The glory of England, or A true description of many excellent prerogatiues and remarkeable blessings, whereby she triumpheth ouer all the nations of the world vvith a iustifiable comparison betweene the eminent kingdomes of the earth, and herselfe: plainely manifesting the defects of them all in regard of her sufficiencie and fulnesse of happinesse. By T.G.

CHAP. XX. Certaine particulars concerning the Latin Church.

THere are so many bookes and disputations concerning the enormities of papisticall re∣ligion, that little children can in a manner * 1.1 retort an argument, and cite you common places of Scripture, against their absurdi∣ties and idle traditions. I will therefore referre you to the larger dilations of matters of faith, and fundamentall points of saluation: and concerning the strength of their props, which now vphold their suprema∣cie and monarchall iurisdiction; in a few leaues of S^r. Edwin Sands his worthy discourse, you shall see them tur∣ned vpside downe, as if an arme of Heccate were put into the throat to pull the entrailes outward, and shew you the strange diseases both of heart and lungs: or else examine the paraphrase of the Reuelation, and you shall heare di∣stinctly prooued the seat of Antechrist, the pride of the whore of Babylon, the persecution of the Saints, and the enormities of this Hosean strumpet, that hath broken the bands of her first wedlocke, and bedashed her selfe with lusts loathsome charriot. For mine owne part therefore, I will leaue that common way of inuection, or mustring vp the forces of argument out of the maine battell of Gods word, and breefly summe vp the accounts of her condemnation in this manner. 1. First, concerning their gouernment, it is meere politicall, as allowing all positi∣ons of tyranny, reuenge, disloyalty, licenciousnesse, wealth,

and liberty, and wherein Euripides, Demosthenes, Isocrates, Tully, Salust, Perseus, Horace, Sigonius, Lipsius, Machiauell, or any other absolute or moderne writer opened a school∣house doore of diuellish deuices and distasting principles, to modest and orderly gouernments: they haue culled out the same to serue their owne turnes, and with the Iesuites, repute all others simple, that cannot labour in the worke of alteration of Kingdomes, and setting Princes at vari∣ance to corroborate their owne greatnesse. 2. Concer∣ning religion, it is meerely ridiculous, and a dart out of the quiuer of mans inuention; yea, so Diabolicall and Turkish, that it interdicteth the searching of Scriptures, disputing of matters of faith, or any opposition of their su∣perstitious decrees, councels, and consistorian statutes. 3. Concerning society and conuersation, it is meerely mundane, voluptuous, and sauouring nothing but de∣lightsome liberty: so that if there were not a God to bee prayed vnto and beleeued in, a heauen to bee expected, a saluation to be hoped after, and an account to bee made vpon a dreadfull summons indeed, I had rather be a Car∣dinall of Rome, then a Noble-man of Naples, who of all the Gentles in the world spred the largest cloth of vanities and voluptuousnesse. 4. And lastly, concerning their seeming vowes to obedience, chastity and pouerty; it is like Ianus face looking two wayes, and with the Lapwigg crying farthest from her nest: for they sauour not one word of truth in the same, as you shal see in the next chap∣ter. So that I will onely relate vnto you three seuerall sto∣ries of three seuerall sects, in which the absurdities of the Latin Church most plainely appeare.

In Rome amongst diuers others there liued a certaine * 1.2 Iew, who had many controuersies with Christian Friers

about both their religions, alledging for himselfe pre∣uailing arguments against their idolatry, or worshipping of images, wherein they would faine distinguish with the differences of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. praying to Saints, pro∣phaning of the Saboth, incontinency of life, and burning candles in the day time, as it were in scorne of the glorious light of the sunne, all which though they were vnanswera∣ble, yet the Frier pleading the calling of the Gentiles, the destruction of the temple, the disanulling of Iewish cere∣monies, the birth and comming of Christ, as a prefixed time of another religion, the authority of the same, and the orders of the Church, preuailed so farre with the o∣ther, that he enclined a little to bee a Proselite, which the Frier reioyced to heare, triumphing exceedingly at the good successe of his oratory: nay soft (quoth the Iew) it is not thy perswasion hath coapted me to this course, but a certaine impression, that some great and good God is pro∣tectour of this place, or the prayers of an holy Patriarch (as Abraham disputed with Iehoua about the sauing of So∣dom and Gomorrha) are acceptable to heauen in the behalfe of some vnknowne good men; otherwise the sinnes of Rome are so many, the liues of Priests so corrupt, the wic∣kednesse of men so abominable, the villany of politicks so mischeeuous, and all things so discrepant to true religion and honesty, that I haue wondred a thousand times, how the whole countrey, especially the city, hath beene prote∣cted and supported from sinking to hell.

At another time, a sober Turke liuing in Rome, and wea∣ried with the riot of their Carneuall or Shroue-tide, at his * 1.3 returne to Constantinople, being demanded his opinion of the Christians, answerered, that they had some tolerable customes, eat good meat, weare good clothes, or rather

spoyled much stuffe with fantasticke slashing and cutting it, and liued in good townes; but they were madd twice a yeere: For at one time they ranne like Diuels in a play vp and downe the streets with squibs of fire, making a noyse both on horse-backe, and on foot, keeping a coyle with Curtezans and Bawds, sporting with scurrulous and vn∣manly gambols, and performing actions of strange vnde∣cencies, which indeed is their time of Carneuall, a time of such sluttishnesse, vnrulinesse, and venerious riot in all the cities of Italy, that in Venice one Iceppo Marcello hath writ∣ten an inuectiue against it. Shortly after they went how∣ling in the streets like dogges, mourning with lamenta∣ble gestures, and whipping themselues vntill the bloud came, and this was on good Friday, when the Penetencia∣ries are couered ouer with a cassocke of canuasse, except two holes to looke out at, and all to belash themselues, vntill the blood runne downe their shoulders, whereby great Princes are so impostured, that contrary to a maine position of Scripture, against such voluntary humiliation and ridiculous inflictings, they haue entertained the pe∣nance, and vndertaken the stripes, witnesse Charles the 5. who left his rod of cords, as a iewell of his tresury to King Philip. Duke Ioieuse, called father Angelo; who returned to his orders, which was a bare-foot, or Mendicant Capu∣chin Frier, as soone as the league was dissolued, and many other both men and women of noble families, who enioy∣ned penance by their ghostly fathers, either by punishing their bodies, vnsauoury pilgrimages, fasts, abstinence, or such like endurances, are very zealous in the execution, and vpon confidence of some meritorious act, condiscend to dangerous and laborious miseries, yea, terrours abhor∣ring to nature. Now to my olde woman.

It is well knowne, that in the last dayes of Queen Mary, * 1.4 those dayes of firy triall, our roods and images in England were so palpably abused, and diuellishly stored with deui∣ces, that the Priests had diuers trickes to moue either eies, heads, or hands, yea to make them speake with variety of voyces, and palpable gesture, as if the Idols of Molech and Chemosh were to entertaine the presents of the people, and Bell had life indeede to deuoure the Kings allowance: which course is continued still in many places of Europe, insomuch that a while agoe in the Froe Church at Strasbo∣rogh, when certaine olde deuout women came to worship our Lady, the knauish Priests caused the childe to salute them in her armes, and (as it were) courteoufly to thanke them for making such account of his mother, which they not onely wondred at, but seemed in a manner offended, that the sonne should bee so bolde in the presence of our Lady: whereupon one more zealously angry then the rest, cryed out aloud; Peace I pray you young Gentle-man, I haue nothing to doe with you, let me heare what my good Ladie your mother sayes; and so when shee had no further reply, went away discontented.

Of this sort in our owne Kingdome of Ireland, in the beginning of his Maiesties raigne, when the townes were * 1.5 commanded to frequent the Churches, I was my selfe an eare-witnesse of many strange grudgings and murmurati∣ons, amongst which I yet encountred with this facete and indifferent deuotion; while two neighbours of Dublin were disputing about Church-matters, the one an indiffe∣rent Protestant, the other a superstitious Papist, and yet so seeming cunning, that she durst dispute between the Popes supremacy and the Kings authority, with a willing minde to satisfie either; her neighbour thus aduised, to goe to

Church a Gods name, and for the Popes sake to say Pater noster, for the Kings Our Father, let God take which hee will: and so it was merrily concluded, and the woman went accordingly to her deuotion. And thus much concerning the Latine Church. The parelell of which with ours would sufficiently shew our happinesse: And this you may see at large deliuered in the workes of many learned Diuines of our Country, to whom I re∣ferre you.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The corrup∣tions and a∣buses of the Romish Church.
• * 1.2

  The story of a conuerted Iew.
• * 1.3

  The story of a Turck con∣cerning his opinion of Rome.
• * 1.4

  The story of the olde wo∣man at Strasborogh
• * 1.5

  Irish deuo∣tion.