The vnmasking of all popish monks, friers, and Iesuits. Or, A treatise of their genealogie, beginnings, proceedings, and present state. Together with some briefe obseruations of their treasons, murders, fornications, impostures, blasphemies, and sundry other abominable impieties. Written as a caueat or forewarning for Great Britaine to take heed in time of these romish locusts. By Lewis Owen.

Of the Canon Regulars of the Order of Saint Augustine.

THere are diuers opinions among the Papists concerning the first originall or beginning of these Canon Regu∣lars,

and the Mendicant or begging Augustine Friers; and therefore the question is not as yet decided: for there are ve∣ry many learned men, which hold that Saint Augustine was neuer the Author or Founder of either of these two Sects, or of any other Order of Friers. Neuerthelesse, these Canon Regulars doe not only affirme that Saint Augustine, when he was Bishop of Hippo in Africa, did reduce all the Canons of that Church to this order and discipline that they now pro∣fesse to obserue: But also some of them doe very impudent∣ly bragge, that their Order was instituted by the Apostles before Saint Augustines time, and that this holy man did but renew it, and did neuer institute any other Religious Order besides theirs. The Mendican Augustine Friers doe stoutly deny it; and say that their Order, and none other, was in∣stituted by this great Doctor, as hereafter shall be declared.

These Canon Regulars doe weare long white cloth coats, open before, downe to their heeles; vnderneath they weare doublets, breeches, shirts, and white stockins, shooes or slip∣pers. Ouer this coat (which is bound with a girdle) they doe weare a short surplice to their knees, and ouer that a lit∣tle short blacke cloake to their elbowes (like a womans ri∣ding cloake) with a little cowle or hood fastened to it, and a blacke corner-cap, or a broad hat, when they walke or goe abroad; and their crownes shauen like other Friers.

They haue great Monasteries like Princes Courts, and great lands and reuenues, and are very rich. And haue ma∣ny Cloisters in Italy, Germany, and Netherland; but in France, Spaine, and other Catholike Countries, they haue not so many. Moreouer, they are diuided into many Fami∣lies, as Canonici Saluatoris, and Scopetini, whose Authors were Iacobus and Stephanus Senenses. This Order did Pope Gregory the eleuenth approue and confirme, about the yeare 1408. Some report that one Franciscus Bononiensis was the first Institutor of this Sect, in the time of Pope Vrban the fifth, in the yeare 1366. and the other two did but renue it, being almost abolished.

There is another Family of these Friers, called Frisona∣ria, neere the City of Luca in Italy, which was erected and augmented by Pope Eugenius the fourth, who gaue them many Priuileges, Indulgences, and Pardons; they are cal∣led of some Lateranenses. And withall, there is another Fa∣mily at Venice, and another at or neere Cambray in the Low-Countries, instituted by one Laurentius Instinianus, Patri∣arch of Ʋenice, in the yeere 1407. and confirmed by Pope Iohn the two and twentieth: these weare a purple Habit, and a blacke Cloke ouer it.

These Canon Regulars had heretofore many Cloisters here in England, whereof one was in that place which is now called Saint Mary Spittle: But I neuer knew or heard of more than two English men of this Order that are now li∣uing, and I thinke they are too many by two; but howso∣euer there is neither of them guilty of much learning.

To conclude, there were and still are diuers other Friers and Nuns that did and doe professe to liue vnder the Rule (as they say) of Saint Augustine: as the

• 1. Dominicani.
• 2 Serui Beata Maria Virginis.
• 3 Brigidiani.
• 4 Iesuati.
• 5 Canonici Regularis Sancti Georgij.
• 6. Montoliuenteses.
• 7 Hieronymiani Eremitae.
• 8 Hieronymiani Simpliciter.
• 9 Cruciferi.
• 10 Scopetini.
• 11 Antoniani seu Hospitalarij Sancti Antoni.
• 12 Trinitarij.
• 13 Seruitae.
• 14. Feruerij.
• 15 Fratres B. Ioannis Hierosolymitani.
• 16 Crucifericum stella.
• 17 Fratres Sancti Petri Confessoris de Magella.

• 18 Sepulchritae, seu fratres Dominici Sepulchri.
• 19 Fratres Vallischolariorum; whereof some are as yet ex∣tant, and some Orders quite dissolued and abolished.
• 20 Victoriani.
• 21 Gilbertini.
• 22 Eremitae S. Pauli, quos alij Augustinensibus annumerant.
• 23 Fratres de Poenitentia.
• 24 Coronati.
• 25 Hospitalarij.
• 26 Milites diut Iacobi de Spata.

And many more who doe differ both in Habit and Exer∣cises, as also in Rules and Precepts of life, as Alfonsus Aluaris de Gueuarra, one of their Writers witnesseth.