St Paul's late progres upon earth, about a divorce 'twixt Christ and the Church of Rome, by reason of her dissolutenes and excesses. With the causes of these present commotions 'twixt the Pope, and the princes of Italy. A new way of invention agreeable to the times. Published by James Howell, Armig.

SECT. XII.

The Sea being calm'd, Saint Paul makes sayle, and arrives at Ancona, whence he goes to Loretto, and while he pass'd in a Fryers weed hard by a Vil∣lage, he was earnestly cal'd in to confesse a Cardinall that was a dying: He goes in, and hears the confes∣sion he made expressed in the words following:

FAther, I feel the pangs of death come upon me, God summons me to satisfie the debt of human frailty. My soul finding her self in these extremes, trembleth to appear before the face of God, in regard she is so full of mundane spots. It is your function, to help me to wash them off, while these eyes of mine shall af∣ord you tears, & this panting spirit, though strugling with the assaults of death, shall endeavour to declare unto you in short periods the

sum totall of all my offences pass'd.

Know then, that I was born to a poor fortune, but Nature, who hath also her portion of goods in this World to dispense among Mortals, was pleas'd to endow this body with such Prerogatives, that my pa∣rents might well formalize some hopes within themselves of my greater aduancement at Rome. Being grown up to twelve yeares, devoting my self not to God, but to ambition, they cloath'd me with the habit of an Ecclesiastick, and to stablish the foundation of their hopes the better, they applyed me to the service of a Cardinall: Wher the end is crooked, the means tending to that end, can hardly prosper. Hence comes it to passe, that now adayes in Rome, to arrive to the

pervers ends of their designs, they do not use for means, learning and vertue, the effects of a true heavenly vocation; but courtship and flattery, which are the base parts of that in∣terest, that hath an eye alwayes to the worldly advantage of ones self. I applyed my particular study to be a proficient in the garb and fashions of the Court, which is no other thing, then to devote ones person to any pleasure of the great ones. He who confesseth, must conceal no∣thing, but be pleas'd, O Father, to comprehend in your imagination all wherin an engag'd, and well respe∣cted youth may sin, and suppose it in me, and so my feeble tongue shall be exempted from the labor of long narrations. Only this I tell you, that

I knew how to gain the entire affe∣ction of the Prelat, my Protector, and he for my sake was not ill look'd upon at Court. Pensions did raign upon my person, which made me wonder at that which the Anci∣ents write, that Jove should meta∣morphose himself into a showre of gold only for Danae, when he con∣verts himself so, more often for Ga∣nimeds. This my youthfull age was free from those passions, which use ordinarily to transport the minds of young men, viz. to love women: I do not deny to have tryed it, and I suddenly left it off, it seeming to me very strange, that I should pray, who was us'd to be prayed unto; but I continued not long in that state▪ my humor alter'd with my age, then

I intangled my self in feminine love, and in a short space I tryed what was adultery, fornication, and incest: In the mean time, I arriv'd to that age which is capable of Priesthood, then taking Orders▪ I liv'd awhile retir'd within my self, being perswaded to a moderation of life, by that Synde∣resis, that touch of conscience, which comes somtimes by nature, & teach∣eth some sort of respect to be had to such a Sacrament: But at the end, too much familiarity turn'd to contempt; for wheras at first, I began to sin with some scruple, those scruples quickly flew away from my consci∣ence, And so I came to such a repro∣bat sence, that fornication, rebellion of the heart, and and celebrating of the Masse, was in my person but the

act of one houre. Father, 'twas no Sacrament, 'twas a Devill that then entred into my soul, when I took the character of a Priest: It was an infer∣nall spirit that perswaded me not to fear that Christ which was daily to passe through my hands: I found my self immediatly disposed to every wickednes: And wheras at first, no other affection molested me, but that of lust, me thought, that all vices assayl'd me in a moment: Nor is it to be wondred at; for if Judas found himself disposed to betray Christ af∣ter he had taken the sop unworthily, though but once, much more must it be suppos'd, that those impious Priests must be inclinable to all motion of prophanenes, who every day receive the sacramentated Re∣deemer,

peradventure more unwor∣thily than Judas: And covetousnes came to be my inseparable compa∣nions, fomented chiesly by occasion of that command and authority I began to get in the state of the Church; wher while I exercis'd the office of a Shepheard, I learn't quick∣ly the art to shear my sheep close: All that belong'd to the subject, was created, me thought, by nature for the service of my affections; my fa∣vours were still expos'd to the high∣est offerer; nor did I ever refuse a present from any hand; I did won∣der at the custom of the Priests of the old Testament, which rejected many oblations, as unworthy for the sa∣ciifice, and so concluded within my self, that because the times and lawes

were alter'd, the Priests of the new Testament ought to receive any thing offred them. But this was the least; for if the Parishioner did not do it voluntarily, I found wayes to snatch it from them.

I remember, that amongst other passages, taking occasion once to visit a Gentleman, who was within the compas of my jurisdiction, I ob∣served in his house some pictures of good value, and giving him an inkling of my desire, he with many humble complements answered, that he would be very unwilling to dispossesse himself of them; I kept this deniall in my breast, and having trac'd a way, by means of the holy Inquisition, to clap him in prison, he presented unto me those Pi∣ctures,

that he might only be re∣mov'd to a gentler gaole; and after∣wards, for his full liberty, he was forc'd to suffer the better part of his Estate to be confiscated. But, feariug that by his appeal to Rome, this act of mine might be too narrowly winnow'd, and so I might run a ha∣zard of the precipitation of my for∣tunes not yet so firmly grounded, to secure my self from after-claps, I cal'd him to me, and rebuking him for his coorse carriage towards me at first, it made me, by right of that incum∣bency I held over him, to reform all misdemeanors, to teach him how to comply with Church-Governors for the future. In fine, for the re∣paration of his losses pass'd, I made him a friendly promise, to point

him out a way how he might be made capable to wear an Ecclesi∣astick habit, and so ascend to the dig∣nity of a Prelat; for they under the Roman State, amongst the multitudes of their miseries, have no other com∣fort but this, that they may easily ar∣rive to such a condition as may in∣able them to revenge upon some others the wrongs they receive themselves.

By these means I knew how to feather my nest so well, that I re∣turn'd afterwards to Rome, to live in the lustre of a conspicuous Prelat, by introducing into my house the won∣ted pomp and exces of the old Ro∣mans▪ I parallel'd any other in orna∣ment of rich hangings, of magnifi∣cent Coaches, in number of Grooms and

Laquays, and specially, in multitude of Courtiers, and gelded Musitians; The greatnes of Rome being ambi∣tious to shew her self barbarous, yea, in the pomp of Eunuchs. Eleven youths did undergo the martyrdom of Origen, of purpose to devote them∣selves to the luxury of my pleasures: Poor boyes, by what a strange effect doth the lusts of others make you chast! While I did lead this splendid life, the Cardinall, my Protector, came to the Popedome. By this ex∣altation, my hopes soar'd very high, nor did ther much time passe, when I saw my person, being a creature of the Popes, advanc'd to the dignity of the Hat; so I mounted to the de∣gree of Cardinal, wherin I stand now. Now if my voice had strength

to unmask every particular thing, you would be struck with amaze∣ment, to discover a life so impious in the persons of them who glory in the title of Christs Disciples. I'le tell you in a word, that from the time I obtain'd the Cardinalship, I never kept Lent, I never recited my howrs, I never confessed to God, but now, in these extreme agonies of my sick∣nes: Such being the custom almost of all Cardinals, who finding them∣selves in a posture to aspire to the keyes of Heaven, do think perchance to be able one day to find a way to enter there, without any necessity of good works. But wo is me, I per∣ceive now to have deviated from the way of Heaven; I discern too well by the light of divine grace (which

knows not by what exces of mercy may please to save me for all this) that to lead an Ecclesiasticall life, as is now accustom'd, is nothing at all to live like a Christian: But if Pagans, yea Atheists perceiving their own errors, have hopes to be saved, why should I despair? This is the only argument of my hopes, although I think the salvation of an Infidell more easie, then that of a perverse Christian; because my soul finds at this very moment, that the under∣standing is more easily illuminated, then the will humbled and rectified, being too tenacious of her delights in those pleasures, which she must now relinquish with the Hat,

But Father, my spirit fayles me, give me an absolution, for I feel

my self upon point of expiring.