Sure and honest means for the conversion of all hereticks and wholesome advice and expedients for the reformation of the church / writ by one of the communion of the Church of Rome and translated from the French, printed at Colgn, 1682 ; with a preface by a divine of the Church of England.

CHAP. III. (Book 3)

That the pretended Authority of the Papacy hath never done any good to the Church. A Confutation of whatever is said to the advantage of this Power to prove it necessary to the world, by shewing at the same time that it hath been the cause of all the Evils of the Church.

THEY maintain that the Papacy hath heretofore done, and still doth a great deal of good to the Church, and to the world; this I can confute all at once, by a thing which the world knows, which is, that we have in no place so many true Christians as in those Catholick Countries where this power is least known, as in France, Flanders, and Germany. But let us see par∣ticularly what good the Papacy doth. It is a common saying that there is nothing so bad but that you may make some use of it, ei∣ther in its nature, or in conjunction with other things. Let us then examine the usefulness of the Papacy, omitting nothing that can be said to its advantage: It is, says Cardinal Perron, The Center and the root of Chri••tian Vnity. These are fine words, I confess, but we shall find but very little sense in them if we a little consider them; for I ask him, In what this Unity doth consist, and how the Pope is the center and the root of it? † 1.1 If this Unity be in the pure service of God, methinks that God should be the center of it, and not the Pope, and that it is also God who is the root of it; that is, the influencing principle over the will and strength of men to serve him and to do well. If this Unity be for doing what is evil, it is then but a conspiracy; and I do confess that in regard of wicked Clergy-men, who are the members of the Pope, he is the source of all their Impiety, Ambition, and Dissoluteness, and he is the cen∣ter of the Unity of these people, who belong all to him; and as for

themselves, he is the center of their worship, and would be so to all other men. * 1.2 Palavicini says that the union and submission of all Catholicks to the Pope, makes a band, a life perfectly Politick, Vna, conjunctione di vita perf••tta mente Politica. He says, not a Christian, but a Politick life, and according to him it is the same thing. ‡ 1.3 And in another place he says, the Church is the most happy Body Politick in the world: Corpo Politico il piu felice che sia in terra. This Unity, as I said before, consists only in their obedience to the Pope, ‖ 1.4 whom they all honour for th••ir profit; looking upon him as the source of Riches, of Honours, and of all the pleasures whi••h they have ac∣cording to the flesh, Secondo la carne. This Unity is in the confor∣mity of judgment, which they all make of the riches of the Chur∣ches Patrimony, which is, that they are good. It is certain, that it is not in their opinions; for what Clergy-man is there who cares for the Popes judgment, when it is contrary to his own? What Unity is there between the Jesuits and the Pope now reigning? What Unity is there among many Sects of the Monks who make war upon one another, and mortally hate each other? What Uni∣ty is there of Morals among one or other, the Jesuits and the good Catholicks whom they treat as Hereticks, Apostates, Antichrists, and Devils? What Unity was there between the Jansenists and Pope Alexander the Seventh? We see that for twenty years last past the Popes are between these two Sects as between the Anvil and the Hammer, not knowing how to govern themselves, because on one side the Jesuits dispose of all the powers of Europe; and on the other, their Morals destroy Christianity and Humanity it self; in this they are opposed by the Jansenists, who are followed by all sorts of people that are not lost in Ignorance or Irreligion. How can they ever agree in their opinions? because the decisions of one Pope do often times overthrow those of another, and sometimes they are themselves Hereticks, as some people do accuse the present Pope of being a Jansenist, which is according to them worse than Here∣tick? What Unity of Religion is there between the Spanish, the Ita∣lian, and French Nations? whereof the two first have scarce any knowl••dg of God, but are almost all Idolaters; and the last is very different from them. Lastly, to judg of this Unity, we need only to read the Books of the several Doctors, and we shall find them of very different opinions even in regard of the Pope himself. The Divines of Italy make him a God on Earth; those of France and Ger∣many believe nothing on't. The Universities of Rome and Bolonia de∣termine

that he is above the Councils; those of France and of Lou∣vain prove very well the contrary. * 1.5 The Italian Councils of Flo∣rence, the Lateran, and of Trent, will have him above a General Council; those of Constance and of Basil maintain that it is a dete∣stable Heresie to believe so. If there be a Unity, how comes it to pass that it is said, and that with reason too, that the Pope hath a differ∣ent soul in every State where he governs? If there were a Unity, there would be but one Soul; they must have greater abilities than either St. Peter or St. Paul, who could not unite mens minds in the Churches of Corinth, of Philippi, and of Galatia, where we learn by the Gospel that many Errors were taught in these Apostles times. The Cardinal Palavicini says also,* 1.6 that Il Principiato Apostolico maintienne in unita, in regola & in decoro tutta la Chieza, the Apostolick Primacy maintains in Unity, in Order, and in Beauty, the whole Church. To know the truth of what this Cardinal says, we need only to con∣sider what edification the Popes have given to the Church since Boniface the Third, Patriarch of the Popes, and first Head of the Church. ‡ 1.7 Was not the action whereby he got to be Universal Bi∣shop, a good example to the Church? and that of Pope Zachary in regard of Chilperic? Is there any thing in the world that favours perfidiousness and injustice more than these Examples? See the Hi∣stories of Platina, of Genebrard, of Sigebert, and many others; and you shall find that there are no crimes, excesses, nor abominations which the Popes have not committed to bring about their Affairs for many Ages. Is it not a matter of great consolation for honest men to see in this Seat, Children, Magicians, Atheists, Adulterers, and Sodo∣mites, as History affirmeth, and not ten or twelve only in all, but fifty one after another? Baronius himself doth not deny it, if the Church had had such Heads as these, she would have been long since abolished upon Earth. But to make short work on't, Was it not they who ruined the Church and Religion among the Greeks, by giving them over as a prey to the Turks, because they would not submit to the Popish yoke, but demanded the observation of the Holy Canons? Were not they the cause of the loss of Hungary by their perfidiousness, having advised the King of Hungary to violate the Treaty made with the Turks? for which the Hungarians were by a just judgment of God cut all to pieces in the Battel of Varnes, as a Poet of those times relates, who brings in the King of Hungary speaking thus:

Me, nisi Pontifices jussissent rumpere foedus, Non ferret Scythicum Pannonis ora jugum. Discite Mortales non temerare Fidem.

Can it be denied but that it was they who by their detestable Si∣mony, and by their pride, have destroyed Religion in all those Coun∣tries which are called Protestants? See but the Complaints which all great men for many Ages have made against this See, and those who have been in possession of it, and you may judg of the solidity of what Cardinal Palavicini saith, that they maintain the Church in Uni∣ty, in Order, and in Honour. I will relate some Examples of it. John of Salisbury Bishop of Chartres, speaks thus, ‡ 1.8 The Scribes and Phari∣sees are sate in the Church of Rome, imposing weighty burthens upon the people. The Soveraign Pontife is an insupportable grievance to all honest men. His Legates commit so many Enormities, that it looks as tho the Devil were let loose; whosoever doth not acquiesce in their Doctrine, is by them treated as a Heretick. And the Council of Rheimes Assembled under Hugh Capet, and Robert his Son, crys out thus, Shall it be said that an infinite num∣ber of Bishops and Priests who are Illustrious for their merit, and for their knowledg, shall submit themselves to such Monsters? What means this, most, Reverend Fathers, What think you that this man is, whom we see sitting up∣on a lofty Throne, shining all with Gold, and clothed with Purple? We have spoken of the Letter of the Emperor Barbarossa to the Princes of the Empire,* 1.9 which Aventine makes mention of; the same Author also produces the Speech of an Archbishop who presided in the States of the Empire held at Ratisbon; there are these words: The Pope teacheth us one thing, which is this, That there is this difference between Christian Princes and those who are not such, that the first bear rule over their Subjects, and on the contrary the Subjects (viz. the Popes) ought to rule over their Princes. Our Lord himself took upon him the form of a Servant to serve his Disciples, and to kiss their feet; but these Ministers of Babylon will reign themselves alone, and cannot suffer an equal; they will never be at r••st till they have laid all at their feet, till they sit in the Temple of God, and even raise themselves above God. He despiseth the H••ly Assemblies and C••uncils of his Brethren, and of his Masters. He is afraid of being compel••ed to give an account of what he hath committed against the Laws. He speak•• of great things as tho he were God. His mind runs upon new d••signs of establishing an Empire for himself. He changeth the Laws of God, and makes others of his own head. He defiles all things, he robb••th, he deceives and murthers. ‡ 1.10 Honorius Bishop of Autun speaks of him after the same manner: Turn, says he, toward these Citizens of Babylon, and behold what th••y are,

&c They contrive at all times to do evil, &c. and instruct others to do the same; They sell Holy things, and buy off Crimes, that they may not go a∣lone into Hell; They defile the Priesthood by their Impurity: they seduce the People by their Hypocrisie; they reject all the Scriptures whereby we obtain Salvation. Consider also the Monks; they deceive men by their Habits, de∣spising God, and provoking his Wrath by their Hypocrisie. Behold also the Convents of Nuns; they learn Immodesty from their Childhood, &c.

* 1.11 And Peter of Blois, Take away, Lord, the Idol from thine House, and bruise the H••rns of this man of sin; They pervert every thing at Rome, and give all sorts of liberty to the Monks, who give themselves over to all the Excesses of Sensuality, for which they have Absolution for a yearly Pension which they pay. Thus doth the Prince of Sodom gov••rn himself as well as his Disciples, who are sate in the Seat of Pestilence, &c. * 1.12 And St. Ber∣nard, who cries out, speaking of Popish Tyranny, O mis••rable Spouse, says he, who art committed to such k••epers! They are not thine Husband's Friends, but Rivals: We see all H••nours heaped up upon them, and they are loaden with the Riches of the Lord, and yet they do him no H••nour. From hence come all these Ornaments of the Whore, these Actors H••bits, this Royal Equipage, &c. The Plague of the Church is within its Bowels, and incura∣ble. ‖ 1.13 A shameful Traffick hath been also made of Ecclesiastical Offices and Dignities; nor doth any body value th••m but for their profit. It is not the Salvation of Souls that they look after, but how to enrich themselves: 'Tis for that they are shaved, frequent the Churches, and say Masses. And in another place; It looks, Lord Jesus, as tho all the Christians had conspi∣red against thee; and they themselves are the first to persecute thee, that seem to have the Primacy in the Church. And the like in many other places.

* 1.14 He observes in his 91st Epistle, that the Popes did already spoil every thing that was done in the Councils, which made him say, That he passionately wished to see a Council where Traditions were not defended with so much Obstinacy, nor obs••rved with Supersti∣tion; because the Popes brought in great Abuses under the Pretext of Tradition. Ad illud Concilium toto d••sid••rio feror, in quo Traditiones non obstinatius defensentur aut superstiti••sius obs••rventur. Recedant a m•• cui dicunt, nolumus esse meliores quam Patres nostri. These were not Oe∣cumenical Councils, but such as Leo the Tenth assembled, from which the ‖ 1.15 Sorbon appealed, by reason of the Abuses which were there established, and wrote to him, That his Council was not as∣sembled in the Spirit of God, in the Name of the Lord. See what our Probus says, who was Bishop of Toul, under Honorius the Fourth: He cries out, Alas! how long shall these Vultures of Romu∣lus

abuse our Patience, or rather, Dullness? ‡ 1.16 And the Great Petrarque, Who, I pray, is there that ought not to detest this Babylon, which is the miserable Habitation of all sorts of Vice and Wickedness, &c? I know it by Experience, that in it there is no Piety, nor Charity, nor Faith, nor Fear of God; nothing Holy, nothing Just, &c.

‡ 1.17 It is now above a thousand years since, that Isidore Pelusiota commended a Priest for having refused to be made a Bishop, by rea∣son of the great difference between the Bishops of his own time, and those of former Ages; because, says he, the Dignity of sweetness of Humour, and of Civility, was changed into Tyranny; For in former times they suffered Death for the Salvation of all; now they cause the Death of their Flocks, not by cutting their Throats (which would be a less heinous Crime), but by giving Scandal to the destruction of Souls; They then gave their Goods to the Poor, but now they turn to their own profit the very Por∣tion of the Poor: They then mortified their Bodies by fasting, now they sof∣ten them by Luxury; Then they honoured Virtue, now they persecute the Lo∣vers of Piety: They then spoke greatly in commendation of Chastity, but now — I will not say any thing of the odious, &c. He here holds his peace, and gives you the liberty to think what he cannot with modesty express.

* 1.18 Alvarez Pelagius, a Portugal Bishop, after having made an ho∣nourable mention of the first Bishops of Rome, complains thus of their Successors: It is now a long time since their Successors have raised themselves in Authority, but they are very different in H••liness, getting them∣selves in to be Bishops of Rome (would to God that this intrusion were made without a Devillish Agreement before-hand), enriching and raising their Neigh∣bours, living themselves deliciously, conferring Dignities upon their Friends, building of Towers and Palaces in Babylon (that is to say, Rome, ac∣cording to St. Hierom), kindling of Wars, keeping up of Parties in Italy, tho there be but one Church, embezelling the Goods of the Church, putting un∣worthy Men into Offices, vaunting themselves in their Chariots, Elephants, Horses, Costly Apparel, and their great Train of Guards and Worldly Pow∣er; invading many times the Power of Temporal Princes, taking no care for the Salvation of Souls, and what not? wholly minding the desires of the Flesh.

‖ 1.19 Besides these Subjects of Complaint, which are of great impor∣tance, there is yet another, which cries more loud to God for Venge∣ance, which is, That the Papacy is an Obstacle unto the Piety of those Christians who are subject to its Yoke. We are not of our own Nature virtuous; but on the contrary, we are born in sin, and

without the particular Grace of God there is in us always a strong Disposition to do evil. If then men are not furnished with means to resist these ill Inclinations, it is evident, that they will let themselves be carried away by them: But if instead of furnishing them with these means, they have greater occasion given them to do evil, there is no doubt but we shall be so far from inspiring them with the love of Virtue, that we shall engage them in sin. Now the Papacy, ac∣cording to the state wherein it now is, and for many Ages hath been, hath such ill qualities, that it takes away from Christians the Occasi∣ons of doing good, and offereth them others of doing evil. It is one of the Properties of our Mind to be led very much by Example, especially by those who make a figure in the World, and have Autho∣rity over others. Thus the behaviour of the Monks, and of the Priests, savouring scarce of any thing but Covetousness and Ambiti∣on, the Natural Dispositions which we have to these Vices are by this means strengthned. I acknowledg, that Preachers do instruct the people, That to make themselves acceptable unto God, and to have a share in the Kingdom of Heaven, they must refrain from these evil Passions; and they build this Obligation upon the Precepts of the Gospel: but men acting exceedingly more by the hope and fear of present good or evil, than of that which is future, the efficacy of all the loveliness of a God, who gave this Precept, of the hope of Para∣dice, and fear of Hell, becomes extreamly weakened in them, by the ill Example of those who by their Habit and Condition, seem, and ought to make profession of a Life more pure and disengaged from the Interests of this World. For altho they embrace not formally this Opinion, That there is neither God, nor Heaven, nor Hell; and that on the contrary, they hold these Doctrines to be very true; yet nevertheless this ill Example makes them act as if they did wholly reject them; this damnable Example having so mortal a poison in it, that it makes them believe, that their Teachers, being able men, would themselves live conformable to these Instructions, if they thought them Divine; and they themselves leading not this life, 'tis probable that they do not believe what they preach and teach. The Scripture also in many places highly enveigheth against Pastors of an ill Life, the disorder of their manners being a stumbling-block to those whom they have the care of. But tho the Irregularities of Pa∣stors did not make so ill an impression upon the minds of the people, whilst persons who desire to be saved, and are humbled when they perceive within themselves a repugnancy to follow those ways

which the Gospel hath marked out, hear speak of able men, and of almost whole Orders, whom, for instance, the Gospel enjoyns to be charitable, know that no more is employed that way than what re∣mains to him who spares no cost to appear Great, and to keep up his Port, according to the Custom of the World, and other such like Interpretations of all the Precepts of Jesus Christ, do not they find themselves inclined to embrace these Explications, thereby satisfying their desires, and thinking to quiet their Consciences? Those who favour the Papacy shall tell you, That the Pope is so far from order∣ing such pernicious Maxims to be taught, that he doth abhor them, and wish with all his heart, that they would teach and promote con∣trary ones.

Besides, that many Popes have themselves entertained ill Opini∣ons, I will grant it for the present; but the Pope, who pretendeth to be the only Head of the Church, and that it belongs to him alone to judge absolutely of E••clesiastical things and persons, not repro∣ving them; nay, oftentimes shutting the mouths of those who would oppose them, who sow, and spread abroad such dangerous Maxims, doth uphold these pernicious Opin••ons; which we have the greater reason to believe, because he withdraws the Monks, and many of the Clergy, from the Jurisdiction of the Bishops. If it be said, That he cannot silence them, by reason of their too great Authority; it is then manifest, that the Papacy, such as it is, doth suffer the ill Example, and these pernicious Opinions, and is not able to hinder them, unless it be in matters of very small im∣portance. And thus far it is an Obstacle unto Piety, since no body can apply a Remedy, whilst the Pope shall be acknowledged the Head and Master of the Church.

The Second Argument, which sheweth, That the Papacy is an Obstacle unto true Virtue, is, that it makes use of such practices as promote a false, and only seeming, instead of true Piety. Some Catholicks do teach, That Contrition is necessary to make Con∣fession valid. But this Doctrine is not much followed; That which hath the Vogue, and reigns most in the World, is, that At∣trition is sufficient, which is only a simple Sorrow for having sin∣ned, and that too occasioned but by the fear of Hell. The people who are instructed in this Opinion, believe readily, that it is an ea∣sie matter to be justified before God; and so think, that after having sinned a great while, they shall at their Death receive Absolution of their sins, by saying a Peccavi: For what man is there who is not

afraid of being Damned? The great multitude of Plenary Indul∣gences, and others, which are as common as Water, doth also mar∣vellously contribute to the casting men into Impenitence, and to make them at the same time believe, that their Consciences are in safety, under pretence of observing those Exercises which pass for Pious, tho they are not so.

I could produce many other Reasons, to demonstrate the Truth of what I say; but let these suffice.

The Pope, pretending to be the only Soveraign Judge of Religi∣on, not silencing these false and pernicious Teachers; nay, not be∣ing able to do it, if he would; Is not then the Papacy an Obstacle unto true Piety, since it introduces a false one in its place? There are good people among the Catholicks, I confess; but the Papacy contributes nothing to that. On the contrary, those who believe, and live well, it is God, and not the Pope, who is the Author of their Piety, as well as of their Profession, which is rather destroy∣ed than maintained by the usual Pride and Impiety of the Popes; from whence it comes, that no man now a days believes but what he will; so that the whole World is full of Deists, Socinians, Libertines, and impious persons.

† 1.20 But they say, That at least, the Papacy doth maintain the Ex∣ternal Vnity, and that is a great Advantage. Yet I deny that; For what does it contribute to this outward Unity? But besides that, it serves only to cheat the World, whilst there is no inward Unity. If they mean the Unity in Ceremonies, First of all, this would be no great matter; for Ceremonies make not the Essence of Religion, but are only the out-side of it; and besides, they are very different, according to the several Countries; and the Popes are not the Au∣thors of them: If they were, it were enough to condemn them. Besides all this, there are fewer Sects and Factions, less Divisions, and by consequence, more Unity among the Greeks, who have many Patriarchs, than among us. I acknowledge indeed, that it is rather Ignorance that unites them, than Reason or Piety.

‡ 1.21 B••t they tell us, that the Popes spare nothing for the Conver∣sion of the Greeks and Protestants; they bestow on them both Money and Benefices. To that may be added, That they have not spared even the Blood of Hereticks for their Conversion, as History in∣forms us. But if it be their Conversion which they do heartily de∣sire, why do not they renounce the Authority which they have u∣surped

in the Church and in the World? Why do not they re-esta∣blish things in a Christian manner, in the same State they were in, in the days of the Apostles, and of the Primitive Church? Why do not they condemn the Blasphemies which are spoken in favour of their Government, and destroy the Maxims by which they have ma∣naged themselves so long? They answer, That then their lives would be in danger, and that the Court of Rome would destroy them, as they did Adrian the Sixth, who thought to have reformed the Church; of whom ‖ 1.22 Cardinal Palavicini gives this Account, That he was Ottimo Ecclesiastico, Pontefice Mediocre, a Good Priest, but an Indifferent Pope.

But if the Popes cannot find a Remedy for the Disorders which are so prevalent, because, as they say, their Authority is not sufficient, what are they then good for, and why shall we a∣ny longer suffer this Tyranny in the Church? If they can find a Remedy, and will not, they are then not only unprofitable, but detestable Creatures. It is certainly one or other, or both toge∣ther; for we see, that every thing is overturned in the Church. And what? If they are the Vicars of Jesus Christ, and Successors of St. Peter, ought they not to think them∣selves happy, to die for the Glory of God, and Good of the Church? Is it better to be the Object of Mens Worship, to provoke the Jealousie of God, and to do so much mischief in the Church? Where is the Zeal of Moses, or of St. Paul, who would have died for their Brethren, and have been e∣ven accursed; and of the first Bishops of Rome, who suffered Martyrdom so Couragiously? They love rather to give them Money, and Benefices, because that thus they put out all to great Usury; they sow that they may reap; they give what is none of their own, or else what signifies nothing to them. If it be true, that they are careful of the Salvation of these People, why are they not so of their own? Why do they not labour for the Salvation of Catholicks? That would cost them no Money: There needs nothing but to allow the Reading of the Holy Scripture every where, and recommend it, as God hath recommended it to us; to suffer Divine Service to be read in a Language which every body under∣stands; For it cannot be denied, but that the want of these things doth produce among us great Ignorance, with which

Piety is never to be found: But to give Money to convert People, it is the mark of a very prophane Spirit, and a very dishonest method, and an Example for Mahometans and Here∣ticks to make use of, even towards Christians. And to give Benefices, it is yet worse; for by this the Clergy is filled up more and more with Hypocrites, and People of no Religi∣on, who spend the Goods of the Poor upon Debauchery and Luxury, and most commonly are of no use at all to the Church.

They say, That they make Religion to be respected: But how? Is it by their own Piety, or Sanctity, or that of their Court, or by their Humility? No truly, these Vertues are wholly there † 1.23 unknown, and the contrary Vices have ruled the Rost long since; but their fine Court, and the Greatness and Magnificence of the Cardinals, are the things we hear of. But are these the things that ought to make men love Religi∣on? Is it Gold and Silver, costly Furniture, Riches, Carnal Pleasures, which the Prelates glut themselves withal? Is it their Cavalcades to Montecavallo, their Horse and Foot-Guards, their Armies and their Fleets, which make Religion to be respe∣cted? If it be so, both Jesus Christ, and his Apostles, deserved to be despised, in comparison of their Vicars; and the Christian Religion also was very contemptible in their days. Is it to Excommunicate all the World when they please, without Authority, without Cause, and against the Nature of the Gospel, which is Charity it self? But wise men are so far from respecting them for this, that they look upon them as Fools. Is it to hold a Chappel, or Consistory, where they treat only of prophane things, and of promoting of Cardi∣nals? What doth this signifie, or what Relation hath it to the Glory of God, or the Salvation of Men? And what is there in all this, which the Patriarch of Venice, or the Arch∣bishop of Lyons, might not do as well as the Pope, if he had a mind to it? We must not dissemble. All the Respect which men have for the Papacy, at least, they who hope for no advan∣tage by it, comes only from the Respect, or from the Fear which they see Princes have of it. And this respect of Princes, if it be voluntary, proceedeth from great Ignorance of Religion, in

which they have been brought up for that purpose, or from the ill Council of some Ambitious Clergy-man, who compasses his De∣signs at the Prince's Expence. If this Respect be forced, as or∣dinarily it is, it is then out of the fear which men have of the Popes Power; whereby he rules the vast Numbers of the Ecclesia∣sticks, and especially the Monks, who govern the meaner People; who, as Palavicini says, are the disposers of the Religion of Coun∣tries.

It is said, That they have the Power of making the Laws of God to be observed. If so, they ought themselves to give an Ex∣ample; they ought to apply to themselves what our Saviour said to St. Peter, not to draw his Sword. It is a thing both ridiculous and horrible, that these People should have Armies, and make War. They do it in Germany, after the Bishop of Rome his Exam∣ple; But where is it that they make the Laws of God to be obser∣ved? Is there any place where they are violated more than where they have most Authority? Is Rome at this day better than Sodom? Do not they on the contrary, favour, as much as in them lies, the very Crime, by the Example of their Court, by their Expences, by their pretending to exempt all Clergy-men from the Jurisdicti∣on of the Civil Magistrate; that so they may commit all sorts of Crimes, and go unpunished? But they say furthermore, That they make Kings stand in Awe, and hinder them from professing, Heresie. On the contrary, it is they who made them become Hereticks, as in England, Sweden, and Denmark, and who by their Tyranny, hinder them from returning into the bosom of the Church.

It is also pretended, That they are very useful for the composing of Differences between Princes, being looked upon as common Fa∣thers to them all. On the contrary, their Artifices and Ambition, are so well known, that th••re is no Prince whom they are more di∣strustful of. They never carried on their own Interest better, than during the Wars of Italy, Germany, France and Spain, which either they always began, or kept on foot. They are also constant Ene∣mies to Great Princes. What is alledged might take place, if the Popes were not th••mselves become Temporal Princes, at the Ex∣pence of the Empero••••, and other Princes, whom they have rob∣bed. And it is k••own, that they have Pretensions over all Chri∣stian

Kingdoms; That there is no Court more refined in Policy than theirs, or that makes less Conscience of taking to them∣selves what belongs to another. In truth, they think it not taken wrongfully, because they pretend that it is their Right; that the Pope is Sennor del Mondo; and they call him, Nostor Sennor••, Our Lord, as well as Jesus Christ.

There is no State in Europe which they have not endeavoured many times to destroy, and which they have not greatly endamaged. ‡ 1.24 Matthew Paris relates to us that King John of England, because he would not receive an Archbishop of Canterbury whom Po••e Inn••cent the Third had Elected against the Canons, he was first Excommu∣cated by Innocent, who accordingly gave away his Kingdom to Phi∣lip the August King of France; and that poor King John was com∣pelled to implore the Popes mercy, who received him very bounti∣fully, on condition that from thenceforth his Kingdom should de∣pend upon the Holy See, should be Tributary to it, and pay 20000 Marks of Gold every year. And that this King having recovered his courage, resolved to Abjure Christianity as an evil Religion, thereby designing to cast off the Popish yoke. Because he made himself the Popes Vassal, he was called the Apostolick King. I wonder why the Kings of France and Spain will not add to the Titles of Most Christian and Most Catholick that of Apostolick Kings at the same price as this King John of England did. 'Tis not his Holiness's fault, they may have it when they please.

They answer,* 1.25 that it is true that they have heretofore caused dis∣orders, but that it will never fall out so again, that it was some hot headed men; that amongst the Apostles themselves there was found a Judas. But I maintain that all these disasters proceeded not only from the pettish humour of any one Pope, but were the natu∣ral effects of the Principles of the Papacy. And tho we do not see it visibly break forth every day by some bloody example, yet we ought not to believe that the habit or the will is ever the less, but that there is some external extraordinary reason which suspends the Action, and which does sometimes make them act directly contrary to their own inclination. Do not we see that the Inquisition it s••lf at Rome, that Impious Tribunal which hath the power of authori∣sing the greatest crimes, and of Canonizing for the Popes Interest, even Parricides, and the Assassins of our Kings; as amongst others by a Decree of the ninth of November 1609, it did condemn the De∣cree

of the Parliament of Paris given out against John Chatel, who had attempted to Murther Henry the Fourth. This Tribunal, I say, hath not long since condemned the Jesuits Morals, tho they were perfectly conformable to the Principles of the Inquisition; and we see that the Jesuits of France are at this time in the Kings Interest against the Pope, which is absolutely contrary to their Maxims, and to all their former conduct; which shews, that it is not true, that be∣cause an ill person does a good action he is no more to be feared: Tho a man be extreamly wicked, it does not follow from thence that every thing he does shall be so. We must not think that the habit is lost, be∣cause we do not always see its acts: Philosophers tell us that it is often so. It is a sort of a Truce and not a Peace. † 1.26 Non pax sed in∣duciae, bellum enim manet, pugna cessa••. A Cobler, ‖ 1.27 says Horace, is still a Cobler, tho his Stall be shut. [Et Alfenus vafer omni abjecto instrumento Artis, clausa{que} taberna, sutor erat. Thus the Pope remains still Pope, tho he sometimes do a good Action. * 1.28 Valerius Maximus says in a certain place that there are people, Quorum animus peregrinatur in ne∣quitia, non habitat, whose minds light upon iniquity, but like a Tra∣veller in an Inn they fix not; so may it be said of the Popes, Quo∣rundam paparum animus peregrinatur in bonitate, non habitat; that they sometimes touch upon a good action, but cannot hold to it. The Viper is a very dangerous creature, tho she doth not always bite, when it lyes in her power. But it is never good to trust her. Nemo juxtae viperam securos somnos capit, quae si non percutit certe sollicitat. ‡ 1.29 Says St. Hierom somewhere. The Papacy is just the same, it is the Chair of Pestilence, Cathedra Pestilentiae, where the best men are corrupted. It is what he very well understood, who said that the greatest harm he could wish a man was, that he were Pope. ‖ 1.30 And the Holy Carthusian Father that praises God that none of his Order had ever yet been Pope. How can any man maintain that Princes need not stand in fear of the Pope, when three Popes of this present age have condemned the opinion, that the Pope cannot depose Kings, as wicked and contrary to the Faith? Accipe nunc Danaum insidias & crimine ab uno disce omnes. * 1.31 These were Paul the Fifth, Innocent the Tenth, and Alexander the Seventh, of whom it may be said, that they were Ot∣timi Pontefici, Ecclesiastici mediocri, that they were true Popes, but ve∣ry indifferent Clergymen, who will be both Judg and party in their own cause, and pretend that their evidence must be taken, even when it tends to their own profit, and to the spoiling of those who be∣lieve

them. I could yet produce a later example, which is that of the present Pope, who with unsufferable rashness lately threatened to Excommunicate the Greatest King upon Earth, because he would Reign alone in his own State, and take away from some people who ought to employ themselves only in serving God, the dispo∣sal of some Benefices which belong properly to the Soveraign of a State, who we see makes a more judicious choice of men fit to serve in these Employs, because he doth not sell them, nor give them to his Relations, as they did, who had but very little regard to the merit of those upon whom they conferred these things. Be∣sides, of right, the Popes have nothing to do in the Dominions of other Princes; and there have been sufficient proofs given by this Great Prince of his zeal for Justice, and for Religion. But these men love to make people feel their yoke, and it may be well said of them, what Mithridates said of the ancient Romans, that it was not their love to Justice that made them fight against Princes, but the desire of their Authority, and of their Greatness, † 1.32 Non delicta Regum illos, sed vires ac Majestatem insequi. It is well known how ill they have treated Spain not long since, upon the account of the President of Castile, who had reason in what he did, and how at this time they handle the Venetians. Don't we know how Alex∣ander the Seventh, and his Nephews, behaved themselves at Rome to∣wards our King, in the person of his Ambassador the Duke of Cre∣qui? We may remember how that under Henry the Fourth they wanted but very little to have utterly ruined France, and to have made the French all subject to the Spaniards; and if the Parliament at Paris had not been better Christians than the Pope, what would have become of the Posterity of Henry the Fourth? For Sixtus Quintus, whose first Employ was to be a Keeper of Swine, having gotten to be Pope, grew so insolent as to Excommunicate King Henry the Fourth, and to declare him uncapable to succeed to the Crown; but the Parliament nulled his Holiness his Bull, which broke the design for that time. † 1.33 Mezeray mentions the Bull, which deserves reading. There are these words, That the Autho∣rity given to Saint Peter, and to his Suce••ssors, by the infinite power of the Eternal God is greatly above all powers of Earthly Kings, that it belongs to them to make Laws be observed, and to chastise those who oppose them, to overturn their Seats, and to tumble them down to the ground as the Mini∣sters

of Satan. He adds afterwards, That by the Indispenceable Duty of his Office, he is constrained to draw the Sword of Vengeance against Hen∣ry the late King of Navarre, and against Henry Prince of Conde, the spurious and detestable off-spring of the Illustrious House of Bourbon. Wherefore being in this l••fty See, and in the full power which the King of Kings, and the Lord of Monarchs hath given him, he doth declare them Hereticks, &c.

Thus also did Pope Julius the Second Out the Grandfather of King Henry the Fourth of his Kingdom of Navarre, and made it fall to the Spaniards. O miserable and detestable Creatures, thus to abuse the simplicity and credulity of men, as to dare by a Dia∣bolical pride to attribute to themselves an Authority which belongs only to God, and which Jesus Christ himself never exercised whilest he was upon Earth.

It is said in the Gospel, that Michael the Archangel disputing with the Devil, would not bring any railing accus••tion against him, but was content to say to him only, The Lord rebuke thee; because he looked upon God as him to whom judgment and vengeance be∣longed. And yet we see that the Sons of Adam are bold and des∣perate enough, not only to condemn, but to destroy Dignities, which they ought to Reverence, and to ruin them, together with whole States, as their fancy leads them; and that men give them∣selves over to these Impieties, which is unconceivable; There must be in it an Enchantment not to be comprehended. By this you may see what judgment we ought to make of the Harangue which Car∣dinal Perron made in behalf of the French Clergy, in the Assembly of the States at Paris, Anno 1616, he maintained that the Pope could Excommunicate and D••pose Kings, and make them be Assas∣sinated, and that not to believe it, was as much as to say, that the Popes who had long enjoyed these Rights were Antichrist. And that for his part, and for his Brethren, they would volun∣tarily suffer Martyrdom in defence of this Holy Doctrine. He desired to have his name inserted in the Martyrology of Garnet, and of Ra••illiac, and to go to the same Paradise. Ite truces animae & letho Tartara vestro pol••uite, & totas erel••i consumite poe∣nas. This stroke of Cardinal Perron, confirms absolutely what Sancy says of him, that he did not believe in God; and that judgment ought we to make of him.

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it. By all these Examples then we see that Princes, especially Kings of France, ought never to trust any Pope whatsoever; and that the Popes can never be the Mediators of those Differences which are be∣tween them and other Princes.

* 1.34 The Advocates for the Papacy do alledg also, that 'tis a great ad∣vantage that the Popes draw Revenues out of Catholick Countries, because they make a good use of them, and with this Mony they assist the Catholick Princes against the Turk, and employ it to many other good uses. For Example, They say, that the present Pope hath this Year given a great deal of Corn to the poor People at Rome, and Portions to marry off several poor young Maids. But what doth this signify, to prove that the Popes are universal Vicars of Jesus Christ upon Earth, and Heads of the Catholick Church? I do not say, that to be Pope, a Man must lay aside all Humanity, and become a Devil; that Opinion suits only with those who believe the Pope to be Antichrist. † 1.35 Cicero tells us, that even those who live only by their Crimes, cannot live without some exercise of Justice. It is a wonder∣ful thing that the greatest part of the World, with the great Vene∣ration which they have for the very Name of Popes, should be so ri∣diculously favourable to them, as to admire them for very common Actions, when they ought always to surpass the most perfect Christi∣ans in Charity, in greatness of Mind, and in contempt of the great things of this World, if it be true that they are the Vicars of Jesus Christ, and Successors of St. Peter; but to see how these People are extolled for the little Good they sometimes do, you would think they had a Dispensation from doing any good Actions. It is like those who commend the great Vertue of a Woman that does not prostitute her self to all the World, you would say that she might be dishonest for all that, and that for this there is no such great Commendation due to her: just so do People magnify the Pope, because they say he will give five hundred thousand Livers a Year to defend Poland against the Turks. But first of all, there is his own Interest in the case; for the Popes look upon themselves as chief Kings of Poland, as well as of other Catholick Kingdoms, and they think they lose so much Land and so many Subjects as the Turks gain from the Catholicks; but what is such a Sum as this to a Priest whose Revenue amounts to twenty Millions; how doth he employ the rest of the Churches Blood? I dare be bold to say he doth every Year plunder Poland of more than this Sum. But now in a time that People begin a little to know the Papacy, we must not wonder they endeavour by some

good AAions to keep it from Contempt. As for the Corn which they give at Rome to the Poor, what a great matter that is? It is but just, that since the Papacy hath made them idle and lazy, it should maintain them. Was there ever yet a Tyrant who did not do some good? I do not inveigh against the Person of the present Pope, who, of all the Popes that have been in Possession of this See since Boniface the Third, is certainly one of the least wicked. It is the Papacy only which I oppose, that extravagant Authority which they make Men to adore, that never yet did any thing but Mischief; and I make a di∣stinction quite contrary to that which ignorant People make of it, who say, that the Popes as Men, may be wicked, but not as Popes; for I maintain that as Popes, since Boniface the Third, they have ne∣ver done any thing but ill; but as Men, they may sometimes do Actions that are morally good. If the Popes did their Duty as true Bishops, if they preached the word of God, if they instructed their Diocess in the knowledg of God, if they applied themselves to their Prayers, without being ambitious, without desiring Command and Authority, and playing the Princes at Rome, without abusing the World with their Dispensations, Induglences, false Reliques▪ Agnus Dei's, and other Fooleries; without drawing of Annates, giving of Bulls, and comparing themselves to Kings and Princes: If, I say, they behaved themselves like the first Bishops of Rome, I should honour and admire them, as a Souldier said heretofore to Nero, I loved thee * 1.36 dum ama∣ri meruisti; sed postquam Parricida, Histrio, incendiarius extitisti, &c. whilst thou didst deserve it, but since thou wert a Parricide, a Stage-player, and destroyer of thy Country, I have abhorred thee.

† 1.37 They say furthermore, that were it not for the Pope, there would be no Missions to the Indies, and that those People would never be converted. On the contrary, by the Ambition, Pride, and carnal Pleasures which they keep up in the Church, Zeal and Charity are almost wholly extinguished. But what do the Popes do for these Missions? If they contribute any thing towards them, it must be, as in all other things, for their own Interest. But there were Missions to the Indies before ever the Bishops of Rome undertook to govern the Church: those who are now sent thither go only for Gain and Traffick; and by the Relations we have of them, they are the strangest Conversions in the World; they take no care at all to instruct these poor People, nor to teach them any thing, they baptize them only, without explaining to them the Virtue of that Sacrament, or what it signifies; nay without turning them from their former Ido∣latry.

They are contented instead of instructing them, to tell them that in worshipping their Idols, and doing all as they did before, it is sufficient if they direct the Intention to Jesus Christ, or to the Saints, and so they are no less Idolaters than they were before. These now are their Conversions.

* 1.38 But, say they, does not the Pope create a great many Bishops in partibus Infidelium, in the Countries of Infidels. That may be done without the Pope; Metropolitans and Primates did heretofore create them, and Bishops may do so still. This tends to nothing but to flatter the Vanity of the Popes, who, not being able to establish them∣selves effectually in those Countries, will however satisfy their Fancies, by this imaginary Empire which they attribute to themselves in dispo∣sing of fantastick Bishopricks in those Countries. This is all but Farce. My Lord the new Bishop makes wry Faces, as if he were going to his pretended Diocess, where the People shall be Greeks, Pagans, or Mahometans, he prepares his Equipage to be gone, and whilst he is just ready to depart, his Holiness hath a tender Affection for his dear Son, commends his Zeal and his Piety, to go to hazard himself among the Infidels, dispences with him as to his Journey, and for a recompence of his Devotion, he gives him good Pensi∣ons and Benefices, wherewith the good Prelate lives jollily at Rome in Pleasures and in Honours. They have by this Principle of Vanity created four Patriarchs at Rome to make themselves amends because they could not make the four Greek Patriarchs submit to them.

† 1.39 There are some People also who pretend, that the necessity of a visible Head of the Christian Church is proved by this, that the Ma∣hometans have one, and the Pagans also had one: And they say, that the Mahometans, who have a Musti, and had heretofore their Cali∣phes, the Pagans their Pontifex Maximus, as the ancient Romans had, will have less Aversion for Christianity when they see in it a Head of Religion like their own. But there is a great deal of diffe∣rence; for these never did usurp the Temporal Power of Princes like the Popes; they never exacted Oathes of Allegiance from their Clergy, nor pretended to a share of the Princes Authority, as the Popes do in Catholick Countries. The Ambition of the Popes will ever keep them back more than this Conformity will induce them to embrace Christianity. But Men must not form to themselves such car∣nal Ideas of the Religion of Jesus Christ, who is all Spirit, Truth, and Holiness; it is a sort of Idolatry to believe that Jesus Christ hath such

Vicars. It is to be wholly ignorant of God, and to make Jesus Christ the Minister of Sin.

It may be yet said, that the Popes keep Princes and great Men in the Catholick Religion by the conveniency of Dispensations, which they many times gives them very opportunely, and such as they could not find in other Religions; * 1.40 as Cardinal Palavicini maintains, that if the Pope did not give these Dispensations to those who possess and change many Benefices, they who enjoyed them would offend God, and be uneasy in their Consciences, and that it is because that God should not be offended that the Popes have found out the Secret of Dispensations. But these Dispensations are either against the Law of God, or they are not: If they are, then Princes are so much the more to be blamed to address themselves to the Pope; for this is manifestly to mock both God and Men. I know very well, as I have already observed, that there are some good People who maintain, that the Popes can make that a Sin which is not a Sin, and that not a Sin which is a Sin; but I do not think that any Prince was ever so simple as to believe so; thus the Action of a Prince who hath recourse to the Popes for Dispensations authorizeth this abominable Impiety, and by his Example, makes it pass for an Article of Faith, making him∣self the shameful Instrument to establish the most pernicious and the most infamous of all Impostures. If the thing be not contrary to the Law of God, there is no need of a Dispensation for any what∣soever. And furthermore, be they necessary or unnecessary, the mean∣est Bishop hath as much right to grant them as the Pope, nay more, since that, as I have already said, the Popes being Temporal Princes can not be in the Christian Religion either Bishops or Priests; they have forfeited this Character, and have no calling under God, since God hath not instituted this monstrous Authority. Besides, these Dispensations are only for the Popes advantage; for by them he raiseth and maintains himself in Credit, not only other above Bishops his fellow Brethren, but even above God himself, abrogating his Laws, and fastning Princes with his whole Families indispensably more and more to their Service, it being their Interest to maintain this pretended Authority of the Pope, without which, their Actions would appear shameful and scandalous; and as many times it is for their Marriages which they are dispensed with, their Children would be il∣legimate, which would confound the order of the Succession. Thus does every thing turn to the Popes advantage, who are always of his opinion, who said in Epictetus † 1.41 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that where Profit is there is Piety. * 1.42 Omnia retinendae Do∣minationis causâ honesta. They do not only give Dispensations to Princes which are many times very unjust, but they also give them to every Body for Mony, which makes Hereticks abhor the Catholick Religion, who in this have much more respect for the Law of God, never practising any thing like this, and if there be amongst them a Licentious Person, who hath some great Affair to compass, he must be∣come a Catholick; then making his Addresses with a good grace to the Pope, his business is done: this is not Simony, because that which he obtains is in premio del denaro donato a Dio, a Reward for the Money which he hath given to God, as † 1.43 Cardinal Palavicini says, * 1.44 He also makes them give Mony as a Punishment for their Sins as the same Jesuit says in another place. How could Men arrive to such Excesses of Impiety, as to suffer such things as these? A Pagan heretofore said, that Maxima † 1.45 fortuna minima licentia est, that they ought to give themselves the least liberty who are Masters of the greatest Fortunes. Our Popes on the contrary, believe that they may do any thing, because that every thing is subject to them, which bold∣ness the long continuance of their Empire hath caused ‖ 1.46 Vetustate Imperii coalita audacia, and as they found that the People easily swallowed down their Impostures, they by degrees invented more enormous ones. When People have once passed some certain Bounds, they have afterwards no shame left them, neque metus ultra,* 1.47 neque pudor est. But it is a strange thing that no body opposes such horri∣ble things, that they are suffered to be done in the Church, and in the Name of God too, which the whole World ought to acknow∣ledg to be Holiness it self: Every body hath seen it, doth yet see it, says nothing of it, but by silence approves, nay applaudes it. I be∣lieve for my part, that People please themselves with fancying that God is like the Popes, and that they may come off easily with him in their Affairs. That which is as bad too as all the rest is, that pro∣portionably other Ecclesiasticks, at least many of them, do attribute to themselves some part of this Authority of the Popes, of dispencing against the Law of God, and that after the Popes Example, who have infected all the others. * 1.48 Sicut Grex totus in agris, unius sca∣bie cadit. This it is which hath produced those fine Morals which reign so much in the World, and have done so much Mischief. They will rather dispence with some great Crime against the Law of God and Nature, than with an indifferent thing, against which either they or their Predecessors have made some rash Decree; for by either

of them, they raise their Almighty Power above Heaven it self. In the first they raise themselves above God, by dispencing with the Obedience to his Law, and by the other, they make that a Sin which is not so in its own nature, which belongs only to God; and so they put themselves in his place. What Reason is there (for Example) in what Pope Innocent the Third established, * 1.49 that a Priest may be dispenced with for keeping many Concubines, but not for being twice married? upon which the Glossary makes this just Observation, No∣tandum mirabile quod plus valet hic luxuria quam Castitas. What reason is there that at Rome the best Benefices are disposed of in fa∣vour of wicked Wretches, Atheists, Poisoners, and Sodomites, Fel∣lows that are known to be such, and not to one only, but a great num∣ber of them; and that in France such Benefices as those cannot be possessed by a Prince and natural Son of a great King? I am not ig∣norant that there are some Canons which are against it; but why shall People observe so scrupulously a Canon of a Council upon a thing almost indifferent, whilst that the Popes do every day violate many Canons of the most Sacred Councils, in things that are Essential, and even in this very Point; for there is no body who knows Italy or Spain, but must acknowledg that there are a great many, who, not only possess Benefices, but Priests and Bishops who are Bastards, born even of double Adultery, begotten by Priests upon married Women. I do affirm, that I have my self known more than four of them; and even in France, our own Country, which is a very religious place, in comparison of Italy or Spain, who is there but knows that there are People of this sort in Possession of Benefices? † 1.50 The Roman Divines maintain, that a Priest is not irregular for Adultery and Sodomy, yet it would be irregular to let a Prince enjoy Benefi∣ces, because his Father did not beget him by his lawful Wife. ‖ 1.51 See in Navarre the great Canonist, he shall tell you that Sodomy causeth no irregularity in a Priest, but that Marriage does, because Pope Innocent the Third hath so established. After he hath spoken of those cases which causes Irregularity, he asks the Question, whether Sodomy be one or no. Dubitarûnt an voluerimus etiam nefandum Sodomiae crimen comprehendere; sequitur respondendum esse, non comprehendi, primo quia irregularitas nisi ob casus jure expressos non incurritur, secundo quia verba illa sunt Innocentii. Facit etiam quòd nos intelleximus quod in Italiâ ubi, ut fertur, plus hoc malo laboratur, quam oporteret, nullae de eo Dispensationes quaeruntur. He concludes that Sodomy makes not a Priest irregular. * 1.52 And the Cardinal Tolet does

maintain it to be the common Doctrine of the Divines at Rome, that all Orders, even Priesthood it self, may be conferred upon Children, and those who have not yet the use of Reason. Omnes Ordines, says he, etiam & Presbyteratum conferri posse Infantibus, & nondum usum Rationis habentibus, est communis Doctrina Theologorum. We see clearly by this, that when in France these People refuse to grant Benefices without Cure of Souls, upon the account of pretended Irre∣gularities, that it is more out of Pride than Religion, and that they take pleasure, as I have already said, to make People feel their Yoke, this they call super Aspidem & Basiliscum ambulare, to tread upon Serpents and Dragons.

Those who maintain the Popes Authority do moreover affirm, that we are obliged to the Popes for the Holy Tribunal of the In∣quisition, without which the true Religion would have sup∣planted by Heresy, in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, * 1.53 Cardinal Pala∣vicini does assure us so. Il Tribunal dell' Inquisitione, dal quale, l' Ita∣lia riconosce la conservata integrita della sua fide. It is to the Holy Tribunal of the Inquisition that Italy owes the preservation of the Integrity of the Faith. Wherein truly they do a great deal of Honour to God and to the Christian Religion, to imagine that God hath no other means to preserve his Church, and that he needs such cursed Instruments as those to maintain it. † 1.54 That you may make the better judgment of it, it will not be amiss for me to speak briefly a word or two concerning the manner how this Tribunal proceeds a∣gainst Heriticks, upon what they call the Directory of the Inquisitors, made in the Year 1585. you must know that this Directory was made for the Execution of the Bull de Coenâ Domini which is to be seen ‖ 1.55 in summâ Francisci Tolet. de instructione Sacerdotum, where there are eighteen sorts of Excommunications; the first against He∣reticks, Favourers of Hereticks, those who read or keep their Books without the permission of the Holy See. And under this pretence these Fellows have caused two of our Kings to be murthered. It was this rare Excommunication that ruined Religion in England, and it is a wonder that it does not destroy it every where else. * 1.56 In his 20th Book you find that all those are excommunicated, who say and con∣fess that the Council is above the Pope, and who appeal from his Decrees to the Council, so that a Man cannot be a true Christian, without being excommunicated by the Pope. We must no longer believe the Gospel, but become the Popes Creatures to avoid these terrible Excommunications. In the 21st Chapter of Cardinal Tolet his

Collection, there is a Bull which does excommunicate all Princes who lay new Taxes upon their People without the Pope's permission. This was not much amiss indeed, for by it you see that all Soveraign Princes are made Slaves to the holy See. A Man must have lost his Senses not to see that it is the Spirit of the Devil which possesseth this Gene••ation of Vipers.* 1.57 In his 27th, 28th, and 29th Chapters, all Chancellours, Presidents, Councellours, and Soveraign Courts of Justice, are excommunicated if they hinder the Clergy in any manner whatsoever to exercise their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction against all Per∣sons, according to the Decrees of the Council of Trent, whereby they will destroy all Political Authority, and make the Clergy Masters of it; for you must know that the Council of Trent, whose Decrees were all made at Rome before ever matters were proposed at Trent, established Ecclesiastical Immunities, according to the Decretals of Bo∣niface the Eight: This it was that made many worthy Prelates in France formerly press so hard to have this Council received there; and that wicked Wretch Miron Archbishop of Angiers, write so insolently against the Parliament, for which he very well deserved to be hanged. At length having thundred out a great many other Excommunications, they declare, that whosoever shall remain a whole Year in these sorts of Excommunications, shall for their Contumacy be declared Here∣ticks. Chap. Cum Contumacia de Hereticis in 6. and it is a favour too that they do not turn them into Hobgoblins. There is nothing in all this but what is sottish, horrible, and diabolical, yet there are People who at this day dare not publickly detest it. Nay, there are several in France, who shall maintain it at their utmost peril, and even die for it, as almost all the Monks and many others who for the sake of Jesus Christ himself would not lose this Point. Hi∣therto this Tribunal of the Inquisition hath been abhorred in France, but no thanks to the Monks, but the Parliaments; they say, Ecclesia mavult suffundere sanguinem quam effundere. And during the Minority of Lewis the thirteenth all the Chairs of the Doctors and Preachers rung with this impious and abominable Doctrine, that the Pope was the Monarch of the Church could excommunicate, depose and put Kings to death. And to the end that these Holy Laws should be put in Execution, these infamous Creatures have wrote a Book, which they call the Directory of the Inquisitors in the the Year 1585. where∣in they establish, that they are all impious Persons, and Enemies to the Church, who do not allow of the Extravagants of Boniface, and all the Decretals of the Popes who declare, that the Church hath the

Power of both Swords to destroy all those who will not submit to it. In the third part of this Directory, Commentary the thirteenth; there are three methods of proceeding against Hereticks, viz. by Accusati∣on, by Delation, and by Inquisition. In Matters of Faith, Accusa∣tion is not allowed of, because they say that it is very dangerous, and full of Contention; the Crime of Heresy must be proved Judicially, and Canonically, which cannot be done without some difficulty; so that the Treasurer of the Inquisition becomes the Accuser, for this reason, quia non est obnoxius poenae talionis, because he is not obnoxi∣ous to the Punishment of Retaliation, neque aliis poenis quas falsi Ac∣cusatores pati solent, nor to any other Punishments which false Wit∣nesses are wont to suffer. So that there is no other way but by Dela∣tion and Inquisition; and let a Man but apply himself to the Syndic of the Inquisition, or to the Inquisitor to accuse any body and there's an end of him. In this third part of the Directory, Commentary the 28th, towards the latter end there are these words; In crimine Hae∣reseos propter ejus Enormitatem omnia testimonia recipiuntur, omni∣um{que} voces & interpretationes audiuntur, etiam & inimicorum homi∣num, perjurorum, lenonum, meretricum, & infamium: In case of Here∣sy, by reason of the Enormity of the Crime, all Evidences are allowed of, and the Word and Accusation of all sorts of People are to be heard, even of Enemies, those that are perjured, Pimps, Whores, and those of the worst Reputation. And that which is as good as this, is, that two Witnesses of this sort are sufficient, even against a King, and without being obliged to let him know who the Witnesses are. See Commentary the 23, 48, 120, 124. there are these words; Quod si reus instaret postularet{que} ut sibi concederetur defensio secundum Juris Ordinem, & per consequens ut Testium nomina simul cum dictis eorundem sibi ederentur, audiendus non esset; & si fortassis ob id gra∣vari se diceret, & appellaret, talis appellatio non esset admittenda; sed eâ non obstante imo vero eâ rejectâ tanquam frivolâ & injustâ ad ulteriora Judicii acta est intrepidè procedendum; That if any guilty Person doth insist upon, and require liberty to make a Defenee, according to the ordinary course of Law, and by consequence, that the Names of the Witnesses, together with their Depositions, should be delivered him, he is not to be heard; And if, for th••s reason, he shall say that he is hardly dealt with, and shall appeal, such his Appeal is in no wise to be allowed, but that notwithstanding, nay, it being wholly rejected as frivolous and unjust, he is vigorously to be proceeded against, even to the utmost Acts of Judgment. And the good natur'd Inquisitors give this Con∣solation

to People that are condemned; Nec quisquam dicat se in∣justè hâc ratione condemnari, nec conqueratur do judicibus Ecclesiasti∣cis, vel de judicio Ecclesiae ita statuentis: Nor let any Man say that he is condemned unjustly upon this account, nor complain of the Ecclesi∣astical Judges, or of the Church so ordaining: (These Hangmen will make the Church accessary to their Barbarities.) Sed si injustè condemnatus sit, gaudeat potiùs quòd pro veritate mortem patiatur; but if he be unjustly condemned, let him rejoyce rather that he suffers Death for the Truth. What could the Devil do worse if he were incarnate? Yet this is the Churches Head, the Vicar of Jesus Christ, the Holy See, the Apostolick See, it is his Holiness who hath made and decreed these things. They do yet worse than this to Kings and Princes, for they make use of secret means, for fear they should get notice of them, and by their Power prevent their wicked Designs. They employ ignorant Creatures that are loaden with Iniquity, such as Ravilliac, who was a Murtherer by Profession, and a Sorcerer too, as was commonly said, they give these People Absolution from all their Crimes, and promise them Paradise if they perish in the Execu∣tion, or, if they are taken, after it. They have for such purposes as these in Italy, those whom they call Crocesegnati, and in Spain los Fa∣miliares. * 1.58 See in the Book of Francis Suarez the Spaniard, called Defensio fidei Catholicae. By the way, we are very much obliged to this Loyal Loyolist, for calling these Maxims the Catholick Faith. If what he said were true, it would be no great advantage to be a Catholick. It would be perfect Manicheisme, a Man must believe two contrary Principles, good and bad, God and the Devil, at the same time. There is a certain Author, called Guliel. Nubrigensis, who relates the Story of a Monk, who dethroned his natural Prince and sat himself in his place, he had engraved upon his Seal, Ferus ut Leo, mitis ut Agnus. This Monk was Villain enough, thus to usurp the Autho∣rity of his Prince; but he was a thousand times better than any of these Thieves at Rome. For my part, I will all my Life-time hold Communion with the Catholick Gallican Church; but for the Bull de Coenâ Domini, the Inquisition, the Superiority of the Pope above the Council, and the Morals now in fashion, I declare I do detest it as a thing dangerous to Salvation, to hold Communion with them who believe and maintain these things, and that I believe them as far from being saved as the Mahometans.

Who can believe that Jesus Christ, who gave himself for the Salva∣tion of us all, and who is all Charity it self, can approve of it, that

People should be put to death for Religion; or, that he does not de∣test the Barbarities which these Monsters exercise under the Name of Vicars of Jesus Christ? How contrary are these Practices to those of Jesus Christ and of his Apostles? See after what manner our merciful Saviour spoke to his Apostles, who would have forsaken him, What, and will you also leave me? upon which St. Chrysostom makes this Reflection, * 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉· He asks them, saying, Will ye also go away? which was the voice of one taking away all force and compulsion.

And in truth they did all abandon him; yet after his Resurrection he received them as kindly as tho they had followed him to the very Cross; and we see that when he gave his Apostles the Power of the Keys, he ordered them only to teach Men, and not to compel them by force; and on that occasion, when the Apostles were discontented with the Samaritans, and would have called down Fire from Heaven upon them, he says to them, Ye know not what Spirit ye are of: the Son of Man is not come to destroy Mens Lives, but to save them. But the Popes, who make a quite contrary use of this Power, are come to destroy both Souls and Bodies too. We see that the Apostle St. Paul followed these holy Rules of Charity when he wrote to Titus; teach∣ing him the Duty of a Bishop, he says to him only, A Man that is an Heretick, after the first and second Admonition, reject. He says not, do him Injustice, kill him, ruin him by Violence, or by Craft, break your word with him, according to the Maxims and Practices of the Court of Rome. * 1.59 According to these Principles, St. Chrysostom says these words; Apud nos non cogendo sed suadendo id agendum est ut qui malus est melior evadat, ne{que} enim ad coercendos peccatores Po∣testatis jus nobis datum est; & si datum maximè esset, locus non esset juris istius exercendi, cum Deus coronet non eos qui necessitate, sed qui voluntate liberâ à malo abstinent: We must not endeavour to make a bad Man better by Force, but by Perswasion: For we have no Authority to compel Sinners; and if we had, we ought not to make use of it, seeing God crowns not those that abstain from Evil out of meer necessity, but those that do it out of free choice. And hence it comes that St. Hierom, comparing a King to a Bishop, says, Ille nolentibus praeest, hic volentibus. The one rules over those that are unwilling, the other over those that are willing. And Gregory Bishop of Rome, writing to the Bishop of Constantinople, says to him, Nova est & inau∣dita ista praedicatio quae verberibus exigit fidem: That is a new and

unheard-of sort of Preaching that requires Faith with Blows. The Fathers abhorred not only that Men should be put to death, but that any Injustice should be done to them upon the account of Religion; for to make this use of Religion is to betray it, and it is a sure means to make Hereticks more obdurate: for it is certain, that they who do thus, have only the Name of Christians; and People readily believe that a Religion is nothing worth which they are forced to embrace by such ways as these. St Athanasius speaking of the Religion of the Arrians, who persecuted the Catholicks, driving them out of all Em∣ploys, depriving them of the means of getting their Living, prohi∣biting them the Exercise of their Religion, and doing them many other Wrongs by Violence and Fraud, and by groundless Accusations, even to the bringing some of them to Death, says very well; At{que} seipsum quàm non sit Pia, nec Dei cultrix manifestat: and shews it self how it is neither pious, nor worshipping God. The same thing may be said of the English at present. * 1.60 St Chrysostome also says, Errantis poena est doceri; the Punishment of the erroneous is to be instructed. The Em∣perour Antoninus, tho a Pagan, was much more a Christian than the Popes, and their Inquisition, when in his 9th Book he says; Si potes meliora doce, si non potes, memento in hoc tibi lenitatem datam. Ipsi Dii lenes sunt talibus: If thou canst, teach me better; if not, remem∣ber Gentleness▪ was given thee for this very purpose. The Gods them∣selves are gentle to such. If the Christian Religion did establish the Inquisition, if she justified the Perfidiousness and Inhumanities which the Court of Rome and Hereticks commit every day upon the account of Religion, I should make no difficulty to declare it an abominable Religion, and that we ought not to be of it one moment longer: and if People went to Heaven by such ways as these, I should be soon of the Americans mind, who said they would not go to the same Para∣dise whither the Spaniards went; nor would I go to the Paradise of the Popes and the Inquisitors. I do maintain that the Popes have ruined the Church in those Countries where their Inquisition hath been set up, more than all the Heresies in the World together ever could have done. We need not but consider the good Effects which it hath had in those Countries, where in truth there is no Religion, at least Christianity scarce there to be found; and how should it with that Ignorance which the Inquisition brings along with it, which hath produced nothing but Superstition, Impiety, Hypocrisy, dissembling of Opinions, a thousand Cruelties and Treacheries, and all sorts of abominable Vices, which are scarce known but in Countries of the

Inquisition? And where we find them in other Countries, they have been brought thither from Rome by those that were devoted to the Papacy, through the too great Commerce which Princes suffer with Rome. The Hereticks may well say that they are obliged to the In∣quisition that Holland is no longer Catholick. If the Inquisi••ion be advantagious to Christianity, Why do the most Christian Nations of Europe the best regulated both in their Religion and their Manners, de∣test it? Compare the French Nation, Germany, Flanders and Poland, with the other, Slaves to the Inquisition, and you will say that the latter are not worthy of the Name of Christians in comparison of the former. And for the Hereticks, I esteem and Heretick that is an honest Man, and that fears God, a hundred times more than a Ca∣tholick who lives disorderly, or that knows not what Religion is. I know no worse Heresy than to be without the knowledg of God; and how can He be known where the Holy Scripture is not allowed to be read, where the Clergy are wholly lost in most abominable Vices, and know nothing at all? where it is Crime enough to be burnt, to discourse about Religion? where Mens Minds are filled with a thousand Fooleries that have no relation at all to Piety? Set a Spaniard or an Italian, who hath gotten a little Sense, to discourse on Jesus Christ, and he shall not fail to tell you, that Jesus Christ was a great Politician; Christo era Grande Politico, because he sees that his Vicar under the pretence of Religion hath made so great Con∣quests, and subdued all Catholick Princes to himself. This is the Idea which they have of Jesus Christ, and which they form to themselves upon what they see in the Court of Rome, and in the present State of the Church; for, as for the Holy Scripture they know less of it than of the Alcoran. And their Divines teach them, that the Church is the most happy Body Politick upon Earth, Corpo. Politico il piu felice che sia in terra, as Cardinal Palavicini says * 1.61. And the same Cardinal says in another place, that Jesus Christ would have his Church governed, as great Polititians govern their States, and that he came down from Heaven upon Earth to make her happy as well in this World as in the other, by heaping upon her Honours, Riches, and Pleasures,† 1.62 secondo la carne, according to the Flesh. And of the Papacy in particular, he says, that it is the abundant Source of Temporal Felicity. Il Principiato Apostolico fonte d'utilita Tempo∣rale secondo la carne in quel modo chi e piu conforme etiandio all huma∣na felicita: ‖ 1.63 The Apostolick Primacy is the Fountain of Temporal Profit, and in such a manner as is most conducing to Human Felicity.

Nor do the Portuguees understand things better; they are more than half Jews, and yet know not what either Judaism or Christianity is. There are a great many of them who look for a sort of a Messias, who by his great Conquests ought to make them Masters of the World; this is one of their Kings named Sebastian, whom they have made a Saint, he was killed in the Battel of Alcazar going to assist one Moorish King against another, and because his Body was not found after the Battel, they pretend that he is not dead, but that he roams up and down the World, and that he will return suddenly again to conquer all the habitable Earth, and make it subject to the Portugal Nation. This is the Faith of the Christians in that Country, and they learn it insensibly of the Jews. It is not long since a Man might have borrowed a considerable Sum of Mony in Portugal payable at the return of St. Sebastian. That which doth produce this horrible Ignorance among these People is, not only that they read not the Holy Scriptures, but because the Inquisition suffers there no Religion but its own; for by this means, there is no body who can accuse ei∣ther the Inhumanity of the Inquisition, or the Vices and Incapacities of the Clergy. If some other Sect had liberty among them, the Contradiction of this Sect would oblige them to study, and to in∣struct themselves, which would make the Study of Divinity and other Sciences flourish among them; and seeing every Man would have as many Censurers of his Religion and of his Manners, as there were Men of contrary Opinions, this would make Men take care of their Behaviour; that their Lives might be more conformable to true Christianity. Wickedness would be greatly abated, Men would be ashamed of those horrible Crimes which the Italians now make their diversion; there would be much more knowledg of God, more Industry and Perfection in the World. I know that this is not at all agreeable to the Humour of the Popes and their Clergy, who make their Markets better by Ignorance and the Inquisition. I know by my own Expe∣rience, and what I have heard say by many good People in England, that the expulsion of Catholicks, would destroy amongst them all Devo∣tion and Religion, because they would have no Adversaries to awaken them, and to oblige them to take care of themselves; their Mini∣sters would become ignorant and debauched, and so proportionably the People. But, say they, the Inquisition doth prohibit all ill Books; you must know too that the Word of God is of the number of these ill Books that are prohibited; and that there are many other Books forbidden, which have not only no ill in them, but which are

very excellent, only because they are contrary to the Ambition of the Court of Rome; and that there is an infinite number of abo∣minable ones allowed of, which are fit for nothing but to be burnt as well as their Authors. By this same Principle they have razed out of the Bookes of the Fathers those Passages which were not for their purpose.

They yet insist for the justifying of the Inquisition, That the diver∣sity of Religion is the Cause of Civil Wars in a Nation. But what Mischief doth not the Inquisition do? All Princes, in whose Countries it is, are Slaves to it. It is true, that among them there are no Civil Wars for Religion; but it is as true, that they must absolutely depend upon the Court of Rome; otherwise if they pretend to ex∣amine their Orders, the Popes shall use them like Dogs. How many times hath the Republick of Venice been like to be destroyed by these People, only because they had a mind to keep some Liberty to them∣selves, and not to suffer certain Excesses of their Tyranny? And yet do they every day insult and attempt against all the Rights which God and Nature have given them.

It is furthermore said in favour of the Papacy, That the World is greatly obliged to it for all the different Orders of Monks, and of Nuns, which are a great Ornament and Advantage to the Church. It is true, that the Popes have instituted almost all of them, and that it is no fault of theirs that there are not twenty times as many, espe∣cially in the States of other Princes; for by this means they erect Imperium in Imperio, their own Empire in the Dominions of another, thereby gaining to themselves so many Subjects in all Catholick Countries, who are at all times ready to do any thing for their Ser∣vice. Now since there is nothing in it but this, all these Institutions of so many Sects of Monks ought to be suspected by us. Besides, it is not the Popes who have inspired these People with the thoughts of retreating, and of Severity to themselves, they knew only how to apply it to their own use and service. The Inclination which these Men have to this sort of Humour and Life is well enough known; and that in all times, and in all Countries, and in all Religions, there have been great numbers of Men who have embraced this sort of Life, pretending to live more austerely, and to avoid the trouble of worldly Business, affecting to be singular in their Clothes, their Diet, whip∣ping themselves, and other outward Mortifications of their Flesh. There were a great many of them among the Jews, especially to∣wards the latter end, and when Religion fell most into decay; we

see by their Authors, that besides the Pharisees there were the Essenes, Dositheens, and other Sects of Religious Jews. There were many of them among the ancient Romans; there is in Juvenal an admi∣rable description of their Manners and Customs. It is of them that he says, Fronti nulla Fides, and qui Curios simulant & Bacchanalia vivunt; he represents them with short Hair, & supercilio brevior coma, and with all he says, that they lived after a very licentious manner. There are also many of them at this day among the Pagans, there are great numbers of them to be found among the Mahome∣tans, Greeks, Nestorians, Eutychians, Maronites, Abyssins, and Cophties. The Popes then have made cunning use of the Humour of these People, whom they have supported as far forth as they could, and even canonized them to augment their own Power, by the Credit which they gave to these People, who became their Creatures, and who for their parts served the Pope with all the Power and Credit they had. People had them in great Veneration at Rome, this Vene∣ration spread it self every-where abroad, so that the World did almost adore them; every thing that they either said or did, was as highly esteemed, as what ever the Apostles themselves had said or done; and as time served them when they had sufficiently tried the Credulity and So••tishness of Mankind, they came to that excess of Impiety and Im∣pudence, as to compare their Authors to our Lord Jesus; nay, to give them the Preheminence. Read but the Life of St. Francis, and a Book that was printed at Brussels in the Year 1630, with this Title, Korte beschrijvinge van het Aerd••s-broederschap van de Koorde Saint Franciscus; and so did other Orders speak as great things of their respective Founders. People thought they could not obtain Salvation without the Monks, they attribute particular Graces to their very Habits, which, the better to impose upon the World, were of an extraordinary fashion. Nay, there was sometimes as much im∣puted to them as to the Blood of Christ it self; whosoever took this Habit they said it was as much worth to him as a second Baptism; when any body was sick they desired to die in this Habit. These were People who did more good than God commanded; and we see that all these Impieties are yet vented by the Monks of our own time, who pretend that they do more Good than is necessary for their own Salvation, and that they can impart a share of their Merits, and Works of Supererogation to whomsoever they please▪ provided that they contribute somewh••t towards the maintenance of the Kitchin; ••nd for that they have fo••nd out the Invention of the••r Fraternities.

The Heads of these Sects, as I have already said, were very useful to the Popes, and the Popes for their parts made them be esteemed by the People, and at length, by the Ignorance and Sloth of Princes, they exempted them from the Obedience due to their Soveraigns, to their Bishops, and to the Law of God it self, and so they acknow∣ledg none but the Pope. By little and little, making a great noise like the blind Men at Paris, many of these Sects got great Estates, others loved rather to beg, like those sturdy Vagrants, who prefer a begging and a lazy Life before any other. They who have any wit among them employ themselves in writing fabulous Legends of the Life of some or other of their Order, and in composing a great many wicked Books about Religion. They are all listed to the Pope, who pays them in Pardons, and Indulgences, and in Reliques, of which they make a good Market, in Canonizing people of their own Or∣der, and in exempting them from the Laws of their Prince and of their Bishops, so that there is Impunity for them for all sorts of Crimes, they are only forced to go out of the Province where they committed the Disorder into another. We may look upon every Convent of Monks, as so many Garrisons which the Pope hath in all Catholick Cities to keep them under the Yoke of his Obedience; and every diffe∣rent Order, so many different Regiments clothed in different Fashions, and wearing different Liveries, who all live at the good Mans Expence, but cost the Pope not a Farthing, having found out many Secrets to pull off the Feathers without making the Fowl cry. They are certainly of great use to the Popes, but I demand what Good they do us? Are there not Clergy-men enough to perform the Service without them? Are there not People enough to be maintained who are really poor, without the begging Monks, who are the most ridiculous and the most vicious Wretches upon Earth? If they are necessary to the Church, as some say, how comes it to pass, that in the Pri∣mitive Church, where there was so much Piety, there were none of them? or at least very few, and they too quite of a contrary Cha∣racter to those now a days; but that now in this languishing State of the Church, every place swarms with them. How comes it to pass that their numbers are much less in France, Flanders, Germany and Poland, where Christianity flourishes a thousand times more than in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, where it is almost extinguished? For tho there be Canonizations and Beatifications oftentimes performed for People of these Countries, it signifies nothing else, but that the Pope hath finger'd their Mony, or that these Saints were in their Life-time

greatly devoted to the Holy See. This is done upon false-accounts given of the Lives of these Persons by some Monks of their Order, and it is very easy to impose upon People in these Countries, by reason of the extream Ignorance among them, and of the Inquisition which would burn those who should dare to contradict it. In France where People are much more understanding, and where there is greater Liber∣ty, it is not so easy to impose upon and delude the World. Besides, the Protestants would not fail to discover the Cheat and to lay it open, from whence also it comes to pass that there are but very few Miracles wrought in France, and fewer at Paris than in any other City in the Kingdom, because People are not there so easy to be deceived. I do maintain, and every Man that hath observed it must agree with me that there is incomparably more Vertue and solid Piety in the honest People of the World than among the Monks. Converse with them, and you shall find nothing but Grimace and false appearances of a Devotion that signifies nothing, a base Devotion that hath nothing of true Piety, applying themselves to the outward parts of Religion, neglecting, or else not knowing the true form of Piety, and upon this they are puffed up with a value of themselves, they are presumptuous, full of Contempt one of another, ambitious, worldly and voluptuous, which we see in them where they have a little Liberty, as in Spain, Portugal and Italy, there is nothing so unruly as their Behaviour, their Lives are most licentious, there is no Villany nor Abomination which they do not commit. In France, our own Country, where they are Saints in comparison, there is no roguish Story of a Debauchery and Villany, but they are at one end of it. Compare them with our Fathers of the Oratory who are Seculars, and who yet trouble themselves with Secular Affairs less than they, and for Knowledg, for Humility, Purity, and lofty Sentiments of Religion, there is as great a difference as can be between a worthy and a judicious Person, and a superstitious soft∣pated Fellow, or rather between an honest Woman and a Whore. I acknowledg that here and there you may find a Man of a great worth among the Monks, but it is one among ten thousand, and he must have a great deal of Strength and Courage to keep himself innocent in these places where there is so much Corruption. I believe that it is much more difficult to obtain Salvation there, than in the World, tho to those, who have not narrowly enquired into their Lives, it ap∣pears otherwise. They among them who are ingenious do own it, tho they are ordinarily Hypocrites and would deceive and make us be∣lieve, that they all agree that Men must have extraordinary measures of

Grace, and would perswade the World that they themselves have them. The most unsufferable of them, as I have already said, are the Men∣dicants, those Pharisees who act wholly contrary to what St. Paul taught and practised, who would have all Christians apply them∣selves to labour, yet they pretend to be of a better sort than the others. St. Paul, whom St. Augustin calls the first of all Saints, says in the 20th Chapter of the Acts, ver. 33. that he had coveted no Mans Silver, Gold, or Apparel, and that his Hands had ministred to his Necessities, and to those who were with him, and makes his Glory to consist in this, that he had been a charge to no Man: He, I say, orders all People to labour, and repeats what our Saviour had said, that it is better to give than to receive. Yet our lazy Monks have at this day Maxims that are quite contrary: They had rather have nothing at all of their own, that they may eat the Bread out of poor Peoples Mouths, upon whose Sweat and Blood they live and grow fat. Of all the Monks that ever I yet heard of, I have a value for no Order of them but those of La Trape, by the account the World gives of them. First, they are all kept to work, they trouble not themselves with Confessions, no more than the first Monks in the Primitive Times. They study, they haunt neither Courts nor Cities, they are not covetous of Legacies, nor do they pry into Peoples Wills, they are not Beggars, they sell not holy things, they live fru∣gally, upon a wholsom Diet to keep themselves in Health, which makes their Minds more fit for the Service of God, they are not de∣sirous of News, nor of the Secrets of Families to make advantage by it, they read the word of God carefully, making holy things their ordinary Entertainment, and have no Commerce at all with Wo∣men. Provided that this could continue without Vanity, and with∣out Discontent, it is a School of Holiness. For the others I find, that instead of being advantagious to the Church, they dishonour it, and give the Protestants just reason to despise us. With People that have any Understanding these Fellows Habits make so strongly against them, that Men are apt to believe that there is both extravagancy and weakness of Mind in those that wear them; these are marks of Di∣stinction, which shew them not to be French Men, but that they be∣long to another Prince; What good do these ridiculous Singularities do? If this Habit be necessary to make a Man really better, we ought all to take it; if not, they are to be laughed at thus that dress up them∣selves, and so much the more when they think they merit by it. These People ought all to be reduced to one and the same Hab••t, and this ridiculous variety of diverse Habits, and monstrous Fashions

ought to be taken away as well as the variety of Institutions, that war••ant some to beg and allow others to be rich, and to be continu∣ally ••e••ping up o•• Wealth, and others to eat and drink till they bu••st. It is reasonable that they should be well clothed and fed, but it is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that they should beg at least if it be voluntary; and for that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their number ought to be diminished, and they of them that a••e ••ich should keep them that are poor; let them all apply them∣selves to work and to study as heretofore they did. It would be very well done ab••olutely to retrench some of these Orders that are so chargeable to the People. Pope Alexander the Seventh did very well in suppressing two Orders that were as good as those that are now remaining, the one was called the Order of the Cross, and the other of ••he Holy Ghost. And in Spain they have done very well never to endure among them the Capucins. The Council of Toledo did here∣tofore ordain, that no new Religious Order should be suffered to be established in the Church, ne nimia Religionum diversitas gravem in Ecclesia Dei confusionem parturiat. There are no People that hate or destroy one another more than the different Orders of the Mendi∣cants, because they hinder one anothers Trade; and there are no Peo∣ple in the World that debauch the Women more than they; the Secu∣lar Priests are Angels in comparison; they are in so good Credit and Esteem, that they are not endured in the Court of our Kings, and they have no access to it. Their Principle of blind Obedience is both foolish and impious, which may cause, and many times hath been the occasion of horrible Disorders in the Estates and Families of our Kings. It is a Principle which makes the Pope, whom their Supe∣riors implicitly obey, Master of our Lives and of the State; for these Superiors are always as ready to inspire the Monks with all sorts of Opinions, how horrible soever they be, provided they serve the Pope his Designs; for this reason I have often wondered that some Law hath not been made in the State against the perfidiousness of the Monks and Jesuits, from the example of two of our [French] Kings whom they have murthered; and that it hath not been declared, that if any such thing shall happen for time to come, all these People should be driven out of the Kingdom: There is no other means to hinder the Court of Rome from doing the same things hereafter. The Parlia∣ment of England hath lately enacted somewhat like this to secure the Life of their King against the Monks. No Clergy-man ought to be received without subscribing the Condemnation of the impious Bull de Coenâ Domini, which is a bottomless Gulf of Impieties, Heresies,

and Inhumanities. And till the Monks and Jesuits shall solemnly re∣nounce and condemn this accursed Bull, it will be no great Injustice done them, to accuse them of attempting against the Lives of Kings. If any Man did suspect me to be an Arrian, and I knew it, and could justify my self from such cursed Opinions, and did it not, the World would have reason to impute to me all the Consequences of th••s per∣nicious Heresy. It is well known that all the Monks, and particularly the Jesuits have by their fourth Vow obliged themselves to the Exe∣cution of this infernal Bull. It was the Monks, who, living in Idle∣ness, corrupted and falsified many Ecclesiastical Books, they have coun∣terfeited many other Books full of Lies, and set them out under the Names of good Authors. They are every where known for People who, by their Artifices under pretext of Religion, are the ruine of most Families, whose Substance they cunningly suck in them∣selves. It is they who have vilified and discredited the true Ortho∣dox Priests, drawing the People after themselves by false appearances of Mortifications. They are good for nothing but to move Sediti∣ons, and to bring People to Disobedienee, and when ever the Interest of their Monarch the P••pe, is concerned, they think the Blood of their Enemies as meritorious as that of the Cross. The Humility they boast of is a very pleasant thing, when at the same time they take place of their Elders, and of People of Quality. They pretend to have re∣nounced Vanity more strictly than the Secular Priests, and yet these Asses are called Father, Father, as heretofore the Pharisees, Rabbi, Rabbi, they cause themselves also to be stiled Reverend Fathers, and pretend to have Merit enough besides to obtain their own Salvation, and to impart the overplus to others. They call themselves Father Raphaels, Father Cherubims, and Father Seraphims, with such like Names, which are Marks of Vanity and Folly, with which there can be nei∣ther Humility nor Piety. Their Generals also manage the matter fairly, to have the same Respect shewed them in the Courts of Princes as the Ambassadours of the greatest Kings. These Gentlemen are all sworn Enemies to the Holy Scripture as well as to the Court, and they do all they can to render the reading of it suspicious, they here∣tofore did what they could to abolish it, because it made as much a∣gainst them as the Popes. In the Year 1192. they made a new Gospel upon the Dreams of a Carmelite named Cyrill, this was to suppress the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and their own they called the Eternal Gospel, wherein they taught that God the Father reigned under the Law, God the Son under Grace, and that the Holy Ghost

was now going to reign by the Establishment of four Orders of Men∣dicants, and that for the future Men could not be saved but by this Gospel, that that of Jesus Christ was imperfect, and that the Sacra∣ments were of no great use. This Gospel was preached almost all Europe over by the Jacobines and Franciscans, and it was very near being received in the University of Paris, but there remained yet some worthy Men who opposed and made it be condemned, but see∣ing these new Evangelists had the favour of the Holy Father, the Doctors of the University were forced to go to Rome, where at length they ob∣tained that this Book should be condemned and burned, but privately▪ for fear of decrying the four Orders of Mendicants, and also that the Book of the University of Paris should be burned; much after the same manner as heretofore at Bezancon at the beginning of Luther's Revolt, which drew many Towns after it, the Magistra••e of Be∣zancon fearing that this Fire should reach thither, forbad all sorts of People to speak of God either Good or Evil. And there falling out lately a Dispute between some Divines of the Sorbonne at Paris, some of whom do hold with the Jesuits, that we may be saved with∣out loving God, and others on the contrary, that we ought to love God; whereupon both the one and the other were forbidden to speak of it so that the matter yet remains undecided, whither we ought to love God or no, or whither the Gospel of the Monks, or of Jesus Christ be the true one. The Author of the Book against this new Gospel is called William de St. Amour, de periculis novissimorum Temporum: See in Matthew Paris * 1.64. At length the Monks had Credit enough, having procured several Bulls to be given out against the Book, to obtain one by which the Author was forbidden to set foot again in France, and the Sorbonne to receive him. Scilicet sic Petrus sactitabat, sic Paulus ludebat. The Court of Rome, as well as the Monks, was mortally grieved that this new Gospel could not pass, and had it not been for the University at Paris, we should in all likelihood have never known what the Gospel of Jesus Christ was, and the Monks would have been our Saviours.

I have heard say that in all the rich Convents there is a Father that keeps the Evidence-Office, whose whole Employ it is to find out good Titles when they want them, to joyn their Neighbours Field to their own▪ and there is no harm in that, because it is for the Church. There are some of these Orders, the Benedictines for example, who have their Pensioners in the Parliament at Paris, like the Excise-men in the Courts of Aydes to help them gain their Cause: From

whence come all the Enterprises which they daily make upon their Neighbours Goods, stripping them as often as they can of them. People of very good Credit, and who know the thing very well, have assured me, that this one O••der gave more than two hundred thou∣sand Livers a Year in Pensions to divers Officers of Parliament; judg then what Disorders that makes. I know not why the Monks have not been kept to read the Holy Scriptures, and to study Divinity and Morality, rather than so many ridiculous ways of Mortifying them∣selves; if they studied or worked hard, they would need no other Mortification, but they have invented whipping since they have left off working, which is the most extravagant thing in the World. The reading of a Chapter of Scripture would be much better than that; as an excellent Man said, It is not the Severities of the Body, nor the Agitations of the Mind, but the good Motions of the Heart that are meritorious, which shall be excited much sooner by Medita∣tion of the Word of God, than by all their Follies. Wherefore I have reason to ask what the Monks are good for? The poor Orders as they are also lazy, are a burthen to the State, they of them that are rich take no care of the poor, and both the one and the other are unprofitable, nay, prejudicial both to Church and State, they ought to do quite otherwise than to plunge themselves into Idleness, so dan∣gerous both for their Souls and Bodies, and to be so chargeable to the Kingdom that keeps them and fats them up without receiving any Service from them; they are good for none but themselves and the Popes, whose Tyranny they support; thus the Popes in maintaining them do good only to themselves, when certainly the Monks at pre∣sent might easily spare the Popes. Wherefore I yet once more de∣mand what Service the Popes do to the World?

As for the Nuns,* 1.65 tho there be not by much so great Disorders a∣mongst them as amongst the Monks, because generally they have no share at all in the Affairs of a Civil Life, yet I think I may safely say it, That Fathers and Mothers who are desirous of their Childrens Salva∣tion, ought not to send them to such Houses, and that there is more re∣al Piety, Chastity, and Purity of Heart among Secular Women than among the Nuns, by reason of the little Liberty that is given them: All the good they can do there is by Force and by Constraint, it is a place of Slavery and of Torment. People imagine that in these Houses where they have so much time to employ in reading and in∣structing themselves, they ought to be very knowing, yet they are more ignorant and superstitious than Women that live abroad in the

World. Their Abbesses are ordinarily chosen for their Quality, not for their Merit, and are either covetous or extravagant, fantastical, without Humanity for these poor young Women, without Conduct, and almost always without Piety. I have known many of them in my time, but never saw any that was worthy of this Employment but Madam de Fontevrault, Daughter of King Henry the Fourth. In those Houses where the Superiours of the Nuns are Elective or Triennial, there are continual Factions and Intrigues, that the Electi∣on may fall on her that every particular Woman likes. It would be very well that these Elections were abolished, provided that Persons of real worth were placed in their stead. The number of these Nuns is also too great as well as of the Monks, and they ought to be re∣duced, so that those who remain should have 200 Livers a Year for their Subsistance, and that the King should dispose of these places to whom he pleased, for the succour of many Families, and the over-plus of so many rich Convents Revenue might be employed in the building of many Hospitals. Nor should any young Woman be admitted to take the Vail till 25 Years old, for the Tyranny of Fa∣thers and Mothers, and the want of Consideration in young Girls throws a great many of them into Dispair. They ought also to be allowed sometimes to go home to their Fathers and Mothers when their Health requires it, and to refresh their Spirits which are some∣times over-born with Grief and Vexation either by the Tyranny of their Superiours, or by their too long Confinement in this Prison; without this a Convent is a perfect Shambles both for the Body and Soul. It must be acknowledged that this sort of Relig••ous Life is unproportionable to the weakness both of our Bodies and Minds, and is much less proper to produce true Piety than a Secular Life. Thus the Popes are so far from being Serviceable to Mankind, that they are matter of scandal to us, and stumbling Blocks to turn us out of the true way of Salvation. Of what use then are they to the World?

An Italian will tell me that they are serviceable to Italy, by their inriching it. But it is at the Expence of other Countries which do this Honour to Italy; which, having now lost its Temporal Empire, hath by the Popes means raised a spiritual one to make amends for it; but still this is at our Expence.

It is certain that all the Italians in general look upon themselves as having a share in the Glory of this Empire, and pretend that they have more Wit and Merit than other Nations▪ which they have in this respect subdued, especially those of Rome, who for this reason give

themselves the liberty of speaking contemptibly of Catholick Princes, whom they look upon as their Tributaries; the very Coblers come in for their share, and are mightily pleased that the Pope rules in all places. And I have observed, that they have more respect and value for those Princes that have shaken off the Popish Yoke, as if it had been the Effect of their Courage; nay, for the very Strangers of those Coun∣tries, as English, Swedes, and Danes. This may seem strange; for it is well known that otherwise they bitterly hate these Nations that no longer yeild them any thing. You would say that they were of the Humour of Tiberius, who was even vexed at the abject Patience of those who were most suhmissive to his Tyranny. * 1.66 Illum qui li∣bertatem publicam nollet, says Tacitus, jam abjectae Servientium pa∣tientiae taedebat. But to return to our Modern Romans; when they hear the King of France called the Eldest Son of the Church, whereof the Pope is the Spouse, who calls Kings his Sons, they esteem them∣selves so much the more by half, and shew an equal proportion of Disrespect for those Kings. For my part I was disgusted, I own it, when I heard them say, that all Christian Kings were the Popes Children, and that the King of France was his Eldest Son; and my respect for Royal Majesty did as insensibly diminish, as theirs for the Popes increased; nor could I ever digest that Abuse to hear that such a Cardinal was Protector of France, and such a one of Spain, &c. What, thought I, must pitiful Priests or Bishops, who for the most part are good for nothing, by the Humour of People of their own stamp become one day the Monarchs of Monarchs, and their Ser∣vants Protectors and Guardian Angels of the Kings and Kingdoms of the Earth, and that too against all Reason, both Divine and Hu∣man! Yet all the World submits to it, as to an Eternal Truth. I know not what Protection they give, nor in what, nor against whom they do protect. Never was there any such Folly in the World, and yet they are payed for it too.

† 1.67 But let us examine a little whether the Popes are good for Italy, or no; the Mischiefs they heretofore did the••e are notorious. It is known that the Republick of Venice hath been like to be destroyed by them, that they have oppressed the Liberty of the City of Rome; that they have usurped and gained, by Craft and Violence, the greatest part of those States which they possess in Italy; that which they call the Patrimony of St. Peter, Vrbin Ferrara, Castro, and the King∣dom of Naples, which they have made Tributary: It is known that they exact a Tribute all over Italy by the same contrivances as

from all other Catholick States, that by their Inquisition they keep it in Slavery, whereby these Provinces are kept in monstrous Ignorance of Religion, and in so great corruption of Manners, that the Vices of other Nations are Vertues to them, and theirs not fit to be so much as mentioned in any other place. The Italians may well say what Tacitus said, speaking of another sort of Inquisition which reigned in his time at Rome; * 1.68 Scilicet illo igne vocem Pop. Rom. & libertatem Senatus & Conscientiam Generis Humani aboleri arbitra∣bantur; expulsis insuper sapientiae professoribus at{que} omni bonâ arte in exilium actâ, ne quid usquam honestum occurreret. Dedimus profectò grande patientiae documentum, & sicut vetus aetas vidit quid ultimum in libertate esset, ita nos quid in servitute adempto per Inquisitiones lo∣quendi audiendi{que} commercio. This is the true Representation of the Inquisition, and of the Slavery which the Italians now suffer. It is clear that this modern Inquisition is taken from the Example of the wicked Roman Emperours, from whom they have also borrowed ma∣ny other things. 'Twas from the Romans that they took this Maxim of keeping the People in Ignorance, for among them there were those who said, de actis Deorum reverentius visum est credere, quàm scire.* 1.69 It seemed a greater piece of Reverence to believe well con∣cerning the Actions of the Gods, than to know them. The Popes do no good even to the City of Rome, but have ruined it, tho they pretend that the Romans are obliged to them for many Contrivances which they have found out, to make the Water run to their Mills, as amongst others, the Jubilee, which is a general Fair of Pardons and Indulgences; but the Popes did this to get by it themselves: For if the People make any Profit at this Fair by the innumerable multitude of poor Christians that come there to obtain the Popes Indulgences, qui preconan vino y venden vinagro, that cry Wine and sell Vinegar, all that returns back into the Popes Purse and their Nephews, who drain this City by an infinity of Imposts, so that it is one of the poorest Towns in all Italy. The People at Rome, as well as the Popes, having been used to live by the Folly of other Nati∣ons, now know not how to apply themselves to work. There re∣mains not in all this Town one spark of their ancient Generosity and Nobleness of Mind, that made them be heretofore respected more than all their Power. All the greatness of those ancient Heroes is now vanished, since the Priests became Governours. And all those Vertues which made Rome the Admiration of the whole Earth, have been succeeded, by Sloth, Effeminacy, Sodomy, the Art of poisoning,

Treason, and all sorts of Artifices of Monkish Tricks, a base and knavish Policy, and they now reign by nothing but Vice and De∣bauchery. Voluptatibus, quibus illi plus adversus subjectos quam armis valent. Hitherto we cannot find what the Popes are good for.

* 1.70 There are some ignorant People who say, that the Church is ob∣liged to the Popes for the holding of Councils, because that without them there would be none assembled; and they insist particularly upon that of Trent, wherein the true Catholicks were so well tryed and esta∣blished, and Heresy opposed, so that since that time it hath made no progress. All they who have read History a little, know that the Popes hate Councils more than the Devil does the Cross. We have already seen that Cardinal Julian complains of the Popes that they would not call any Councils, Ne auferat, says he, temporalitatem nostram, lest they should take away our Temporality. † 1.71 Cardinal Palavicini says enough to confute these People in his History of the Council of Trent, that the Popes ever abhorred National Councils, Concilio Nationale sempre aborrito da Pontefici; and another Jesuit says, that in the Mystical Firmament of the Church, there cannot be a Conjunction of a more dangerous Influence than that of a General Council. ‖ 1.72 Nel Cielo mistico della Chieza non si puo imaginar Con∣junzione di piu periculosa influenza che un Synodo Generale.

* 1.73 Now for the Council of Trent in particular, all they who have read the History of those Times, know that it was sorely against the Popes Will that it was called, and that they never consented to it till the very last extremity, having a great while eluded the Instances and Remonstrances made by the Emperor, the King of France, and other Princes for the assembling of a Council. They demanded a free Council for the Reformation of the Church, and principally of the Court of Rome, and to bring into the Bosom of the Church those who were gone astray from it. The Court of Rome who had more reason to fear than hope from the good Intention that appeared in many Prince•• so desirous of a Reformation, would not consent to the calling a Council, till at length having without success employed their utmost skill to hinder it; they at last managed the matter so that the Pope was to convene it, Charles the Fifth having basely parted with the Right he had to assemble it; that it should be called in an Italian Town, and that the Popes Legats should have the management of the whole Affair; from that time there was no good to be expected from this Assembly. In truth the Popes Legates did rule all a••cording to their

own Fancy, almost all the Bishops who assisted at it were Italians, and the only Mark they all hit at was, more and more to establish the almighty Power of the Pope, wherein they easily succeeded: except in this one point, God did not suffer Heresy to triumph there. But as for the Popes who were the Soul and only Organ of it, sending every Week the Holy Ghost in a Cloak-Bag, if the Heresy of Lu∣ther would have served their turn they would have chosen it. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.* 1.74

Nay, without all doubt, if the Mahometan Religion would have conduced to the augmenting of their Power and Riches, both they and all their Court would have embraced it presently.

This Council hath done the Church a thousand times more harm than good, for it hath given the Protestants plausible Reasons of Obduracy, and to us no greater assurance of the goodness of our Religion; for as they carried it, they made it a Work perfectly Hu∣mane, Intrigue and Policy did all. The Pope was there a Party, and became himself the Judg. The Protestants could not be there, seeing the Pope was the manager both of the Convocation and of the Suffrages, which he got for Mony distributed about in Germany and Italy, before the Assembly began: And because he would be master, some good Bishops who knew not how to manage it so well, inesperti del maneggio, as Cardinal Palavicini says of them, offering to speak against the Popes Interest, were treated many times unworthily by the Legates, who gave no sort of Liberty. Christian Princes, as the Emperour Ferdinand, Charles the Ninth, and Albert Duke of Bavaria, to whom they granted not one of their just Demands had no more reason to be satisfied. To convince the World that it was only the advantage of the Popes which the Court of Rome sought after, and not the Glory of God, nor the Salvation of Men: It is not necessary to relate at large all the base Intrigues which were un∣worthy of the Legates, but only to consider the Decree which was there made against the reading of the Holy Scripture. By this De∣cree all People were forbidden to read it without leave given them by their Ordinary, who was to allow it to none but Clergy-men; that is to say, the People who were in possession of Benefices, and whose Interest it was to maintain things in the same condition they were in. Thus did the Legates forbid what God had commanded generally to the whole World. And as Tyrants live in continual fear, they thought themselves not yet secure, but fearing that they had granted too much, they made another Decree whereby they ab∣solutely

forbad all sorts of People to read it. All their fear was, that by the comparing the Papacy with the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, People should discover the Imposture which they have put upon the Church, whose Face they have disfigured and changed its very Nature, making the Government of the Church a piece of Knavery, and a Device to supplant all the Kings and Princes of the World, confounding Heaven with Earth, and destroying all Order both Di∣vine and Humane. The Hereticks make a more Christian Use of it; for tho they have been so inconsiderate as to reject many Books of the Old Testament, which are Canonical, as the Apocrypha; yet they do not only allow, but recommend the reading of them, and we find them bound up with their Bibles to be there read as well as the rest. I make no doubt but that if the Legates had dared to do it, they would have suppressed the Holy Books, or at least razed out, or changed all those places that were against them, as the Inquisition hath done by many of the Ancient Authors. How are they who are gone away from us scandalized at such Conduct as this? What shame hath it not brought upon our holy Religion? they cannot look upon us without abhorrence, because we suffer such Abominations. Expe∣diret ut suspenderentur molae asinariae in collis eorum▪ ut non scandaliza∣rent pusillos istos. It were expedient that Mill stones were hanged a∣bout their Necks, that they might not scandalize these little ones. This Example alone proves sufficiently, that it was a profane and worldly Spirit that reigned in this Counc••l: It was the same Spirit that made them give a Ball at Trent to Philip the Second, where it may be said, * 1.75 that the Pope also danced in the Persons of his vene∣rable Legates. It was also the same Spirit that made them give up Religion wholly to the Popes Fancy which is evident by this, because that having made many Decrees, they say that they shall be of force without prejudice to the Authority of the Apostolick See, that is to say, that they shall have place no farther than the Pope him∣self pleaseth, whereby they make the Council subject to the Pope, which is a devilish Heresy, condemned by the Councils of Constance and Basil. The Popes did in effect get by this Council as well as by the others dispencing both with them, and themselves when they pleased; as Palavicini says, that if the Pope should be bound to ob∣serve Laws, the Fountain of his Beneficence would be half drawn dry. † 1.76 Se'l Papo vuol osservare quelle leggi, il fonte della sua Bene∣ficenza asciugarsi per meta. He says in another place, that the Council would not bind his hands, who was able to do all things.

This Worldly Spirit is yet farther to be discerned by the Ambigui∣ty which they have affected in many places, which shews us that they had oftentimes no other design than to throw Dust in our Eyes; they have also forbidden that any body should pretend to interpret, reserving the knowledg of them only to themselves.

It is then clear by this account, that there is never any good to be expected from any Council which the Pope shall call together, or where he or his Creatures shall preside, or which shall be assembled in Italy; not only because of the multitude of Italian Bishops, who would spoil all, but because a Council of worthy Men would not be there in safety; for the Italians would run to all sorts of Excess and Violence, rather than suffer that the Spiritual Empire, which they claim over all other Nations, should be taken from them, because they come all in for a share of the Plunder: just as we see the Inhabitants of Barbary are concerned for the preservation of the Town and Pi∣rates of Algier, because they taste of their Riches, and have all a share in their Robberies.

The further insist for the Popes Advantage, that they have built a great many fine Churches at Rome, whose admirable Structure doth greatly edify Believers, and is of it self capable to convert the Infidel Princes, as Palavicini says, * 1.77 Tali opere basterebbeno per render ammirabile la nostra Religione alli sguardi di tutti i Monarchi Ma∣hometani e Gentili. Such Works as these are enough to make our Religion be admired by all Mahometan and Gentile Monarchs. He makes Religion to consist in these Buildings. It is the same thing that they say, who pretend that the fine Musick of the Churches, the fine Ceremonies, and the costly Ornaments are capable of converting People. I am bold to say, that if any Man be converted by these, he is a Fool; and I know that upon People of Understanding, who apply themselves to solid things, and grow in Spirit and Truth, this hath a contrary Effect; for these things do debauch the Mind, and set it on wandering. The enquiry is about seeking God, and finding him in those places; and it is not the sight of the fine Gilding, or the excellent painting of an Edifice, nor the hearing of a sweet Harmony, but rather the lifting up of our Minds above sensible Objects, and se∣parating them as much as possibly we can from Sense and Imagination; it is the fixing the Eyes of our Understanding with a Religious Atten∣tion upon that invisible Spirit, upon that Sun of Justice; and when we do it with that Love and Reverence that is due to it, we shall never f••ll of seeing and hearing the most delightful things; we there

s••e lumen in lumine, we there also hear that sweet Voice that says, My Son, thy Sins are forgiven thee. But for the fine Churches of Rome, the Popes in building them have built their own House, and these Material Temples have ruined the Spiritual Temples of the Church, * 1.78 Palavicini does acknowledg it. The Fathers were of Opinion, that Antichrist should one day seize upon the most magnificent Tem∣ples of the Christians, this was the Opinion of St. Hilary, and of St. Hierom, † 1.79 this last mentions the very Rock of Tarpeius. There∣fore the Popes ought not to glory overmuch in their Buildings, since Antichrist shall one day place himself in them. I know not whether other Men are of the same Mind as I am; I like well enough to see such fine things as these; but I confess that I have more Devotion in a little Church without Magnificence or rich Ornaments, then I have in such places. I find that my Devotion does insensibly divide, and that Sense does sometimes carry away a part of my Mind, and transport it to sensible Objects which do not deserve it, and that my Affection is thereby weakened whatever care I take to g••ther it up and unite it. This hath a much more dangerous Effect upon the common People, who have no Knowledg, and whose Religion lies only in their Eyes and Ears; they do in horrible manner fasten on these things which are only obvious to their Sense, and go no higher. There was much more Piety heretofore when the Churches were not so m••gni••icent, which in my Opinion does more harm than good. Dicite Pontifices in sacris quid facit aurum? There was infinitely more Zeal in the time of Pope Zephirin, who ordained that the Blood should be con∣secrated in a Chalice of Glass: and St. Hierom does inform us, that in his time Exuperus Bishop of Thoulouse did consecrate the Holy Sa∣crament in Calice vitreo & vimineo canistro, in a Chalice of Glass and a wicker Basket. Then it was as Gregory the Great says, that the Bishops were of Gold, but now their Chalices are of Gold, they themselves are become Wood, (cum aurei ess••nt Sacerdotes, Calices habuerunt ligneos; nunc cum lignei sint Sacerdotes, Calices volunt ha∣bere aureos.) That is to say, within, for witho••t they want no Gold, It is only the Gold of the true Faith which they som••time•• w••nt, but they look upon that as a small matter.

‖ 1.80 Having then proved, as I h••ve done, that the Popes are good for nothing, that they are the cause of the Churches Desolation, and of the Damnation of so many Millions of Souls which daily perish, as well by Heresy as by Ignor••nce and Vice, the•••• ••••main•• nothing

more for me to prove, but that it is the indispensible Duty of Chri∣stian Princes, who are the Protectors of the Faith, and to whom God hath committed the Defence of his Church, to deliver this same Church from the Papacy that destroys it. This is what they owe to God, to the Church, to their Subjects, to themselves, and also to Húman Society.

In regard of GOD, we know that Princes were commanded un∣der the Law to take care that nothing should be received against the pure Service of God, and we also see that good Kings, as Josias and Jehosaphat were so careful in this Point, as to depose the High-priests themselves, who were instituted by God, which the Popes are not. And now under the Gospel they are the Guardians of the two Tables of the Law, as the * 1.81 Council of Paris says, so that whether the Dis∣cipline of the Church be augmented or delayed, God will call Kings to an account for it, to whose care he hath entrusted it; and according to this the Emperours did depose the B••shops of Rome as well as others, when they neglected their Duty. Leo the first, Bishop of Rome, does not deny it, when he wrote to the Emperour in those times. Debes incunctanter advertere, regiam Potestatem tibi non solum ad Mundi Regimen, sed maximè ad Ecclesiae praesidium esse col••atam. You ought always to r••member, that the Regal Power is g••ven to you, not only for the Government of the World, but chiefly for the Safe∣guard of the Church.

As for the Church, if they are the Protectors of it, as they ought to be, and without doubt are; if the Church be trod under foot, if Ambition, Luxury, and Ignorance seize upon the Ecclesiastical Mini∣stry, if the Bishops neglect their Duty, are incapable of teaching, and look after nothing but spoiling and turning all to their own par∣ticular Profit, if they will make the Church a Den of Thieves, if they sell Holy Things, and keep the Price to themselves, shall not Princes punish such Villanies? Shall they bear the Sword without be∣ing able, even for the Good of the Church, to make use of it against the Popes, who do all these things? † 1.82 It is in this, says St. Austin, that Princes are well pleasing to God, in doing those things which none but Kings can do; In hoc ergo serviunt Domino Reges, cum ea faciunt ad serviendum illi quae non possunt facere nisi Reges. Accor∣ding to this they did heretofore depose the Popes, they made them give an account of their Faith, they did assemble Councils, autho∣rise their Decrees, and made them be observed; and the Popes cannot alledg any Treaty made with Princes, nor any Prescription; for there

is no Prescription against the Service which we owe to God, nor no Agreement which can bind the Hands of Princes when it is against the good of the Church; for if at any time they have surprised Princes, taking advantage of their Ignorance or Weakness, it is then a greater Crime to observe these Treaties which are against the Glory of God and the good of the Church, than it is to violate them. Here the saying is true, that interdum scelus est fides. No Man whatsoever ought to have his Hands tied by any Treaty from advancing the Glory of God as much as he is able by lawful means.

Nor are Princes less obliged for their Subjects sake, to do their ut∣most endeavour to extirpate the Papacy, for they are the Preservers both of Religious and Civil Society, being the Heads both of the one and the other in their own Dominions. It is on this account that they receive their Tribute, and for this end were they by God or∣dained, that we might live in Peace and Quietness in all Godliness and Honesty. And there is no Subject but may demand it of his Prince, that he would enfranchise him from the Tyranny of the Pope, or else let him renounce the Right which God hath given him over him; for the Prince hath no Right to give his Subjects over to another, and at the same time to reserve his own Power over them upon any pre∣tence whatsoever, this is against Nature and the Law of Nations, but he ought to defend them against all Oppression, of either Foreign or Domestick Enemies. Now the whole World knows that the Popes for many Ages past have dealt unworthily, as well by the Subjects as the Persons of Princes they have smitten whole Kingdoms together with their Anathema's, they have drained them by their Indulgences, they plunder them by their Dispensations and by their Annates, they make them stoop to them by their Bulls, and oblige many of them to take Oath•• of Obedience and of Fidelity to them, and have in many places destroyed a world of People with the Torments of their Inquisition. They may well apply to themselves this saying of Taci∣tus; Subje••tos nos habuit tanquam suos, viles ut alienos.

Princes are f••rthermore for their own ••akes obliged to abolish the Pa∣pacy not only as they are Members o•• the Church which is oppressed by it, but beca••••e that they are God's Vi••egerents they ought to acknow∣ledg none 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the great God above 〈◊〉〈◊〉, who is the only King of Kings and Mon••••ch of Monarchs. Th•• P••p•••• have no more right to call themselves so, th••n those mad Men ••h••t say they are som••times God, and sometimes Kings of France 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he who und••r th•••• p••••••••nce at∣tempted ag••inst the Life of H••n••y 〈◊〉〈◊〉 F••••••th. † 1.83 S. Op•••••• ••ays very w••ll; Cum super Imperatorem n••n 〈◊〉〈◊〉 nisi so••us 〈…〉〈…〉 Impera∣torem,

dum se Donatus super Imperatorem extollit, jam quasi hominum ••xcesserat metas, ut se ut Deum, non ut hominem aestimaret. There being none above the Emperor, but God who made the Emperor, seeing Do∣natus lifts himself up above the Emperor, he hath passed beyond the bounds of Men, that he might look on himself as God and not as Man. At this day the Bishops of Rome have this Right as they pretend, to fling down Kings from their Thrones, as a Fowler shoots down a Bird from the branch of a Tree. They are Masters of all the Kingdoms of the World and can give them to whomsoever they please; they not only say so, but do it; they have done so by England, France, and Navarre, they have done so by the East and West Indies, which they have shared between the Spaniards and the Portugals, having outed the lawful Princes. They have dealt thus with many other States, and are still ready to do the same thing again. It is then the Interest of Princes for many respects that this Tyranny should be abolished; since as the Fathers say, they have none but God alone above them, they ought not to depend upon these Scoundrils. It is a thing unworthy of their Ma∣jesty, and contrary to their Soveraignty to be under the Yoke of any Man living. It signifies nothing to say that they are so only for the spiritual part, for that is yet less to be allowed of. Jesus Christ hath reserved that to himself; and they suffer the Church to be undone by their Sluggishness and hinder those who are gone astray from it from being converted, nay, they destroy the very Popes who damn them∣selves in the foolish Opinion which they have of their Power; they must be cured of their Presumption, and have good done them whe∣ther they will or no, as we do to Children, a communi ed a fanciulli convien fare il loro bene senza lor voglia. It is fit to do good to the common People and to Children, tho it be against their Will. Pope Marcellin did not believe it possible, that a Pope could be saved, nor did Pius the fifth think otherwise. People do not consider that it was for the sake of the Temporality that the Popes have invented the Spiri∣tuality, and that without the one, they would not trouble themselves with the other, as is apparent to the World; for what shall we call Temporal if the Annates are not? and the Mony for Dispensations, the Oath which the Clergy take to the Pope, the Oath which Kings take to the Holy See, that is to say, to the Papacy, and so many other Acts of the basest submission of Princes (some of which do even border upon Idolatry, as the kissing the Slipper of these wretched Creatures) and so great a Superiority of the Popes, that Princes are become wholly contemptible? For my part, I wonder that those, who have heard of Jesus Christ and his Gospel, do not condemn this Pride to

the severest Punishments. No Man that had the least Fear of God would ever be Pope to act so horrible a part, not to mention the Disorders of the Church, and the destruction of so many Souls that shall be imputed to him. * 1.84 Princes then ought not to defer their Endea∣vours of freeing the Church from this Monster, and at the same time to deliver themselves from Tyranny, and not suffer these Strangers to rob them of their Subjects, and as they owe this to themselves, they owe it also to Human Society; for they are also obliged not only to punish those who injure their own Persons or their Subjects, but likewise those Crimes which do not touch themselves in particular, but yet notoriously violate the Laws of God, of Nature, and of Nations, or of the Church, or of the Authority which God hath set over his Peo∣ple. I demand whether the Popes are not guilty of these Crimes, they, who, under the Title of Vicars of Jesus Christ, which they inso∣lently assume, have cast the Church into the most deplorable Desolation, and have ravaged all Christian Kingdoms; who authorise all sorts of Vice and Disorder both in the Church and in the World, dethrone Kings the anointed of God, tread upon the Necks of Emperours, dispence with the Oaths of Allegiance in their Subjects, dispence with the Laws of God and his Gospel, hinder Christians from reading the holy Scripture without which we cannot be Christians, and unmercifully murther Men for their Religion by their Inquisition; ought it to be questioned whether such People as these should be exterminated? † 1.85 Pope Innocent himself and many others are of Opinion, that we may destroy those that sin against Nature: ‖ 1.86 And St. Augustin says, Opinantur sce∣lera facienda decerni, qualia si quis terrena Civitas decerneret, genere humano decernente fuerat evertenda. * 1.87 Seneca hath also a fine saying upon this; Si non Patriam meam impugnat sed suae gravis est, & sepositus a meâ gente suam exagitat, abscidit nihilominus illum tanta pravitas animi. In fine, no Man can doubt whether those who curse their Father and Mother and tread them under their Feet, or those that live upon Humane Flesh, or Pirates upon the Sea without Commission from any Prince, ought to be extirpated, and whether all Princes have not a right to destroy them if they can; I maintain that the Popes do all this and worse, I have already shewed it in what I have related. But besides all this, what can a Man think of these Men, who call themselves their Holinesses, which is a Title that belongs only to God, and is one of the most excellent of all his Attributes; who call themselves Vicars of Jesus Christ, to dethrone Jesus Christ from his Church and govern it at their own fantasy; who say that they are infal∣lible and above the Councils, that they can open Heaven and shut up

Hell, put out the Fire of Purgatory when they please, save and damn whom they please, who make themselves be called God and the Di∣vine Majesty, and cause themselves to be worshipped. I demand whether there be any thing like this in the Crimes of others the most vile and miserable Creatures, and that which is the most terrible of all, is, that the Popes do every day cast down many Millions of Souls headlong into Hell. Do not such things as these deserve the Vengeance of Princes here on Earth? The Insensibility and Stupidity of Christians must be very great, this their Lethargy to me appears monstrous, and certainly there must be in it somewhat supernatual; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as Hippocrates says of some strange Diseases, which are wholly unknown. If the Interest of God and his Church were here only concerned, it would not be so surprising; for usually Princes seldom trouble themselves with that; they cry * 1.88 Deorum injuriae diis curae; but here where they are robbed of their Majesty to dress up a pack of Rascals with it, where they are made Tributary, where their Authority is limited, where part of their Subjects are withdrawn from them by Exemptions and base Laws, which make them contemptible as well to those who thus plunder them, as to others who secure themselves under the Covert of this Ty∣ranny; It is unconceiveable that Princes should have so much Patience; for tho the Primacy of St. Peter could be proved that he was Bishop of Rome, and left there his Succcessours either as he was an Apostle, or a Bishop, must, I say, such People as these be his Successours, and make all these Crimes their common Practise, and go still unpunished? They shall as soon make me worship the Devil as believe it. And I really believe, that it would be no hard matter to make them who adhere to the Papacy, both receive and serve him. They would soon relish the Reasons of the Manicheens, who said that there were two Principles, the one good and the other bad; or the Argument of those Indians, who believed they ought to worship the Devil, because he could do them hurt, and that God, being all good of himself, could do them none, and so it is not necessary to adore him. This now looks very amazing, but they who are so much in love with the Pa∣pacy would soon receive it, if any Man of Sense would give a little colour to it, and there were good Benefices to be hoped for by it, which could not otherwise be obtained; if they might have fine Churches, and re-establish the fine Ceremonies of Numa Pompilius, if their only care might be to divert the Eyes and Eares of the People with Musick and rare Shews, as heretofore they did to those miserable Jews, who brought their Children to Moloch, and whilst they burned they played upon all sorts of Instruments, and entertained them with the most de∣lightful

Musick, that they might not hear the Cries of their poor Children.

Can we think it strange as things go, that the Protestants are not converted? There would be in my Opinion greater reason to wonder if they should embrace the Catholick Religion whilst the Pope should ex∣ercise this horrible Tyranny; for I do maintain that there is no Man of Honour, that hath any Modesty or Sense of Christianity, that can digest this Article of the Almighty Power of the Pope, if at least it hath not been riveted in him from his Childhood, and he been brought up in this Opinion all his Life-time without ever making any Reflection upon it. But for the Protestants, we must never pretend to make them believe that the Popes are Heads of the universal Church established by Jesus Christ to govern it as it is governed, there is no Man of Sense will ever be perswaded to believe this. But it may be said that the great Truths which the Cathol••ck Religion teaches, give us so great an advantage over the Hereticks, that they ought to make no difficulty of passing over such an Error as this to enter into the Communion of the Church. For my part, I am of Opinion, that a Man's Conversion is a work supernatural, and from the hand of God, who, filling the Heart of Man with Light and Courage, makes him overcome Dark∣ness and his natural Weakness; and that a true Conversion is always ac∣companied with Zeal towards God, and Charity towards our Neigh∣bour. This being supposed, I maintain that they who are converted by these Principles do in effect embrace with their whole Heart the Catholick Truths; but that their Charity and the Zeal towards God, which animates them, shall always make them resist and oppose to the utmost of their Power all Impostures and Falsities whatsoever, that they shall chearfully lose their Estates and Lives, to deliver the Church from so miserable a Slavery as the Papacy is. It is a great un∣happiness that the Protestants have separated themselves not from the Pope, but from the Church, and that they have invented Novelties to fortify their Schism which at the beginning had no other Original than the Tyranny of the Pope; for without these Novelties the Church would in all likelihood have joyned with them, because that many People saw clearly the Cheat of the Papacy, and that it had no Foun∣dation, neither in the Scripture nor in Reason; but the Op••nions which they began then to spread abroad, to which from time to time they added somewhat or other new, ut nemo fit repente turpissimus▪ put the Catholicks out of all hope, and made them continue as they were; and it were now foolish enough to think our selves in the wrong, to acknowledg that the Protestants are right in this Article, and that we

have not courage enough to get off this Abuse and to detest it as well as they, wherein we do great Prejudice to our selves, to Religion, and like∣wise to the Protestants whom we destroy by it; for they, seeing that they have Reason on their side in this Point, cannot believe that we have it in others, and so remain obstinante. For my part, as I am assured that their Religion is contrary to the Gospel, so I cannot but confess (and I think my self indispencibly bound in Conscience to do it) that concerning the Article of the Papacy, they have more Reason on their side than can be imagined.

But if we find that we have too little Courage or Strength to under∣take to abolish and utterly destroy this Monster, we ought at least to en∣deavour to send him home to Rome, and secure our selves from all the Mischief he is able to do us, and not to endure any more his Approaches. I say this only to prevent the Objection which People make, that it is ex∣tream difficult to bring about such an Enterprise; that this great Machine is so well joyned together, this Babel hath so many Props and Arches, that they who should undertake to pull it down would be in danger of being swallowed up in its Ruins. Mille annorum fortunâ disciplinâ{que} compages haec coaluit, quae convelli sine convellentium exitio non potest. It would ever be a glorious thing, both before God and Men, to un∣dertake so great a thing, tho it were without success. But I do not think the danger so great as People imagine; for I am perswaded that this work doth not exceed the Strength of any great, vigorous and zealous Prince who would manage the thing with Prudence. I own that no Prince can undertake such a Work, who is not assured that his Neigh∣bours shall not oppose him, and that his Clergy and People shall not be against him: As for his Neighbours, he may easily know their Disposition both as to their Will, and the Means they have either to assist or hurt him. And for the Clergy, the Contrivance should be to let them peaceably enjoy their Benefices, and to make them understand their Rights; that according to the Gospel all Bishops are equal, and that they owe to the Pope no more than to any other of their fellow Brethren, that the Popes have usurped over them the Authority which they assume to themselves of giving Bulls, and the Oath of Fidelity which they ex∣act from them, and that these things overturn the Gospel; and that for the Oath, if they have taken it to the Pope, it is null in it self, being a∣gainst the Law of God, as St. Austin says, si ad peccatum admittendum fides adhibeatur, mirum est si fides appelletur. And for the People, they must be gently used and made to understand, if they are capable of Reason, that all the Popes of Rome, as well as other Bishops, have Authority only in their Diocess, according to the Gospel and ancient

Canons; that the Authority which they exercise, serves for nothing else but to make them Masters of the whole Earth, and turns to no∣thing but their particular Profit: They must also be shewed the Disor∣ders which this Power hath caused both in the Church and in the World, as I have represented it in some places of this Work. If once the People were made to comprehend this, the Monks could never do any Mischief; for they are dangerous only among the People whom they govern, provided they do not come nigh Princes. This being done, a potent and prudent Prince would easily perswade other Princes all that I have said of the Papacy, of its uselesness, of the Mischiefs it hath caused in the Church and in the World, of the Shame which it draweth upon them by keeping them always under the Yoak, of the damage which it causeth to their Estates, of the Danger they are conti∣nually in depending upon the Popes Humour, who can excommunicat•• them when he pleaseth, of the Account they will have to give to God for so many Souls that perish, as well Catholicks as Hereticks, the one by Ignorance, and the others by the Obstinacy which the Papacy causeth; and that Religion hath no Connection with the Papacy, that we should be more Catholicks than we are if there were no Pope, and that the Church would be Aristocratically governed, as in the first Centuries by the way of Councils. There is no Prince who hath com∣mon Sense, but would joyn with another truly Catholik Prince that would propose this; and by this means we should soon see the Prophe∣cy of the Revelation fulfilled, * 1.89 which says, that the Kingdoms of the World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. But, say they, the King and the Bi∣shops have ‖ 1.90 sworn Fidelity to the Holy See. I answer with St. Am∣brose, † 1.91 That it is ever unjust to observe an Oath made against God or our Neighbour: And St. Augustin said above, that if an Oath tends to a Crime, it is contrary to Faith to keep it. I have proved that the Papacy is a Mystery of Iniquity; and that so Princes as well as others would make themselves the Instruments of the Popes Crimes, of their Sin against God, and of the Ruine which they draw upon the Church. Seneca says very well, Si in omnibus obediendum est patri, in eo non est obediendum, in quo efficitur ne pater sit; Tho we ought in all things to obey our Father, yet he is not to be obeyed in those things wherein he ceaseth to be a Father. The reason then is much stronger, that we ought not to obey a common High-way-man, who hath de∣ceived and seduced us to make us Complices of his Crimes. When a Vow or an Oath is lawfully made, yet where the thing vowed, or the Oath taken doth hinder a greater Moral Good, Orthodox Divines are of

Opinion that the Oath is null, because that we owe to God a Progr•••• in well doing so that we cannot deprive our selves of the Liberty of making this Progress: Besides, every Oath of a Christian hath this under∣stood, Provided that this be to the greater Glory of God, Edification of our Neighbour, and our own Salvation: So that quod propt••r Cha∣ritatem fit, non debet contra Charitatem militare. That which is made for Charity's sake, ought not to militate against Charity. The Lawyers say, that sacra alienari non possunt; Holy things cannot be alienated. And what is there more sacred than the Zeal with we ought to have for the Glory of God, for the Propagation of the Faith, and the spiritual good of the Church? So that there is no Oath, Treaty, nor Agreement, but ought to give place to the good and safety of the Church, and the Salvation of our Souls. This is l••ke the Oath which Pirates or Robbers on the High-way force them to swear whom they take Prisoners, who, to save their Lives, promise to be faithful to them, and to t••em what Service they can; The Lawyers do maintain that these Oaths are not binding. * 1.92 A piratis aut latronibus capti, liberi permanent. Qui a latronibus captus est, servus latronum non est, nec postliminium illi necessarium est. It is an undisputable Maxim Non posse Deum obligare creaturam ad non obediendum sibi. The Lawyers also say, that a Man cannot renounce the Right he hath to defend him∣self which is natural, much less a Prince.

Thus there is no Reason Divine nor Humane, but doth indispencibly ingage Princes to renounce the Papacy, and to re-establish the Church in that Liberty which Jesus Christ hath left to it. But as for the Papacy, it is like the ancient Idols of Paganism, which, when the Christians did renounce, they kn••w well their Va∣nity, when they examined into the thing, but they still reserved a certain tr••mor fa∣tuus & lepori••us, fear and impli••i••e respect, as Gers•••• says, for them; because that from their Infancy they had their Minds greatly a••••ected with the Power of these Idols. It is just the same thing with us and the Pope ••er still Idolum nihil ••st in M••••do. And I am perswaded that we should have a great deal of difficulty before we could turn him briskly away. It were to ••e wished that he would do himself Justice, and give Glory to God; but what li••••lihood is there of that? They will always ke••p the Titles of H••ad and Spouse of t••e Church; if they would be con∣tented with the latter, there might be found out a way to be rid of them, which would be for the French Church to give them once for all the same Portion, as P••ilip the Second gave to his Eldest D••u••ht••r, wh••n he married h••r to the Duke of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he gave her a Cru••i••••x an•• an I••age of our La••y, but upon cond••tion, that he sh••uld never h••ar her speak ••f a••y t••ing ••ore, and that sh•• sho••l•• re∣nounce for ever all other Pret••nsi••ns, ••oth f••r her s••lf ••nd all ••••r 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as this Princess did; but if th••y will not ••e the Spouse at thi•• P••i••c••; the sure••t way is absolutely to ••reak with th••m, and to ••••nd them to the Who••e of Babyl••n▪ l••st a•• length G••d c••nsume us als•• in thi•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

FINIS.

Notes

• † 1.1

  The Popes make no Uni∣ty, there is no Unity among them. The Popes are wicked men.
• * 1.2

  Palavici. in his History of the Council of Trent.
• ‡ 1.3

  Palav. lib. 3. cap. 20.
• ‖ 1.4

  Ibidem.
• * 1.5

  Gerson.
• * 1.6

  Lib. 8. c. 17.
• ‡ 1.7

  Complaint•• against the Pope.
• ‡ 1.8

  Joannes Sa∣risbur▪ in Po∣lycratico.
• * 1.9

  Aventinus in Oratione Ar∣chymistae ad Proceres Im∣perii.
• ‡ 1.10

  Honor. Au∣gustodun. in Dial••••o de P••aede•••• & Libero A••bi∣••••io.
• * 1.11

  Petrus Ble∣sensis in Epist. ad quendam Officialem.
• * 1.12

  Bernard de Cons. ad Eu∣gen. l. 3. c. 5.
• ‖ 1.13

  Bernard su∣per Psalm 9. v. 6. Ser. 6,
• * 1.14

  B••rnard E∣pist. 91.
• ‖ 1.15

  Apellatio U∣niversitat. Pa∣tisiens. contra Leonem.
• ‡ 1.16

  Petrarque in lib. Epist. sine Titulo.
• ‡ 1.17

  Isid. Pel. lib. 1. Epist. 323.
• * 1.18

  Alv. Pelag. de Planctu Ec∣clesiae lib. 2. cap. 15.
• ‖ 1.19

  That the Pa∣pacy is an Ob∣stacle unto Pi∣ety.
• † 1.20

  Of the Popes maintaining the Exterior Vnity.
• ‡ 1.21

  Expence for the Conversion of the Greeks.
• ‖ 1.22

  Palav. l. 2. cap. 3. & 7.
• † 1.23

  Of the Popes making Reli∣gion to be re∣spected, and accommoda∣ting the diffe∣rences of Princes.
• ‡ 1.24

  M. Paris in Hist. Angliae.
• * 1.25

  The Popes have on at this time a disguise, wai∣ting for an ad∣vantage. We ought to be al∣ways 〈…〉〈…〉.
• † 1.26

  Gellius.
• ‖ 1.27

  Horace.
• * 1.28

  Valeri •• Max.
• ‡ 1.29

  St. Hier.
• ‖ 1.30

  Petreius Chartr.
• * 1.31

  Attempts of the Popes of this present Age upon Kings.
• † 1.32

  Tit. Liv.
• † 1.33

  Mezeray in the Life of King Henry the Third, pag. 367.
• * 1.34

  The use th•• Popes make of their Tributes.
• † 1.35

  Cicero l. 2. de Officiis.
• * 1.36

  Tacitus.
• † 1.37

  Missions.
• * 1.38

  Bishops in partibus Infi∣delium.
• † 1.39

  Pagans and Mahometans al∣so have a Head of Religion.
• * 1.40

  Palavicin▪ lib. 19. c. 6. lib. 2••. c. 8.
• † 1.41

  Epictetus, cap. 38.
• * 1.42

  Tacitus.
• † 1.43

  Palavicini, lib. 1. cap. 2.
• * 1.44

  Idem.
• † 1.45

  Salust.
• ‖ 1.46

  Tacitus.
• * 1.47

  Tacitus.
• * 1.48

  Horace.
• * 1.49

  Innocent extra. de Biga∣mis tit. 22. c. quia circa.
• † 1.50

  Horrible Maxims of Ita∣lian Divines concerning▪ Sodo∣my in a Priest.
• ‖ 1.51

  Navar. quest. 2. de defensi∣one proximi.
• * 1.52

  Tolet. cap. 61. lib 1. de in∣stitutione Presbyt.
• * 1.53

  Palav. lib. 14. cap. 19.
• † 1.54

  The Inquisi∣tion.
• ‖ 1.55

  Lib. 1.
• * 1.56

  Idem.
• * 1.57

  Idem.
• * 1.58

  Suarez. in def. fid. Cath. c. 4. l. 6. n. 17.
• * 1.59

  Chrysost. l. 1. de Sacerdote.
• * 1.60

  St. Chrysost. to the Ephesi∣ans, 4.17.
• * 1.61

  Pal. l. 3. c. 18. of his Hist. of the Council of Trent.
• † 1.62

  Lib. 7. cap. 9.
• ‖ 1.63

  Lib. 23. c. 3. lib. 1. c. 23.
• * 1.64

  Mat. Par. in Hist. Angl. in Hen. 3. & in lib. de Antichrist.
• * 1.65

  Of the Nuns.
• * 1.66

  Tacitus.
• † 1.67

  That the Popes are hurt∣ful to Italy.
• * 1.68

  Tacit. in vità Ag••ic.
• * 1.69

  Tacit.
• * 1.70

  Of the Popes calling of Councils.
• † 1.71

  Palav. lib. 14. cap. 12.
• ‖ 1.72

  P. Diego Lai∣nes, lib. 16. cap. 10.
• * 1.73

  Council of Trent.
• * 1.74

  Chrysost. Gal. 5.
• * 1.75

  Palav. lib. 11. cap. 13.
• † 1.76

  Introduct. cap. 11.
• * 1.77

  Palav. lib. 8. cap. 17.
• * 1.78

  Malus vos pa∣ri••tum amor ac∣cepit, malè Ec••le∣sias in t••ctis ae∣dificiis••; venera∣mini, &c.
• † 1.79

  Hil. contra Au••e••tium. Hie∣ron. ad M••rcei∣lam viduam.
• ‖ 1.80

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 a••t oblig••d for ma•••• Reas••••s, to abo∣lish t•••• Pa••a••••,
• * 1.81

  Concil. Paris.
• † 1.82

  Aug. contra Crescon. Gram. lib. 3.
• † 1.83

  O••••••t. lib. 3.
• * 1.84

  That the Pa∣pacy is against Humane Society.
• † 1.85

  Innocent. c. 3. quod s••per his devoto Arch. Flor. 3. part tit. 22. Sect. 5. Sylvanus in ver∣bo Papa Sect. 7.
• ‖ 1.86

  Aug. lib. 5. de Civitate Dei.
• * 1.87

  Seneca 7. de benef.
• * 1.88

  Tacitus,
• * 1.89

  Rev. 11.15.
• ‖ 1.90

  The Oath taken to the Pope.
• † 1.91

  Amb. Offic. 1. cap. ult.
• * 1.92

  Paulus Juri∣siconsultus L. si quis ingenuam § 1. cod. Tit. Idem Ulpian L. Hostes. D. de captivis.