , Tales Quales , Such and Such ; a Nick-name , which they will ne're be able to claw off , for they are upbraided with it to this very day .

The Glorious Patron of these Popish Janizaries , was an infirm Enthusiastick Spanish Souldier , and Cripple ; and they , in imitation of him , their first founder , do hault lamely ever since ; his name was Ignatius Loyola , who being a Souldier in those times when Ferdinand of Arragon invaded the Kingdom of Navarr , and opposed King John de Albret , whom the Pope had excommunicated , because he supplied the King with Succours ; At this very time was this Loyola a Soldier at Pampelona , where he was maimed ; it being then besieg'd by the King : this Patron of that Holy Order resolv'd to erect a Society of Jesuits , which should be able from that time forward to maintain and uphold the Usurpations of his Holy Master , and to promote the Power of the unerring Prelate of Rome ; which they do infinitely prefer beyond the Life , Honour , and Good of Kings : to which purpose these Fauters of the Popes Power have a peculiar Vow , and take an Oath of blind Obedience a fourth Vow unknown to other Orders , whereby they move Subjects against their Sovereigns , and stirr them up to Rebellion against their Lawful Princes .

Let us begin with their Blasphemies both in Expressions and Opinions ; and you shall find them very bold as to these Particulars .

These are they that infected Ravilliac , that monstrous Assassine , with these and the like Blasphemies , That to make War against the Pope was to make War against God ; that God is the Pope and the Pope is God. O horrid ! Lucianisme is modest to such Christianisme comparatively . These are the Persons who blasphemously substitute another God on Earth besides our Holy Father in Heaven , whom they stile most Holy Father , and separate Jesus Christ from his Body and Spouse , the Holy Church , creating him a Vicar-General or Vice-gerent in all his Kingdoms : etiam Bel. l. 1. de Christo secluso . What shall we say of Pontif c. 9. such a pack of Saints as these . The Saracens had an antient Law , that whosoever should blaspheme the name of Christ , or the Virgin Mary , should be starved to death between two Boards .

Galeacius , a Duke , hanged a Man only for murmuring against him . And the Duke of Mantua put another to death for the like Offence ; and must Blasphemy against the Almighty go unpunish'd in such pretended Sanctimonious Religiosi as these Jesuits seem to be ? But we 'll leave the punishment of this Crime to that Lord whose Motto is , Revenge is mine .

Father Garnett the Jesuit , one of the Gun-powder-Plot , had this Question put to him by the Earl of Nottingham , Whether if any one should confess to him in the Morning that he intended to murther the King next Evening , he was bound in Conscience to reveal it ? To whom he answered in the Negative : and Binetus , another of the Tribe , confirms this Opinion , in these words to Casaubon ; Praestare Reges omnes perire , quam si vel semel Confessionis Sigillum violaretur ; Regem enim ait humani , Juris Imperium esse , Confessionem Juris divini . Nay farther , another Jesuit in France was so audacious as to affirm openly ; Si Dominus noster Jesus Christus in Terris versaretur morti obnoxius , et aliquis sibi in Confessione dixisse velle se illum occidere , priusquam Confessionem revelaret passurum se , ut Christus occidatur ; that is , If our Lord Jesus Christ were upon Earth , Mortal , and a Person should Confess to him , that he would kill him ; he would rather suffer our Saviour to be murthered than reveal his Confession .

Nor are they less practised in horrid Murthers than Blasphemies .

'T was a young stripling of this Pious Order , that stabbed Henry the Fourth in the Mouth with his Parricide Knife , intending his Murther , tho it only proved the loss of a Tooth ; which moved the good King to no other return , than this pleasant Repartie . Falloit il que les Jesuistes fussent convanicus par ma bouche . Must the Jesuits be confuted by my own Mouth ? Hereupon they were commanded to depart the Kingdom by a certain Day , and a new Stone-Gallows erected before the Palace Gate for the Execution of the Offender ; ( tho the Parliaments Decree against this wicked Act was made null at Rome , ) and afterwards the Pusillanimous Prince removed it out of fear ; which made one descant wittily upon this timorous Action of the King 's , in this French Quatrain .

Sire si vous voulez du tout a l'advenir , De l' Assassin Chastel oster le souvenir , Ostant la Pyramide & l' Arrest qui le touche ; Qu'on vous remette donc une dent dans la bouche . Great Sir if you will have succeeding times , Ignorant of th' Assassine Chastl's Crimes ; Waving th' Arrest and Gibbet , Sovereign dread , Let him another Tooth set in your Head.

But this was only a Prologue to the ensuing Tragedy acted by Francis Raviliac , born at Angoulesme in France , who , after he had attempted four several times to kill the King , tho still happily prevented , began that day with Confession , and seeming Devotion , whereon he perpetrated that horrid Murther , ( which was on Friday the 14th of May , An. 1610. ) and employed the remaining part to follow the Kings Coach , to find out a convenient opportunity , which he met with at last , to the great damage and irreparable loss of that Kingdom ; which he accomplisht at last with a Stilletto , and two Stabs in the side , near the Church of St. Innocents , at the end of the Street of Ferronnerie , the King being in his Carosse , that was put to the stand by the stoppage of a Coach and Cart ; which he perceiving , being then in a shop hard by , waiting the good hour , as he thought , came out and killed the King , and suffered for it upon a Scaffold , in the usual place of Execution ; where he died with most exquisite and deserved Torments . All which was done by the Instigation of this wicked and cruel Society . They perswaded this Monster , that the King intended to make War against the Pope , and that to make War against him , was a Theomachy , or open War with the Deity ; and there was found about him a Character with a Heart of Cotton hung about his Neck , which he shewed the Jesuit D' Aubinie , who confessed him and the Knife , whereon was ingraven a Heart and a Cross ; and that which was one occasion of this barbarous Fact , was , That these Persons of the Popes Party had published throughout the whole Kingdom , that whosoever should serve Henry the Fourth in these Wars , tho he was their Lawful and undoubted King , could not avoid damnation .

The Gun-powder Plot was another Jesuitical Contrivance . The Provincial , Father Garnet , was privy to it in its very infancy , so were others of that Society , as Baldwin , Hammond , Tesmund and Gerard , who were all particularly named by the Conspirators in their Confessions . A Fact of that dreadful Consequence , had it taken effect , and so heinous in it self , that Garnet the Jesuite said himself before Doctor Overal and others , That he would give all the world , were it at his disposal , to clear his Conscience or Name from that hateful Treason . Yet when it did miscarry , many of that Society had a Religious Veneration for these Irreligions Wretches who were deeply engaged in it . What a Coil was there about the feigned Miracle of Garnet's Structure ! and his Picture , as well as Gerard's , was to be seen at la Fleche , and other Places among the Martyrs of that Society . In the Town of Dole towards Lorrain , the Jesuits have a great House given them , called L'arc , and Henry the Fourth gave them la Fleche , upon the River Loire , two stately Covents , among many other Houses for change , which they have , ( see the gratitude of these Villains , to be the Death of their princely Patron ) tho this latter may be called a Quiver , containing 8000 poysoned Shafts of all sizes ; hereupon their Ferrier played upon them this merry Distich ;

Arcum Dola dedit , dedit his la Flecha Sagittam ; Sed quis funem illis quem meruere dabit ? La Fleche th' Arrow , Dole gave them the Bow , But who'll on them the deserv'd Rope bestow ?

Nay , his Holiness himself , Pope Clement the 8th , who first promoted this Treason by his Breves , did sufficiently testifie his good Will towards them , by making the Jesuit Tesmund Penetentiary at St. Peter's in Rome , after the discovery of this Horrid Plot.

And their Divinity is of as deep a Scarlet Dye as their sanguinary and bloody Actions ; for they give free liberty and permission to any Person to kill another , from whom he fears any Prejudice or Damage , either in Reputation or Estate , though he is assured he will be damned ; this is Molina's Opinion , who averrs , that this Molina de Just. commutat . tr . 3. d. 13. n. 1. p. 762. Circumstance ought not to be pleaded in Bar of the Action , to hinder him from the Murther ; and that there is no Law of Justice or Charity it self , which obligeth us to spare the eternal Life of the Soul any more than that of the Body .

These are Tenets fit to be drawn out in blood , worse than those of Draco the Roman Legislator . As for their Doctrine of mental Reservation , it is very remarkable . Sanchez Sanchez . Opin . Moral . Par. 2. l. 3. c. 6. n. 13. maintains , that a Man may swear he hath not done a thing which is really done by him , by understanding within himself , that he did it not on such or such a Day , or before he was born , or by making Reflections on some other Circumstances of the like nature ; and so the words spoken by him shall have a different meaning , and imply no such thing as is said . This is of general use , and great convenience upon many emergent Occasions ; and is ever justifiable when a Man's Health , Honour , or Estate , lyes at stake and may be injured ; Nay , Filintius , to confirm this , says the Intention Filintius Tract. 25. c. 11. n. 331. regulates , and squares the the Action ; and for Encouragement of those who have wicked craft enough to furnish them with particular Reservations , he alledgeth , That to avoid Lying no more is required , than to say simply , they have not done that which in truth they have , provided they have a general Intention to stamp the sence upon their Discourse , which a Prudent and Discreet Person would do . And indeed these their Equivocations did insert , that Clause in the Oath of Supremacy among us here in England , Without mental Reservation .

And this doubtless was the Reason that moved one to bestow on them that so much merited Title , calling them Concinnatores mendaces , the Polishers of Lyes , their Tongues being whetted and sharp'ned to that purpose .

These are the Croaking Frogs , the Amphibious Insects that live both by Land and Water , in Church and State ; not a Kings Privy Council , not a Ladies Chamber , not a Lord's Closet , not a House or Cottage , nay , not so much as a Soul , but is daily haunted by these Spectres and evil Spirits ; not a Gentleman or Lady can cross the Seas , but his , or her name is landed before hand in the Jesuits Register . It was not without cause , that their Mecaenas and Patron , Philip the second , King of Spain , baptized them , Clerigos Negotiadores , Negotiating or Trafficking , Trading Clergy-Men ; and that Marcus Antonius Columna , General of the Navy belonging to Pius the fifth , in the famous Battel of Lepanto , and Viceroy of Sicily , did tell Don Alonso , ( a noted Jesuit , who endeavoured to be of the Council of his Conscience ) very plainly and roundly , as well as truly , Voi altri Padri di Giesu havete la mente al Cielo le mani al Mondo , l'anima al Diavolo You Jesuitical Fathers have your thoughts seemingly in Heaven , your hands on the Wealth and Riches of the World , and your Souls with the Devil . And this their griping for worldly gain , and polling the rest of the Clergy ( one of the three Particulars before mentioned ) was the reason that a Reverend Divine did say , tho the great Pan of Rome had committed the greatest part , if not all his spotted-Sheep to the Pastoral charge of Arch-Bishops , Bishops &c. — Pan curat oves oviunique magistros ; yet they yield them little or no profit , because they are sheared to their hands , especially by the Jesuits , whom Reverardentius aptly termeth Vindiciae Sacrae Satyr . M. S. in this respect , Equites aurei Velleris , Knights of the Golden Fleece . And for this cause a Reverend Divine says , that they want no maintenance : what by traducing our Nation abroad , and seducing our People at home , their Bones are full of marrow , and their Eyes swell with fatness ; for a Country Parson cannot make so much of a whole years Harvest as one Jesuit can get by an hours single Confession .

When two Jesuits presented their Petition to Duke Cezarini , and made a Complaint to him , that Father Oliva their General , had been wrought upon by the insinuating Perswasions of Pope Alexander the seventh , to part with some of their Lands , for the sum of 100000 Crowns , ( so covetous they were as by their good will to part with nothing that once came into their Clutches , ) he gave them this witty and undeniable answer , Those men who believe the Popes Infallibility , as you do , must by no means complain against him , for if he be Infallible he can do no wrong , nor be guilty of an irregular or injurious Action .

A Popish Writer of our Nation , ( as he himself thought ) not Bishop Hall in his Quo Vadis ; as he hath the story out of Robert Pointz in his Preface to the Testimony of the real Presence . unlearned , complaining of the Abstinence of us Hereticks , despairs of prevailing , because he found it to be long ago fore-prophecied of us , in the second Book of Chronicles , c. 24. At illi Protestantes audire noluerunt ; it is well ( saith he ) that the Protestants were yet heard of in the old Testament , as well as the Jesuits , whose name one of their own found out by good hap , Numbers Secar . in Josua l. 1. c. 2. q. 19. & Gresser contra Lernaeum c. 1. 26. ver. 24. like as Erasmus found Fryars in St. Paul's time inter falsos Fratres .

Father Hayndius , a Jesuit of thirty three years standing , found this not to be the least of fifty two Complaints which he made against his own Society , to their General Aquaviva ; that his Fellows did not blush to blemish their Order , and stain their Honour by cogging of Miracles , and cheating the Ignorant into a belief of them . What fardles of Lies do they impose upon the Vulgar , concerning their Indian Wonders ? Nay , Cardinal Bellarmine is not ashamed to appear as their Voucher , and dares maintain their Frauds and Cozenages , affirming , that his Brother Xavier had not only cured the Deaf , Lame , and Blind , but also raised the Dead , ( it seems he was so intent upon his new Divinity , that he quite forgot his old Philosophy , A privatione ad habitum non datur regressus ) while his Fellow Acosta , who continued many years in those Parts , pulls him by the sleeve , and is down-right with him , whispering so loud in his Ear that all the World may hear him , Prodigia nulla producimus , Acosta . l. 4. c. 12. de salut . Indic . neque vero est opus . Africk is at the best but barren of Novelties , if compared to Rome ; and yet the World of Protestants must be branded with Incredulity , if they will not be gull'd by their pious Frauds ; but let them remember , if they are at leisure , that simulata Sanctitas est duplex Iniquitas ; Counterfeit Sanctity is double Iniquity , and one sin is made two , when once defended ; Nay , it is more than feared , that they will not want Diabolical Delusions , and Hellish Incantations , rather than lose a Proselite ; which are so gross , and frequently put in practice among them , that it hath puzled the best Casuists to make a difference between their Magick and that which is Diabolical . Hence it is that some of our weak People have been frightned out of the World upon their Death-Beds , and scared into the Religion of Roman Catholicks . Take this notable instance , among many other , from a famous Divine in France , second to none for Learning and Fidelity , who related it with his own mouth , and his own certain Knowledge and Experience . A Gentleman of the Religion , whose Wife was one of the Popish Frie , sends for his own Pastor to discourse with him , being upon his last bed of Sickness , and ready to depart ; she likewise appoints a Jesuit to be there , who appears accordingly , and both meet at the Bed's-side ; both plead for their own different Religion , and perswade the Man to come over to their Party , but after two hours smart Disputation at the Bar , before these Judges , the Gentleman was very well satisfied with the Religion that he had hitherto embraced , and his Consort also , by the prevalence of the Protestants Arguments , began to incline to his Judgement . The Jesuit finding himself foil'd , went away discontented , but returns a few hours after , when the storm was blown over , and the Coast clear , desiring a private Conference with the Gentlewoman , which was granted ; and her Garden was the Scene appointed for the ensuing Tragedy , where they took a turn or two together , and the Jesuit very earnestly expostulated with her , and used all the perswasive and inclining Arguments imaginable , to keep her from that supposed and falsely termed Defection from the Truth , viz. the change of Religion ; and in the close of all his Discourse , did very much importune her to do him that signal Favour , as to accept of a little Box , ( like Pandor'as , as it fell out ) which he then and there presented to her , and to wear it constantly about her for his sake ; which she received as innocently as courteously , little dreaming of the ensuing mischief that after befell her ; for she no sooner had followed his direction , but she fell into so great and absolute a Detestation of her Husband , that she could never endure the sight of him afterwards ; and within two days died in this miserable condition : an Act fitter for the sharp Sword of revenging Justice , than the Pen of an Historian .

They are a People disesteemed and ill thought of in most Places where-ever they get footing , for their Impieties , and and wicked Practices . They have been banisht France , Hungary , Germany , Venice , nay , the Grand Turk , upon the relation of their Vileness by Queen Elizabeth's Ambassador , exiled them out of Pera , near Constantinople . They are hated by the common People in Spain , tho the Subjects of the most Catholick King , as appears by this Libel .

Los mandamientes de los Teatinos , Mas humanos son que Divinos . The Precepts of the Jesuits Teatine , Are much more Humane than Divine .

And after the enumeration of their Decalogue or ten Commandments , as to grow Rich , feed well , &c. it concludes thus ;

Estos diez mandamièntes se encierrian en das , Todo para mi , y nada para vos . These ten are compris'd in two , All for me , and nothing for you .

I did not promise you , as I remember , to give you an Essay of Jesuitical Piquancy , but yet if you please , take this as an Argument of their pregnant Wit , related by the deceased Author of the Holy State ; who speaking of Queen Elizabeth , stiles her deservedly , the Paragon of spotless Chastity , whatever some Popish Priests ( who count all Virginity hid under a Nun's Veile , ) have feigned to the contrary . He proceeds farther , and says , One Jesuit made this false Anagram on her , Edmund Campian by name , Elizabeth , Jezabel , false both in matter and manner ; for allow it the abatement of the H ( as all Anagrams must Sue in Chancery for moderate favour ) which proved tho no Letter , a guttural aspiration to the Composer , yet was it both unequal and ominous that T , a solid Letter , should be omitted ; the Presage of the Gallows , whereon the Anagrammatist was afterwards justly executed . When Flies grow once so blind as to play with the Candle , they either sindge their wings , or burn themselves , and when ill-boading Ravens dare be so haughty and proud , as to fly at the Eagle , the King of Birds , may they all have the same fate as the Brother of this Jesuitical breed before mentioned .

Now let us anatomize and dissect the Members of this Catholick , and Universal Head of the Church , and see how they stand affected , whether they are fit for Physick or Amputation .

Of their Priests , Friars , Nuns , and Laymen .

WE will still continue our Method , and begin with the Blasphemies , Oaths , and Execrations , of the inferiour Clergy , the Monks and Friars , those Cannibals of the Crucifix .

Italy abounds in Blasphemies more than any other Country , and therein the Clergy are far better Proficients than the Laity , or else , He swears like an Abbot , would not be Proverbial . Nor do I think as it is , that is to be matcht that was belch'd out by a Priest at Rome , Al dispetto di quel Can che pendeva nella croce . I forbear the English of it , because 't is so horrid an Expression ; and what should move him to this think you ? Nothing , as he confess'd , but that his Strumpet had played him a slippery Trick ; as if there were no way to be even with his Whore , but to revile his God.

A ghostly Father Preaching at Tours in France , said , These Hugonots are so impudently wicked , as to renounce the Pope , and his Authority ; but I 'll be bold to tell you , that if Christ and the Pope were both here upon Earth , and the one should command me to do a Thing , and the other forbid me , I would sooner obey the Pope than Christ .

An Italian Preacher broacht this blasphemous Doctrine in the Pulpit before a great Auditory ; that the Virgin Mary would have crucified our Saviour , rather than he should go without Crucifixion ; strengthning his blasphemous Discourse with this strange Allegation , that it did proceed from the longing desire that his blessed Mother had to hasten the Salvation of Mankind .

There is another story related by the same Priest , much of the same nature ; That the Apostles drew up Articles of Impeachment against Christ , and presented them to his Mother , complaining that he was not as good as his word in sending the Holy Ghost upon them , and that there was a Dissention between the Father and the Holy Ghost , who feared to descend from Heaven , and come into the World , lest he should have the same course Entertainment as our Saviour had from the murthering Jews .

Another Priest , by relating the Agony that our Saviour endured at his painful and shameful Death on the Cross , drew Rivulets of Tears from the Eyes of his compassionate Auditory , but he dried up all their Sorrow with this point of Consolation , Weep not my Beloved , for perhaps it is not true .

But the Devil himself with all his Hellish Assistance could never invent such Blasphemies as are found in the Book of Conformities , printed at Milain by Gotard Pontice , Anno 1510. As that Christ changed Water into Wine but once , St. Francis thrice , Christ felt the Pain of his Wounds but a small time , St. Francis two whole Years compleat . As for Miracles , Christ did nothing comparatively to St. Francis : for he cured a 1000 Blind , and as many Lame , both Beasts and Men ; cast out 1000 Daemoniacks , and raised above 1000 from the Dead . Gen. chap. 2. Let us make Man &c. That is St. Francis : so that there is not so much as one Text in the Holy Writ , from the first of Genesis to the last of the Revelation , which they have not wrested to magnifie the Order of St. Francis ; but I am tired with these Blasphemous Rodomontadoes , therefore I refer you to the Book it self , if you desire farther Satisfaction as to Particulars .

Nilco Postel preaching at Paris , told them , in the very Face of the University , that an old Beldame ( whom he called his Mother Joan ) should save all Women , as Christ did all Men ; and as horrid as these Opinions were , he found many Catholicks that embraced them , all which he published in Print . This same Person was heard by several at the Rialto in Venice to affirm , that if a Man would have a perfect Religion , these three Ingredients must necessarily go to its Composition , Christianism , Judaism , and Mahometism ; and that upon serious consideration there would appear to be many excellent Doctrines in the Turkish Alcoran . If Treason against an earthly King is Capital , then doubtless à fortiori , Blasphemy against the King of Kings deserves Death much more . In most Places of Italy these are but inconsiderable and poor Imprecations : Te venga ' l Cancaro , and at Venice , Te vengala Ghiandussa , Te vengal mal di san Lazaro . I omit Putana di Christo , and others of the like strain , as frequent as horrible ; and the French have taken some of them upon trust , as Te viene le chancre , a Murrain on thee .

In France they have certain Curses peculiar to their Language ; Ad omnes Diabolos , ad triginta Mille Diabolos , used by Preachers in such barbarous Latin , taken from the French , who say , Je te donnea trente ou quarante mille charteès de Diables . Thirty or forty thousand Cart-loads of Devils take thee . And Menot the Preacher , fol. 129. falsly fathers this Curse on St. Paul , who hearing of one that had committed Fornication , said presently , I give him over to the Devils in Hell. He saith farther , fol. 47. of one of the two Harlots , that she would swear by her Faith. They have several ways of bequeathing themselves to the Devil ( as if one were not enuf , or indeed too much ) Body , Soul , and Guts ; that no part may escape his Clutches , they make sure of all .

Nor are the Laity so far exempted from these Vices , but that they have a spice of them ; witness one of the Kings of Spain , who having had divers ill successes , swore he would be reveng'd on the Deity , and therefore commanded that none of his Subjects should adore God , believe in him , or mention his name for a certain time by him limited and appointed , without incurring a great penalty , and his high displeasure .

A certain Gamester losing at Cards , did curse and swear most desperately for his loss , and commanded his Servant to assist him in Curses , Oaths , and Execrations , till his fortune should alter and he have better luck .

A Secular person , as he was playing at Cards in the French Ambassadors House at Venice , belcht forth this Oath ; Venga'l cancaro al Lupo . Why ? What hurt in all this ? Aye but his Villany was manifested afterwards , because he spake it by the Figure called Aposcopesis or Reticentia ; instead of Venga'l cancaro al Lupo , che non mangiava Christo quando era Agnello , calling Christ Agnello , in allusion to that of St. John ; Ecce Agnus Dei qui tollit , &c. As also the Blasphemy of the Italian , who frequently said , A Bots on the Ass that carried Christ to Jerusalem .

The Italian Lord who had his Passport to the other World by a Pistol-shot , being desired to commend his Soul to God , beg'd of them to recommend him to the King , and withal to acquaint him , that he had lost a very good Servant , saying ; that he had often made it his business to believe in God , but could not ; and withal was so Blasphemous as to add farther , that God dealt very unjustly with Man in condemning him for a peice of an Apple ; and that all he had learned by the New Testament was , that Joseph was a very idle Fellow , for not being jealous of his Wife ; he being well stricken in Years , and she so youthful .

Nor must I omit that hellish Court-Curse , which is as common as Flies in Armenia , I would I might F — with such a Lady , or Gentlewoman upon pain of Damnation .

Of the Lechery , Whoredom , and Sodomy of the Clergy and Laiety .

ITaly above all places abounds in these Vices , insomuch that it is a common saying ;

Jamais ni cheval ni homme N'amenda , d'albera Rome . Nor Horse or Man e're return'd home The better by the sight of Rome .

And Mr. Ascham , in his Preface to his Schoolmaster , did return thanks to God that he was but nine days in Italy , during which time he saw in one City of Venice more liberty to sin , than in London he ever heard of in as many Years .

John Haywood , our old Epigrammatist , told Queen Mary very boldly , that her Clergy was very sawcy , and if they had not Wives , they would have their Lemans .

Richard the First being Daniel 's Hist. Rich. 1. in fine . rounded in the Ear that he had three wicked Daughters , Pride , Covetousness and Lechery , answered very briskly , Well be it so , if I have , I cannot better match them than with the Templers , Fathers and Friars . If a Priest be at any time found wantonly kissing a Woman , the usual excuse is , it was but to imprint a Blessing upon her Lips.

It was once seriously debated , which was the best way to furnish Henry the Second with Mony. His Jester , seeing his Master at a great Loss , proposed this rational way , viz. that he should command all the Monks Beds to be sold , and the Mony to be brought in to him . To which the King replied , where must the Monks then lye ? O , said the Jester , with the Nuns ; Alas ! said the King , thou art mistaken ; there are not near so many Nuns as Monks . And please your Majesty , said he , every Nun can lodge half a dozen Monks at the least , for her own share .

'T is a known Story of the two Franciscans who ( because they The Queen of Navarr 's Relations . are a Crew of beggarly Fellows , never carry any mony about them ) passed over a Ferry , and not being able to pay their Passage , would have ravish'd the Ferry Woman in part of Satisfaction , till they were enabled to Pay her her fare ; a cunning new way to pay old Debts .

Old Bromiar tells you , that a Ghost appeared to a Popish Priest , and said , there came daily so many Priests to Hell , as he thought verily there had been no more upon Earth .

Poggius the Florentine reports , that Ausimerius , an Eremite of Padua , who lived in the reign of Francis the 7th , Duke of that City , had the reputation of a Pious and godly Man , till he was detected for corrupting and defiling many Women of Noble Extract , especially under the specious and Religious colour of sacred Confession ; hereupon he was brought to Trial before the Duke , who ordered his Secretary to take a Catalogue of the names of the married Women that he had gallanted ; and after a tedious enumeration of many Persons of quality that frequented the Duke's Palace , the Secretary still pressed him to a farther Confession , whereat the poor Soul fetching a deep , but counterfeit Sigh , said , Why then Sir , sincc you are so urgent , pray set down your own Wife in the number , which sudden and unexpected Answer , did so surprise the Secretary with Astonishment , that the Pen fell out of his hand , and the Duke at the rehersal of the Story was almost resolved into Laughter : These tricks are so frequent among them , that 't is commonly said as a Proverb ; An Augustine Friar in the Stews .

In a Village near Coignac , This is in the Queen of Navarr 's Relations . called Cherves , a reputed Maid , Sister to the Curate of the Parish , who , because she was accounted a holy Virgin , spread a Rumour abroad among the credulous People , that she was a second Virgin Mary , and was impregnated by the holy Ghost : ( O execrable Blasphemy ! ) But Charles Earl of Angoulesme , and Father to King Francis the First , hearing of it , did imagine there was some packing and gross villany in the Business , and took order for a more strict examination of this Wench , who was about 13 years of Age : The Court where she was summond to appear to make her defence , did adjure her , as well as her Brother , to reveal the Truth , upon her Salvation , and being sworn , she used this form of Affidavit ; I take the Body of our Lord here present , upon my Salvation , before you my Masters , and you my Brother , that never Man had any Carnal knowledge of me more than you ; and so received the Eucharist . Having taken this Oath , as you have heard , they related the particulars of her Process to the Earl , who hearing it , thought on what they never dreamt of , that she had great reason to use that form of words , That never man touched her more than her Brother , and took it for granted , that he had raised her Belly ; whereupon he commanded them to return and imprison the Curate , who upon his Commitment confessed the Fact ; his Sister in few days lost her Tympany , and was delivered of a Child , and both of them were condemned to be Burnt , which Sentence was accordingly executed ; and 't was favourable enough too , considering the horrid Blasphemy and Perjury of the Criminals .

A certain Curate , not far from Vienna in Daulphine , being taken in the Act with a notorious Strumpet ( who had often prostituted her self to his dissolute Embraces ) behind the High Altar ; and that on good Friday too , an aggravating Circumstance ; the worthy Bishop of that Diocess , was to inflict a Punishment on him for this heinous Crime , and it was a merry one indeed , viz. to sing Mass for a certain time ; but the compassionate Legate of Avignon , thought the Priest was too severely dealt with , and discharged him from that rigid Sentence , which encouraged the holy Man to play his tricks more frequently with the same Harlot , and in the same Place , than formerly ; thus to advance their sensual Delight , these Clergy-men make Religion and Holiness , a Bawd to their own lascivious Wickedness . Methinks they should be more wary to observe the old Rule ; Si non casté tamen cautè ; and not affront the Meridian Sun with their Noon days Impieties ; and this was the cause of that sporting reason that one gave why ghostly Fathers are called Beaux Peres , because , said he , they get Children at the High Altar .

Thomas of Abington , a lascivious Friar , could not be satisfied with the Use of three Concubines , but he must be incestuous , ( as if single Fornication were a small matter ) for he had two Children by his own Sister ; nay , some Friars and Monks have maintained twenty Whores at one time : a fine Crew indeed , able to fill a pretty Seraglio .

Berenger , an Italian Marquess , entertained a Chaplain in his House , as Persons of his Quality usually do , to perform the Duties of the Family , as to their Devotion , for which he had a competency becoming one of his Coat , and to gratifie his Lord , lay with his Lady ; and tho he was but a mere Dandiprat , as deformed in Body , as in mind , yet she notwithstanding the Nobility of her Race , run the risco of so ignoble an Action ; but he had his merited Compensation at last , which spoil'd his sport for the Future , for being discovered by the barking of an unlucky House Dog , he was taken , stript stark naked , and had his impetuous Nerve amputated for the Offence . This hapned in the time of Pope Steven the Eighth , about the year 941.

A Butcher of Strasbourg in Germany , by a strange accident lost his Wife , and not hearing the least syllable of her in a long time concluded she was Dead , and so she was to him in truth , tho not to the Franciscans , who kept her at Bed and Board ; an Order so much extoll'd for their Sanctimony and Piety ; but he found that there was a Franiscan Novice , who came daily to the Shambles accompanied with a ghostly Father , which the Butcher thought did so resemble his Wife , that he would often say , were he not perswaded that his Wife was dead , he should swear it were she . In fine , she proved to be what he thought her , his Wife indeed , which being discovered , and made known to the Civil Magistrate , not only the Franciscans , but the other Monks and all the wicked rabble of lascivious Priests were deservedly expell'd the City .

A Franciscan lodging in The Queen of Navarr 's Relation a Gentleman's House of Perigort , who was his Confessor , and very intimate with him , being privy to all his Secrets , by that Religious Cheat of auricular Confession , whereby he came to understand the Gentleman had a design to bed his Wife that Night , who had layn in but three weeks before ; which the Confessor perswaded him to , only for his own wanton ends : for when Night approach'd , the Friar anticipated him , went to Bed to his Wife , and enjoyed her , who departed immediately after he had satisfied his Lust , as mute as a Fish , not so much as opening his lips , and went out of the Door , which the Porter took notice of ; Presently after in comes her Husband at the time appointed , who thinking it was he that accompanied her before , could not forbear discovering it ; whereupon he suspected the Friar had play'd him that slippery trick , and finding him out of his Chamber , and the Porter confirming his departure , he was satsfied 't was he , went back to his Wife and acquainted her with the circumstances of the Story : and so left her , to pursue the Francisean ; but his Wife being alone , and extreamly perplex'd , to rid her self of that trouble that was upon Spirit , hanged her self ; but whilst she was strugling with the pangs of Death , killed a little Infant that was by her with a Blow of her Foot , which cried out so vehemently before Death , that a Woman who lay in the Chamber was awakened with the noise : and seeing these miserable Spectacles , went and acquainted her Mistrisse's Brother therewith , who asked her what Villain committed that butcherly Fact ? she not being able to satisfie him with the Author of it , only said , she knew of no body that was there but her Master . He seeks for him , but finds him not , which did very much confirm him in the opinion , that he was guilty of the Murther . He follows him , over takes him , assaults him with a whole Volley of villanous Names , draws upon him so suddenly , that his Brother in Law had no time to ask him his Reason ; so they fought desperately , and so long , that at last being tir'd out , they desisted by consent , and then making inquiry into the cause of this furious and unexpected Rencontre , he understood the Franciscan occasioned all this Mischief ; his Brother that pursued him , crav'd his Pardon for fighting and wounding him , and mounting him on his Horse , conducted him to his own Apartment , where he died the next Morning , freely forgiving his Brother in Law , and acknowledging to his Relations , that he was the sole cause of his own Death ; but his Brother , to satisfie the Law , sued out his Pardon , which was granted him by King Francis the First . See the pregnant mischiefs , and complicated Crimes that did accompany the Furtiva Gaudia , the stollen sweets , or adulterous action of a Religious Franciscan . If this be their Religion and Piety , what must their Irreligion and Impiety be , and what dangerous effects must attend it ?

It is storied of a Priest , that a Catholick coming to holy Shrift , shook his head at the thought of his Crimes which he was to Confess , but the Priest finding him somewhat disturbed , perswaded him to a free Declaration of his Sins in order to his Absolution ; at last he told him , with much adoe , that he had deflowr'd a Virgin. Pish , said the Priest , If that be all ; Innocentum docuisti , Thou hast instructed an innocent Person . Oh! but Sir , said he , I have committed a greater Crime . What 's that ? Why , I have bedded my Neighbour's Wife . Well then , said the Priest , Proximam adjuvasti ; Thou hast helped thy Neighbour . Alas , Sir , said he , I have done worse than all this ; I have had carnal knowledge of a Nun. At which the Confessor's zeal was so great , that he could not forbear cursing instead of absolving him , Abi apud inferos furcifer , hoc est pro nobis . Go and be damned , you Hang-dog , how durst you take the Trade out of our hands , that 's our proper work , and no Lay-man's business .

That unnatural sin , which was burn●… by fire and brimstone from Heaven , the ashes whereof were drowned in the dead Sea : hath made a shift to revive among Romanists , and cries as loud for Vengeance as ever ; and of all Places Italy abounds most with frequent Examples of Incest and Sodomy . It is a common Proverb there among them ;

Siena di quatro cose se vanta , Di Torre & di Campane , Di Bardasse & di Putane . For these four things Siena far excells All Places ; Towers , Whores , Sodomy and Bells .

In Venice , saith Mr Howel , all Amorous things are done by Proxy ; while the Husband is abroad in the Gallies , there be others that shoot the Gulph at home .

At Rome , that Holy City , Pictures are Printed to provoke Lust , and to teach men obscenity by ocular demonstration ; a thing which the very Heathens detested in Philaenis and Elephantis ; and Propertius the elegiack Poet inveighs against such filthy Draughts .

Non istis olim variabant Tecta figuris , Cum paries nullo crimine pictus erat . Such Pictures n'ere adorn'd in former times Houses , when Walls were painted with no crimes .

Pietro Aloisio , Son to Pope Paul the third , was a Prince of Sodomy , he dealt with a great number of all Persons , of what Sex or degree soever , and at last courted a young man , Casmus Cherius , then Bishop of Fano ; and because he found he was not to be brought to his ends , but by violence , he caused his Servant to hold him , whilst he used him as his Ingle .

This sort of bestiality , Sodomy and Buggery , is frequent among the Italians , both Clergy and Laiety ; for 't is well known to any smattering Sciolist in History , what beastly work the Italian Souldiers made with the Goats , when they beleaguer'd Lions , during the Civil Wars ; now which were the greatest Brutes of the two , I leave it to all sober Men to judge . And this puts me in mind of a facetious , but filthy story , of a hot Neopolitan , in whose Country Absolutions are as cheap as Whores . There was a Calabrian who had buggered a Goat , he confest the fact to his ghostly Father , and bought an Absolution for it : a Friend of his hearing of it , said to him , Prethee what might it cost thee , for it was a heinous Crime ? he answered , but four Pistolets , upon my word : and added , that for the other odd one I think verily I might have had a Dispensation to marry the Brute . This verifies the old saying ;

Dulcis odor lucri ex re qualebet — The scent of Gain is sweet From Sins tho ne'er so great .

It is recorded in Pontanus , that Sigismund Malatesta , Lord of Romagniola , got a Child by his own Daughter , nay , that he designed to make a Pathick of his own Son Robert ; but that he , in detestation of his Fathers wickedness , drew his Sword in his own defence , and so escaped the fury of his unnatural Lust : But this is barbarous , and beyond a Parallel , which he acted on a virtuous German Lady , travelling to Rome through his Territories who seeing that his Courtship and Caresses could no ways move her to condescend to his lustful desires , he first cut her throat , and then like a barbarous Lecher , made use of her dead body . The same Pontanus alledgeth , That there is to be found among Beasts themselves a certain natural honesty , to reprove and convince men of such gross crimes : speaking of a Bitch that would not suffer her own Whelp to lime her , but would fly at those that endeavour'd to procure it ; and of a Mare that would not let her own Colt cover her ; but having at last leapt her , disguised in another colour'd Skin , and other tricks and devices used to that purpose ; when she perceiv'd the Cheat , forsook her Mate , and died for grief soon after . The very Brutes may inform men of their Bestiality , and shame them out of such immoral and criminal Principles and Practises .

As for the Gluttony and Drunkenness of the Clergy , among many Instances take these few ; It is grown Proverbial , Bishops fare , Prelates fare , Theological Wine , for the best , and Chapter bread for the finest . He fares like a Church-man , he swears like an Abbot , as fat as a Friar , as frolick as a Friar , and the like ; and the truest of all , as fat as a Hog ; For as one says wittily , Friars in puris naturalibus differ very little from Swine . nay , their good St. Anthony was but a Swine-heard ab initio , and their reverend Patron . And they are known to be such belly Gods , that 't is a Proverbial saying , A Carmelite in the Kitchen .

The boon Companions among the Clergy are so prodigiously prophane , that they must wrest the Scripture for Expressions to countenance their Intemperance . They will jest with the two edged sword of God's Word . Nothing will please them but to wash Fuller 's Holy State. their hands in the Font , and so drink healths in the Church Chalice , every Glass that they take off must be hallow'd by this Prayer , Cor mundum crea in me Deus , & Spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis ; and when they would signifie that the Wine is generous and good , Hic est tenete eum ; and when 't is all out , the Monks express themselves in this Allegory , Data nobis de oleo vestro , quia Lampades nostrae extinguuntur . The Abbot of Chartees being asked how he came to bear drink so well , and quaff so deeply ? answered out of the Psalmist , Patris nostri annunciaverunt nobis ; And good Fellows use to Droll with these words , Si quis Episcopatum desiderat bonum , opus desiderat . Nay , they spare not their own Mass , for when a Malefactor is executed , they say , sursum corda ; when a Man takes the Cup to drink , quia pius est . And some proceed farther , who are so bold as to belch forth these or the like sayings , Let God keep Heaven to himself , and let us alone to injoy our sensual pleasures upon Earth , like the French Clergy-man that would not part with his Benefice in Paris for his share in Paradice .

In the Civil Wars of France , the Romanists , to vex and disturb the poor Protestants , who began their Prayers with Nostre aide soit au nom de Dieu . Our help standeth in the name of the Lord , who made Heaven and Earth ; being an Expression out of the Psalmist ; they , I say , would begin their Game at Dice with the same Invocation , as if a Jest were not worth a Pin , if not seasoned with the Salt of the Sanctuary . Nay , there is not a Priest among them , but can give you three pregnat Arguments for their drinking the best unsophisticated Wine .

First , because it prevents and disperseth those Crudities of the Stomach , which might otherwise by a Rebellious Insurrection fly up into the head , and so make them snivel and drivel when they are at their solemn and Religious Services .

Secondly , Because Devotion in the opinion of these Religious Galenists , is more operative and fervent in a hot , then a cold Stomach .

Thirdly , because they are to chant and sing Mass : Now 't is the opinion of all Musicians , that a Man cannot sing worth a Button , till he has cleared his throat with a plentiful dose of good Liquor . But it may be the Bigot-Protestant will throw this rub in their way , that they are in danger of being Drunk ; why , alas poor Ignaro ! what if they be intoxicated , that signifies nothing , because they do it with a good Intention , for if it be allowable , and no ways hurtful to say , Hoc est Nasum meum instead of Corpus meum , so it be done cum intentione consecrandi , or to cast a Child into a Well , though it be drowned , cum intentione Baptizandi , as some Glosses maintain ; what then if a Priest take off his cups so freely , as to be fuddled , 't is not amiss , so long as it is done cum intentione missificandi ; and he is not obliged , maugre all the Laws of good-Fellowship , to Pay his Groat the next Morning , or to confess and Pay but his two-Pence : for the Priests are exempted from such pitiful Lay-penalties .

Of the Cruelties , Murthers and Massacres committed by the Priests , Friars , and Laity of the Catholick Religion .

THere was a French Priest at Orleans , who maintained a Whore , but grew jealous of her for false play with others , which the Religious man look'd upon as so heinous an affront to a Person of his Coat and Order , that nothing could sufficiently expiate the Offence but death . The Priest invites her to the Tavern with accustomed kindness and familiarity , where being entred , he takes her aside , as if he intended to play the wanton with her , throws her upon a Bed , and cuts her throat with a Razor , which he carried in his sleeve to that purpose , for which double crime he was only condemned to Imprisonment during life ; a rigorous Punishment for those two priestly Vertues of Whoredom and Murder .

A Jacobine Friar of the holy House of Spain , John de Roan by name , was a cruel Persecutor of the poor unarm'd and unresisting Christians in Merindol and Cabriere ; nay , his cruelty extended so far , that he put his wicked phancy upon the rack for new torments to torture these poor Protestants , and among the rest , this was none of the least ; he used to fill Boots with boyling Oyle or Greace , and to force them on the legs of those that were to undergoe his Examination , to the end , that the violence and insufferable extremity of the pain might so distract them , that they should not be able to give any other than disjoynted and impertinent answers to all Questions proposed .

Bernard , a Jacobine Friar , being one of the Faction of the Guelphs , poysoned Henry the 7th , with the flesh of our Saviour in the holy Eucharist , of which we have given you a hint in another place before .

Nor are the Romish Laity altogether guiltless of these kind of Cruelties , tho the two neat Examples , relish more of witty severity than of palpable Cruelty .

The Curate of Onzain , near Amboise in France , he had an extraordinary kindness for his much beloved Hostess ; but she , like a crafty Quean , to prevent the jealousie of her Husband , set him upon an Imposture which put a Period to his Venerial sport for ever , namely , to pretend that he had a real design to be gelded , and that she would provide an able Artist , and very expert at the Trade of Castration to do it , Monsieur Pierre des Serpens . The Priest , who thought no pretence grievous , that might conduce to his lascivious ends ; desires to speak with his kindred , who accordingly came to know his Pleasure ; they no sooner appeared , but he acquainted them with his firm and settled resolution of making himself an Eunuch , in order to the happy State of a future Being , and to prevent all illicite Insurrections hereafter ; and thereupon in the presence of them all , made and published his solemn last Will and Testament ; and withal , the better to confirm the matter , did freely forgive Mr. Peter , if he should dye under his hands , tho he had privately contracted with him before to give him five French Crowns as a Reward , that he should only make a shew of doing that which was thought he really intended ; so the Patient was fast bound , and handled as one that was to be cut indeed . But the Host receiving Intelligence of the slippery Trick , he design'd to Put upon him , paid him in his own Coin , and gave him as good as he brought , for he covenanted with him for twice as much , to do the business effectually , and he would bear him harmless ; so my nimble Shaver , for lucre of the Reward went dextrously to work and castrated him indeed , telling him withal , when he had effected it to purpose , that he did not use to make a Fool of himself , nor a mock of his Occupation . Thus the poor Priest , contrary to his expectation , was dismembred by this unlucky Fellow , and I think it was a sufficient Caution to avoid jesting with edged Tools for the future .

A Savoyard ▪ Monsieur d' Avanchi , one that had no great kindness for Priests and Nuns , and therefore took great delight in disobliging of them , knowing the Wickedness of their Inclinations , and the Vitiousness of their Actions , made two Franciscans first very merry , and at last very mad ; for having invited them to his Castle and treated them very nobly , to complete their good Entertainment , profer'd them the use of his Miss , which , like a couple of dissembling Varlets , they at first refus'd very nicely ; but he desir'd them to embrace his kind proffer , and assur'd them of their Welcome , and told them , that this was but a modest Repulse , for he knew they were Flesh and Blood as well as other men , and stood in need of such Refrigerations . In conclusion , he lock'd them up in a Chamber together ; and they were not such Fools as to lose so fair an Opportunity , but to work they went ; and when he upon his Return found they had not been idle , O wicked Hypocrites , said he , Is this the way to overcome Temptations ? I 'll teach you better things . Immediately he caused them to be strip'd stark naked , and there he and his Man belabour'd them as long as they could stand over them ; and after they were severely lash'd , sent them away with never a Rag to cover their shame , to teach them never to encounter Temptations at all , or to fight more couragiously against them . Thus did this Ajax Flagellifer lash them severely , to prevent the whipping of themselves , which they sometimes do , but I believe more favourably .

Pontanus . Nicholas Fortibrachius , an Italian Captain , went always attended with a Mute laden with Halters ; and when the Fit came on him , he would make a Sign to the dumb Man , who upon this Signal soon dispatched the next Person that came in his way upon the next Tree that was at hand .

A Virtuous Lady , whose Husband was imprisoned by the Provost la Vouste , made her Addresses to him on behalf of her Husband , the Criminal : and after she had earnestly supplicated him , he told her in plain terms , there could be nothing done under the rate of a Nights Lodging with her , and then he would grant her Request . The distressed Lady being in this great Strait and anxious Condition , was at a very strange loss : but after a serious Debate with her self , resolved to purchase her Husbands Life with the loss of her Honour ; but withall , first acquainted him with her Intention , to which he soon condescended ; and so his Lordship had his Desire : but like a sordid Wretch , after he had defiled the Gentlewoman , the very next Morning hanged up her Husband , and then said , I promised you you should have your Husband , and I scorn to be worse than my Word ; here take him dead .

In the Reign of Maximilian the Emperour , there was a famous Covent of Franciscans in Flanders , within his Dominions , near which there dwelt a Gentleman , who was a great Favourer of that Order , among whom there was a lusty proper Brother of the Society , who was the Gentleman's Confessor , and gave him full Power over his whole Family ; Now having this Liberty , he came in and out when he pleas'd , insomuch that at last he was inflam'd with his Wife's Beauty ; and one day above all the rest , he visited her , and inquir'd where her Husband was : she told him he was gone abroad to survey some Lands that belong'd to him , and would be absent two or three days . The Franciscan walks about very disconsolately ; which the Gentlewoman perceiving , sent her Maid to him to know if he wanted any thing ; she came to him in the Court and asked him if he had occasion for any thing that the House could afford ? and he said , yes : and leading her into a bye Corner , took a Dagger out of his Sleeve and thrust it into her Throat . In the interim , one of the Gentleman's Tenants came into the Court to bring his Landlord's Rent ; who spying the Franciscan , he embraced him very courteously : but the wicked Fryar , to requite his Kindness , stab'd him , and then lock'd up the Castle Gate . The Gentlewoman wondring that her Maid stay'd so long , sent another to know the reason of it , and he serv'd her as he did the former . Then he went to the Gentlewoman , there being none but they two in the House , and told her plainly , he had been in love with her a long time , and was resolved now to fulfill his desire , intreating her to come down , which she did , and there saw her Maids and Tenant dead ; telling her that he intended to have his pleasure on her , more than once , and therefore would not ravish her ; but pulled off his Habit , under which he had a shorter , which he profered her , and said , if she would not accept of it , he would deal by her as he had done by the rest : She protracted the time as long as she could , in hopes of some assistance ; and when she had undress'd her head , her hair being loose about her Ears , he cut it off , and made her strip to her Smock , and so cloathed her with his short Habit , and put on his long Robe again , so they both departed ; but it fortuned , that her Husband had dispatch'd his business , and was upon his return the same way that they went : The Friar spying him , said to her , look yonder is your Husband , go before , and if you give him the least sign I will cut your throat ; the Gentleman approaching , asked the Friar whence he came , he said from his own House , where I left my Mistriss your Wife in health , expecting you , and so he past on , but his Man called to her , thinking it had been Friar John , the Franciscan's old Companion ; But she durst not give him a word , only a wink with a weeping Eye ; the Fellow rides after his Master , and told him that Novice did resemble his Mistriss : Go , said he , thou talkest like a Fool ; but the Servant was so dissatisfied , that he went back , his Master staying to know the issue ; he calls out aloud , Friar John ; whereat the Franciscan fearing a Discovery , turned back upon him , and with a long quarter-staff knock'd him off his Horse , and when he was down , fell upon him and cut his throat , the Master seeing his Man fall , made up to them , which the Friar perceiving , beat him down , and fell upon him , but the Gentleman being very strong , grasped him in his Armes that he could do him no hurt , and the Dagger in the Scuffle fell out of his hand , which his Wife took up , and gave her Husband , she holding him down by the Cowle , whilst her Husband stabbed him in several places , insomuch that he confessed the Villany , and begg'd his Pardon ; The Gentleman being unwilling to kill him , sent his Wife home for some of his Servants , who came thither immediately , so they took up the Franciscan , carried him to the Gentleman's , and from thence to the Emperours Deputy in Flanders , to whom he confessed the whole matter , and upon his Examination it was found , that abundance of beautiful Gentlewomen had been so served . In short , the Women so detained were all fetch'd out of the Monastery , and the Friars and their Covent were burned together .

Of the Necromancy , Sorcery , and Conjurations of Priests and Friars .

FRiar Lewis , about 100 years ago , made an absolute Paction with the Devil , who appeared to him at Marseilles in the shape of a Goat , aad promised him ( I wonder the Friar had no more Wit than to believe him , since he was a Lyar from the beginning ) the uninterrupted enjoyment of any Woman whatsoever , tho never so great a Beauty ; or of any other Pleasures for the term of 41 years complete , but the Devil was too cunning an Arithmetician for him , placing the unite before the tens , which amounted but to 14 years , ( and this very Contract is to be seen to this day , with the Devil's Claw to it , ) when the time was expir'd , the Friar was detected of Witchcraft and burnt ; all the Children he had christned during that double Apprentiship of twice seven years , being rebaptized ; and the Women he had abused were confined to a Nunnery by themselves .

There was a cetain Priest of Savoy , who was Curate of the Village Feling , near Bonne , to whom his Parishioners resorted in great flocks , to beg of him that he would allay a violent Tempest that then raged among them ; for he had often made his brags he could do it , and that they need not fear either Thunder , Lightning , or any Tempest , so long as he continued among them . Well , to work my Conjurer goes , and mumbles over a great many Conjurations , which he had by roat , being only a Medley of horrible , terrible , hard words , as dreadful to the People as the Tempest it self , ( he being sheltered all this while under a thick well-spread Tree , and held by four or five for fear of being blown away ) but finding himself at a loss in his Art , to mend the matter , pulled out his breaden God , and saluted it in this irreverend manner , according to the harsh Dialect of his Country ; Cour di , se te ne ple for que le Diablou , &c. By God's heart , if thou be not stronger than the Devil , I 'll throw thee into the dirt . And this did the business effectually . Avant therefore all Agrippa's , and Merlins ; let not Spanheim boast any more of her grand Wizard-Abbot , since Savoy hath clearly out-done her with a little Conjuring Curate .

In Savoy Anno 1358 , several Priests were burnt for Incantations , and Sorcery , and one of them a notorious Gentleman in the Black-Art , was executed at Rolle , a Town four miles distant from Lausana , who had been a Wizard or Sorcerer , as appeared by his own Confession , for four and twenty Years , and yet all this time sung Mass , and performed the office of a Priest , as religiously as the best Mass-monger of them all ; and that he might not suffer uncomfortably , and dye alone , his Whore was burnt with him for company ; and 't was but just , that she who had been a long time Copartner with him in Pleasure , should at last be partaker with him in Pain ; and it seems she imployed her Talent so well , that she grew Mistriss of the Trade too , and was so expert in it , that she was found Guilty , and condemned as a Sorceress . Thus these two Hellish , but loving Mates to the very last embraced one another in the hot Flames , a just reward or guerdon of their fiery Lust , and Hellish practices of this nature for many years together , formerly by them put in Execution , for which they were both in the end ( as you have heard ) executed .

Of the gross Ignorance of the Priests and Friars , their false Impositions upon the Laity .

THere is a known story of Monsieur Prat , the Chancellor of Paris , a Reverendissimo , and grave Clergy-man in the time of Francis the First , who had a Present sent him by Henry the Eighth , King of England , with a Letter wherein there was this Expression , Mitto tibi 12 Molossos , I send you twelve Mastives ; but the profoundly learned Chancellor , mistook the meaning for a dozen of Mules , and being over confident of this Exposition , he went to the King , accompanied with an eminent Noble-man at Court , to intreat his Master to bestow on him that Present , which the King of England had sent him ; but King Francis having heard nothing of it , commanded them to produce the Letter , that he might peruse it ; and the rather , because that Mules in England are as rarely seen as Coaches in Venice : But when his Majesty found out the gross mistake , the Chancellor was the sole object of their excessive Laughter ; who , like a State-Tinker , to mend the matter , did excuse himself with this kind of evasion , That he misunderstood Molossos for Muletos , like an Ass as he was , which latter misinterpretation rendred his Lordship far more Ridiculous than the former .

We read of an aged Priest , who R. Pacaeus de fructu Doctrinae . lived in the Reign of our Henry the 8th , who was so sordidly ignorant and stupid , that he always read in his Portesse Mumpsimus Domine , for Sumpsimus Domine , and being told of his error by a Friend that heard it , who was a Wel-wisher of him , and would needs have made him change his note , yet the Cuckow would not , for this very reason , because he had used Mumpsimus these 30 Years , ( the more Block-head He ) and therefore he would not leave his old Mumpsimus , for their new fangled Sumpsimus ; No not he , it was fitter for a young Novice of his Order , to follow the new Modes of refined modern Speech , and not for a Man of his Years and Gravity . Nay , the Priests in general , when they had very shrewdly crack'd Priscian's Crown , and were taken in the fact , would only use that common Defence out of St. Gregory , tho never intended for their purpose , Non debent verba coelestis Oraculi subesse verbis Donati ; The words of the Sacred Writ , ought not to be subject to the Rules of the Grammarian Donatus . But this was very hard usage from them to break the poor old-Man's head , and neither beg his Pardon , nor give him a Plaister .

Nay farther , these learned Men , whose Duty it is to instruct the Ignorant , and undeceive the seduced , are so far from informing their Sheep , that they , the very Pastors , want Instruction themselves , for if in their Lectures , which are but few , and seldom performed , they chance unhappily to stumble at a Greek Phrase , they tumble over it with a non legitur , Graecum est ; or else pass it over with a Transeat , Graecum est . Away with it , 't is Greek . We have nothing to do with it , it does not at all belong to us . And to shew the acuteness of their Wit in their Derivations , and Skill in the Etimological Art , they derive Presbyter , from Praebens iter , as the Conductor or Pilot of Souls ; but their Allusion is far more true , when they say , quasi prae aliis bibens ter , and 't is very This Etimological Art is practised by Hugo Carrensis , and several of their Praedicants . favourable too , for they generally are so rude as to drink all , and leave none for the Company ; Nay , the Devil himself cannot escape their biting Wit , for they derive Diabolus from dia , duo , & bolus , morcellus , quasi faciens duo bolos de corpore et anima , as making two morcels or choice bits of a Man , one of his Soul , and another of his Body ; and herein they give the Devil his due , and make him a devouring Abaddon or Apollion .

A certain Sir John , who deserved Stevens Apology . to be recorded as much as canonized for his Sanctity , when he came to the story of the Woman in the Gospel who lost a Groat , and swept her House in hopes to find it ; He himself soon lost it in the rubbish ; for he read , Evertit domum , instead of , everrit domum ; and whereas in the Acts it is said , demisimus per sportam , they write it , per portam ; and in honour of this Translation , this Quatrain was made by a French Poet ;

Par ici passa devant hier Vn tresnotable Charpentier , Qui besogna de telle sorte , Que d'un Panier fit une porte . Here passed by the other day A notable Carpenter this way , He was no bungler at his Trade , Who of a Basket a Door made .

A French Curate , being angry with his Parishioners , because the Pavement of the Church was so much out of Repair , to prove it a Duty incumbent upon them to see that rectified , pleaded the 17th of Jerem. in his own Justification , and for their Confutation ; out of these words , Paveant illi & non paveam ego ; let them pave the Church if they will , I have nothing to do with it , 't is their business and not mine , so let them look after it , for my part I 'll be no ways concerned , even as they Brew , so let them Bake , and there 's an end of the Story .

An ignorant Priest in Paris , finding in his Almanack , Sol in Cancer , in red Letters , mistook it for some Saint , and took a great deal of pains to find out a Mass suitable to that Holy day ; turning his Mass book over and over , and finding it to no purpose , was in so mad a Mood , that he closed his Mattins with this strange and barbarous Conclusion , Sol in Cancro , Sol in Cancrus , nec est Virgo , nec martyrus , venite adoremus . Now I 'll be bold to say , there 's never a Satchel-boy that has had Protestant Education , but would scorn to throw out such false and incongruous Latin.

We will conclude this witty discourse with a facetious , though old rhythming Epitaph , made upon a Father in times of Yore ;

Et mourut quatre cents & neuf , Tout plein de vertu comme un oeuf . He died i th' year four hund'red and nine complete , As full of Grace as an Egg 's full of Meat .
Of the Abbess , Nuns , and Religious Women .

NUN is a word derived from the Egyptian Nonna , of the same signification , and truly their Confinement would be no less than an Egyptian Bondage , but that their Pharaoh is somewhat indulgent to that Sex , and both their Task-masters and Task very easie and delightful . They have several other denominations , as Religiosas , Devota's , Votresses , &c. and all originally derived from fine words , Religion , Devotion , Vows of Virginity , and Chastity , and the like ; but whether these are broken or kept , judge you by the sequel .

They have adopted one name to themselves , that discovers their Life and Conversation against their wills , and that is , Recluses , which in its native and genuine Signification , speaks no more than to be set open , or left at their own liberty and disposal ; tho the Learned Patrons of that barbarous Age , wherein it was first started , mistook the meaning for those that are closely shut up , and inclosed within the round of a Religious Cloister .

Joan Queen of Sweden , was the first Authress of those Epicoene Monasteries , as one fitly call's them , wherein Men and Women did cohabit and live together ( very religiously and chastly no doubt of it ) under one Roof ; And here , forty to one else , the dull Hugonot will ask , why Nuns should be lodged near the Friars ? Silly soul , God-wot , there 's a question with all my heart ; when every ingenious Romanist will soon choak him with this answer , The reason is this , because the Barn ought to be near the Threshers .

Now if you scruple the truth of this Saying ; Boccace will furnish you with a Precedent to confirm it , and one that is very pertinent , and to the purpose . For he tells you of an Abbess in Lombardie , that rose in great haste from a jolly Minorite , who upon pretence of shriving her , took an occasion to lye with her , and bedded her all that night , saw one of her Nuns at the same sport with her Paramour ; but the Reverend Governess making more haste then good speed , instead of her Veil clapt on the Friars Breeches , the points of them hanging down on each side , as ill luck would have it , and came to her chamber big with reproof , resolving to nettle her for her Lasciviousness , ( see how old Vice corrects youthful Sin ) when she her self was piping hot with the same wanton Conflict ; but the poor Nun , being about to receive her Benedicite , by chance spied her Head geer , that priestly ornament , and said , Madam , I beseech you first tye your Coife , before you proceed any farther , and then I am content to receive patiently your sharpest Reprehension ; but the Abbesse finding her gross mistake , soon chang'd her mind , and went sneaking away , without bidding her farewell , which shew'd very little breeding ; but had her education been never so good , this unlucky Accident was enough to spoil it , that 's the very truth of it . Surely my Paper would be of a more ruddy complexion than naturally it is , for bearing the Contents of this Story , but that I find the Italian Proverb is like the Pope , infallible ; which says , that Paper cannot blush . This Story puts me in mind of Scoggin's wonder , who taking a Friar in bed with a Whore , cried out , a Miracle ! a Miracle ! Here is to be seen a Friar with four Legs .

The Author of the Anatomie The Anatomy of the English Nunnery at Lisbon , writ by a young Brother of that Covent . of the English Nunnery at Lisbon who was once a Brother of that Society , tells us , as a Witness of their Chastity , that he could go directly to a Place in the Wall of their Covent , where he might pull out the bones of Legs and Arms of the poor innocent Bastards , that have been both got and murther'd by that Common Society .

— Saxa ipsa trabesque Loquntur .

This verifies the old Proverb ; There 's cunning in dawbing . Nay , 't is certain , that these Tricks have been us'd some Centuries of Years , or else Pope Gregory could never have found so many Bones of drowned Infants as he did : and that they were very numerous is no wonder , being found in so spatious a Place ; for his Pond must needs be very large indeed , whose See is universal . Inter Coenandum hilares , was the old rule ; and you 'l find it observ'd among the Nuns of Lisbon , where this Story was related in their Covent , by one of that Society , to foster her ghosty Father , as pleasant Table-talk , by one that had been formerly a Chamber-maid forsooth , in the very house where the Comedy was really acted .

Father Strange , a young Jesuit , who had been brought up in England , fell very sick , the Air it seems of Rome and Valedolid in Spain being unhealthful , and disagreeing with his Constitution ; which made him beg leave of the Rector to return into England , and 't was obtain'd , in Order to the recovery of his health , and partly also for the converting , or rather perverting of Hereticks : where he no sooner arriv'd , but he took up this Nun's Ladies Chamber for his Quarters , and in a small time threw off his Distemper and grew very lusty ; insomuch that he had a great mind to be dabbling with that young Gentlewoman , his Sister Anne's Mistris ; for that was her name , that made this relation . Mrs. Anne it seems was then sitting at her Needle-Work , with her back to her Lady , and the brisk recover'd Jesuit , who were by the fire side ; and she looking by chance in a great looking Glass that hung before her , spied the late sick Jesuit at work , and withall saw what pains he took to shrieve her Mistriss ; but he found before he had ended his shrift , he was discover'd , and suspecting the truth , that she had seen all , he took her aside , and told her , that he was a man , and Flesh and Blood as well as others , was subject to such failings , tho he had vowed Chastity ; using all the Perswasions imaginable to win her to Secresy ; and the better to effect it , promised her , that if she at any time stood in need of a Confessor to absolve her for any of her sweet Sins ( as he call'd them ) he would perform that Office , and her Penance should not be grievous or burthensome . This was undoubtedly enough to keep a she Saint from tatling . Do but ghess by this at the sober Conversation of a profess'd Nun ; of the Jesuit's Chastity in the Action , her modesty in the Relation , who did not blush to tell this tale for her own and her Ghostly Fathers Recreation ; who , like an old Fornicator , would report it with delight in his jovial humour , as he did to me ( said the Author ) and one Father Vivian , a Friar of the same House .

Nay , 't is very frequent among them , for the Father Confessor to go alone into the Nuns Cloister , or Side , and continue there a whole day together , and Dine at their Table with them , and be every other day in their sight , tho it be expressly against their Rules ; and in the Cell , which is only for them at Confession , they have a Grate , which is usually taken down with a slight , through which the Holy Nuns pass to his Bed by night ; a cleanly conveyance for such lustful Persons : nor indeed can it well be expected to be otherwise , since they have such Provocations to this Sin , as Pride , Ease , fulness of Bread , and abundance of all Things , and those the best that can be had for Mony ; for many times those costly Viands which the Viceroy's Purveyor will not meddle with , because they they are so dear , the Caterer of such Houses will buy , tho never so unreasonable , which Provisions are made for the ghostly Father's Table ; and when they sit at their Meals , sing bawdy Songs , and obscene Catches to please their Confessor , playing the most loose and wanton Tunes upon Instruments , such as would make a chaste ear glow , and a modest Person colour at the hearing . And this is the constant practise of these Religious Persons , whose Covent is made a meer Brothel-House , daily practising such lascivious Actions as are scarce known or heard of in some common Stews .

But my Pen being tired with writing such unheard of Villanies ; take this for a Corollary to all the precedent Matter . If Blasphemy , Treason , and Simony , not only countenanced , but daily practised and applauded as works mertorious , by a persuasion call'd Religion be the way to Heaven ; if Massacres , Murders , and Assassinations be pious and good Acts , and can help the Soul to everlasting Felicity ; If King-killing , deposing of Emperours and Princes , be not only commendable , but works of Supererogation , and consequently the means to obtain Salvation ; If Sodomy , Buggery , Incest , and all sorts of Uncleanness , are not only allowable , but preferable in some Cases to Chastity , and Matrimony ; if these , or any of these Qualifications can bring us into the Regions of immortal Bliss and Happiness ; Then he is to blame that will live an Austere , Sober , Religious , and Godly Life , and much to blame if he turns not a Proselyte , and imbrace the Roman Religion , which is of so great a Latitude , as to allow what Morality , nay , Paganism it self , abhors as Unnatural and Bestial ; therefore much more should every Person , who pretends to Christianity , detest and abominate such a Religion , whose Tenets and Practises are so Hellish and Damnable .

FINIS .
A Catalogue of Books Printed for , and sold by James Norris , at the King's Armes without Temple-Barr .

1. MAssinello ; or a Satvr against the Association and the Guild Hall Riot , Quarto .

2. Eromena : or the Noble Stranger . A curious Novel . Octavo .

3. Tractatus adversus Reprobationis absolutae decretum , Nova Methodo & succentissimo Compendio adornatus & in duos Libros digestus . Octavo .

4. An Idea of Happiness , in a Letter to a Friend , enquiring wherein the greatest Happiness attainable by man in this Life does consist . Quarto .

5. A Murnival of Knaves , or Whiggism plainly display'd , and ( if not grown shameless ) Burlesqu'd out of Countenance . Quarto .

6. The Accomplisht Lady , or Deserving Gentlewoman : Being a Vindication of Innocent and Harmless Females from the aspersions of Malicious Men ; wherein are contained many Eminent Examples of the Constancy , Chastity , Prudence , Policy , Valour , Learning , &c. wherein they have not only equall'd , but excell'd many of the contrary Sex.

7. Patria Parricida : or the History of the horrid Conspiracy of Catiline against the Commonwealth of Rome , in English . Octavo .

8. Core Redivivus : In a Sermon Preached at Christ-Church Tabernacle in London , upon Sunday , September 9. being a Day of Publick Thanksgiving for the Deliverance of His Sacred Majesties Person and Government from the late Treasonable Rebellion and Fanatick Conspiracy .