A suruey of the miracles of the Church of Rome, prouing them to be antichristian. Wherein are examined and refuted the six fundamentall reasons of Iohn Flood Ignatian, published by him in defence of popish miracles. By Richard Sheldon Catholike priest, and sometimes in the Church of Rome Mr. Floods colleague.

ANSWER.

The more I read in you, the more boasting I obserue of your multitudes of miracles, a fashion familiar to An∣tichrist and his, so not to the Apostles and primitiue Christians; if the disciples once gloried for their power of miracles they were not approued but reproued by Christ.

How and in what sort your miracles are done, you haue taught vs already; by the Virgins intercession, and Christs power. Here you againe adde, they proceede from a boundlesse Ocean of goodnesse through the sweet con∣duit of the intercession of his blessed Mother. In that you honour the Mother of our Lord Iesus, with the title of Blessed, wee gladly approue the same; but whereas you make her asweet conduit, by whose intercessions Christ bestoweth his benefits vpon mankinde, because therein you want warrant and commission for your so saying, we dare not ioyne with you. Wee are taught by the A∣postle, that Christ our high Priest is euer at the right hand of his Father (interpellans pro nobis) making intercession for vs. Why then doe you obtrude vnto vs another

Mediatresse? Doe you this, because hee hath so prescri∣bed? shew vs the warrant and we will obey. Doe you this because shee will be ready to receiue some desperate wretches which Christ her Sonne will reiect? if you say so, then you make her, not Christ, the boundlesse Ocean of goodnesse, seeing he refuseth some, she receiueth all. But tell me, those that come to her, must they not of ne∣cessitie come with prone hearts and humbled Spirits? You cannot, nor dare not say otherwise: if so, what neede then of going to her, seeing there standeth an e∣uerlasting invitation of Christ himselfe recorded in S. Matthew, Venite ad me &c. Come to me all ye that labour and are heauy laden, and I will refresh you. I dare vnder∣take, that it is as cleare and as certaine a truth as any is in the Gospell, that Christ doth not, nor will not reiect any who commeth vnto him in humilitie of spirit, without which it is a meere vanitie euen in your Gospell, to goe either to Him or to his Mother. What needlesse de∣uotion then is this of yours to the Virgin, when as you may in full assurance of faith appeare before Christ him∣selfe, he requiring and commanding the same?

You compare your miracles with those of Christ and his Apostles, wherein you shew your selues to bee of Antichrist, for both hee and his shall doe the same, pre∣tending the name of Christ and power of the Lambe. Your profound Diuines, who are not ashamed in diuers points to assimilate Antichrist with Christ, why do they in this point of likenesse of miracles refuse to doe the same? What else is it, but (conscientia imbecillitatis) a conscience of your owne bad cause, knowing that the multitudes of your miracles are an argument of the mul∣titude of your nouelties; for standing within your own grounds, miracles are necessarie for the confirmation of nouelties, but not for further establishment of receiued truthes, data infidelibus, giuen to the incredulous, saith the Apostle, not to the faithfull.

Whilest you are talking of the multitudes of your beneficiall miracles, you except (as I take it to answer an obiection by the way) some few punishments laid vpon blasphemers, which are so few (say you) that they may seeme as a drop or two of gall in a sea of honie; well said you few, for they are so few that you cannot mention any one autenticall related as laid vpon any one for the opposing against your superstitions. We are able to relate many, and those autentically, out of your owne Authours, concerning dreadfull punishments and most scelerate ends, which haue befallen your most holy Pon∣tifies. But let them passe; and so I leaue you to meditate vpon the clemencie of your Virgin Mother made of wood at Sichem, who when shee was stolne away, and is not yet to be found, did not lay any reuengefull punish∣ment vpon such as stole her away; a good cause why, shee had eyes which could not see, and hands shee had but such as could not strike, as King Dauid sings of the Idolls of the Gentiles. God grant Mr. Flud that true Christians ne∣uer receiue hurt from your holy Fathers bloody fingers, vntill they be hurt by the wodden fingers of your God∣desse at Sichem, and we shall nothing feare what you and your Factionists, (I meane not onely your Ignatianed and the Church-Papists, but all those that side with them, as &c.) may proiect for the ruine of this Church and Kingdome.

To proceede, touching the spirituall benefits arising to mens Soules from your miracles, of which you are pleased to make so long a beadrole: I for my part could wish it were true as you write, both for the good of your people as also for our good and no small benefit, who are enforced often to haue commerce with them. But God wot Mr. Flud it is farre otherwise; and that truth may stand in the mouth of two or three witnesses, com∣pare that which I shall here write in generall termes, with those imputations which Mr. Copley hath truly and

ingenuously laid vpon your congregation, and especi∣ally vpon the Cheefetaines of the same. If your mira∣cles are so powerfull to conuert sinners, how commeth it to passe, that at the very Marte. Faire of such wares (Roma Sancta) holy Rome, sinne doth more vnmeasu∣rably abound, then at, or in any other Popish Church or Kingdome. What? is it necessarie that an ouerflowing of pride, enuie, hatred, malice, iniustice, rapine, murder, simonie, incest, Sodomie, should take her beginning from Rome? Hath it not been a crie of all times, a voice of all ages (Roma altera Babilon, Roma mater fornicationis) Rome another Babilon, Rome the mother of Fornica∣tions? And although your Seminarists who now come from Rome to peruert soules, are wonted to speake and ple••d much for the sanctitie of that place; the truth is, they are so taught, nay they are commanded and coniu∣red with promises to protest, that they will neuer here discouer in England what they may haue heard of their Holy Fathers turpitudes, his Purpured Brethrens enor∣mities, their Clergies and Prelates abominable irreligio∣sitie, their Monkes, Friers, and Ignatians impurities, and hypocrisies. For the experience that I made in your Congregation, I found the old sawe to be verified, to wit, the higher a man climeth in your Ecclesiasticall dig∣nities, the worse the man is; so that it seemeth your Chaire of Sanctitie, to be the very Seat of pestilence, the nee••er vnto which any may approch, the worse hee shall be.

You cannot be ignorant Mr. Flud, how the Histori∣ans of old, and your owne, haue described the orna∣ments of Rome, of your Consistories, Serralls, Con∣claues, Nunryes, Brothell-houses; witnesse Mantuan, Iouius, Sabellicus, Paris, Clemangis, Dantes, Petrarcha, Sa∣uanarole, Auentine, Grotshead, Ferus, Espencaus, and who else not? Yea Bernard that excellent man, who, though dazeled with the mistes of the time (non vidit omnia) saw

not all things, yet he so liuely described and proclaimed the mysterie of iniquitie, that in delineating Romes and the Romish Clergies enormities, hee commeth behinde none. thus in former daies. But should Rome now be searched, with no neerer and narrower a scrutinie, then was vsed here in England at the dissoluing of your male and female Sodomites, good God, what abominations would be found within her penetralls? Some say that your now Holy Father Paul the V, is not tainted crimi∣ne pessimo; bee it so; but who cleareth him from the crime of Auarice? the which whosoeuer followeth can∣not be innocent. Who can free him from the sinne of Impatience and most wrathfull outragious anger, which worketh not the iustice of God? Who can defend him from an high point of Luciferian pride, who dareth to the prouoking of heauens vengeance, suffer his Ne∣phewes to haue their plate engraued with this and like posie, Burghesianae Aeternitati dicatum. Consecrated to the Burghesian Eternitie? Who dareth to permit any, to giue vnto him the name of a Vice-God? Who dareth to haue the title of Pontifician Omnipotencie giuen vn∣to him? himselfe to be styled Paulus Quintus Optimus, Maximus, Sanctissimus, Aeternus, Omnipotens, Vice-Deus. What thinke you Mr. Flud? Paulus the V. mounted vpon mens shoulders, hauing his triple crowned Regnū vpon his head, is acclaimed vnto by people vpon their knees, with the said Title and Epithets of Diuinitie? May not we that are grosser-headed Tramontanes, ima∣gine and conceit that hee is adored as a God amongst you? What Luciferian pride in him a man of sinne, to admit, yea to delight in the same? These your accla∣mations giuen to a sinfull wretch doe farre passe those which were giuen to the Sonne of God, when he entred into Hierusalem some fiue daies before his passion; those were as publike protestations of his true Diuinitie; and these of yours are as applaudings of your Vice Gods

forged Deitie and yet si Dijs placet, you doe not honor him as a God sitting in the Temple.

Further, who can excuse him for his most shamefull dilapidating of S. Peters Patrimonie? his impudent pro∣fusing of Church liuings, vpon his Nephewes and kin∣red? of which he hath made no lesse then fiue Cardi∣nalls, a very monster and Portent in your Church. Pius the V. was so Saintly at his entrance into the Papa∣cie, that by no meanes he could be induced to create any one of his kinred Cardinall, for which Marphorius blasphemously applied that vnto him, (Qui propter nos homines, & propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis) who for vs men and for our saluation came downe from heauen. But not long after being changed by the working of the chaire of Pestilence, and making one of his kinred a Car∣dinall, your said foule-mouthed Marphorius applyed vnto him, that which followeth in the Creed: (Incar∣natus est & homo factus est) Hee became fleshly incarnate, and was made man, that is, like vnto his Predecessours men of sin, and sonnes of perdition. But this your Paul surpasseth them all (so doth your chaire of Pestilence make the Insidents (proficere in peius) to proue worse and worse) for hee hath made diuers Cardinalls of his owne blood, and vpon him who beareth the name Burghesius, (of his exhaust and spent Familie) he hath heaped such a world of wealth, that it passeth all measure; Him hee maketh as it were the necke betwixt himselfe the Head, and the Church the bodie; so that no Church can be prouided of a Pastour, but through his hands. Where∣vpon it followeth, that there is an infinitie of Concur∣rents (at Rome where the Marte is kept) of such as seeke to chaffare for some Church-liuing; (non vt dentur dig∣niori) Not that the same may be giuen to the more worthy; for present pay carries all away, and so goes the game, whereof you Mr. Flud cannot be ignorant; and such a one is your Optimus Sanctissimus Ʋice-Deus: to him and

his you may sing, Gloria Patri, & nepotibus in secula se∣culorum.

I haue touched briefly some of your holy Fathers virtues, I will pretermit many others as his rashnesse, effeminatenesse, inconstancie &c. yet may I not let passe his Iudas-like sinne who by a kisse betrayed his Master. When your holy Prouinciall Garnet his Brethren, and their Associates, were about their pouder barrells and billets in Westminsters vault; with which they inten¦ded (if the heauens had not letted them) to haue blown vp our Cesar, his progeny, and all his worthies; this most detestable plot of them was not vnknowne to your Ioue of Rome: yet then, he (to dazell the eyes of our State-gouernours) must send forsooth a Breefe, by which he chargeth most strictly all Romane Catholikes in this Iland; not to attempt any thing against his Ma∣iestie our most dread Soueraigne; and to whom must this breife be especially commended (as obteined by his procuring) to Garnet forsooth; euen one of the cheifest Architects of the Pouder proiect? O treachery of treacheries, and most perfidious treacherie! Orcus it selfe may be astonished thereat: and notwithstanding all this, euen yet dare some, (abusing Clemency and ver∣tue of affabilitie, and integritie her selfe which is prone to iudge the best of all) to suggest, to speake in the be∣halfe of the suspected Confederates of such Infernall lo∣custs, yea to vse as instruments Church-Papists and cōmunion Recusants, for what further proiects, future times and occasions may make easie. O Lord be plea∣sed to open the eyes of those who sit at the sterne, Giue them, yea engraue and imprint in their soules a resoluti∣on neuer to giue credit to any promessos or Iuramentos whatsoeuer made by the Ignatianed or their disciples. Be pleased ô Lord to grant, that our Lyon may defend and exalt the glory of the Crosse, that he may sleepe and rest in securitie; in securitie yet apertis oculis; dormiat vi∣gilans,

let him sleepe ô Lord waking and vigilant, with his eyes open against the Machauilian pollicies of these times; Cadant à latere, cadant à dextris, let them fall both at the left hand and at the right hand which intend ill to Sion, and let all who pray for the peace of Hierusalem say Amen.

I could adde much more in this place, concerning the enormities of Rome and your serralls; but I willingly o∣mit so to doe; whereby you may vnderstand M^r. Flood with what great reason I was moued to wish, that your miracles would worke some good conuersions in the Cheeftaines of your Church; especially at that place, where the Marte of your miracles is kept; and in such other places where like Markets are kept, as at Brussells, Louaine, Doway, S. Omers, Arras, Seuill &c. I will not enter into particulars concerning such places, your own consciences are best witnesses, what pernicious proiects, what calumnious detractions, what odious imputati∣ons, what abominable hipocrisies, are there on foote; I onely say that the standing Stationers, and Assistants at your miracle markets and miracle forges, are for most part of lewdest life, and wickedst behauiour, so power∣full are your miracles for the working of sanctity in the beholders.

To proceede; you tell vs Master Floode of diuerse conuerted from heresie (you terme Christianitie here∣sie) to your Catholike faith: Alac, what pittie that those Laddes were not conuerted who stole away the Sichi∣mite Lady-image? can you tell vs any newes of their conuersion after so many yeares, since the pretty God∣desse was stolne away? what maruell, that none were conuerted by some miracles for the defacing of your I∣dolls here in England? O that Margaret Iesop that Brus∣fells-lasse, or lame Clement had liued sanctified liues, vp∣on their miraculous pretenced recuring! You haue heard I am assured of Ginkes, who at the time of the

sweating sickenesse was condemned at Oxford, your Ig∣natians and ignatianed, haue proclaimed euery where, that for the wronges then offered vnto this your sancti∣fied Ginkes (who gaue testimonie to your Poperie) God sent that greeuous punishment which tooke both Bell & Barham away; happie it had beene, if that your roling Ginkes had liued vpon so miraculous a deliuerance a more sanctified life then he did at Rhemes, where how vainely he liued you cannot but haue heard. What? did Master Newtons late vision, which he hath pretended to haue had at Staunford against the Oath of Allegiance, any whit transforme that man into a more sanctified course of life, then he liued vpon the very point when he was honoured by the heauens with so gracious a vision? Of what nature that idle vision was the Reader may finde in Master Widrington, who handleth the same, and doth in part discouer the vanitie thereof; I my selfe had examined the same from toppe to toe aboue two yeares since, and shewed euery part and parcell thereof to be meerely vaine, yea most of it and the manner of it, to be flat repugnant to popish principles, which trea∣tise ere this had seene light had it not beene that Master Newton the Visioner was reputed by those that sit at the sterne of this Kingdome to be fitter for Bedlam then to haue any answere made to his phantasticke dreame.

The rest which followeth in this diuision, is either wholy ostentatiue or wholy impertinent. That many are perswaded by these your miracles to frequent your sacraments, and to goe often to confession I do not mar∣uell thereat, for one superstition leadeth to another; and none are more tainted with sinne (and so had neede to frequent confession) then such of yours, as are greatest listeners of miracles; they being for most part, such as the Apostle speaketh of; Men louers of their owne selues, Couetous, Boasters, Proude, Blasphemers, disobedient to pa∣rents, vnthankefull, vnholy, without naturall affection, Truce-breakers,

False, accusers, incontinent, sierce, Despisers of those that are good, heady, Traitors, high-minded, Louers of plea∣sures more then Louers of God, hauing a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof; Thus the Apostle: In which Catalogue (if the present occasion would permit mee) I durst vndertake to shew by former and late•• ex∣amples, that none can bee found more culpable then your Thrice-holy fathers and their purpured brethren. The very first (to pretermit all the rest) where the Apo∣stle saith that they shall be men louers of themselues, in whom is the prophecie fulfilled if not in your Popes, who are so wedded to their willes, iudgements and com∣mandes, that none may or dare gainsay them? who are so wedded to their owne lusts, that for the exalting of their Allied they will turne all topsie turuie? who are so eager to pleasure themselues, that for their tast they must haue weekely fish, herbes, and fruites brought wellny from all places of Italy: for their cloathing, their softell arraiments can be had: and haue continually such mag∣nificent attendance as is farre vnbefitting holy Peters Successour; yeares would faile mee for the declaring of their superfluous selfe-louing vanities in this kinde, and would God that by imitation, this Canker had not spred it selfe further.

Whereas you adde, that yours by meanes of such miracles are moued to restore things vnlawfully taken, and to satisfie for wronges offered, I can hardly containe my selfe from laughter; Sir, whatsoeuer some of your simple Deuoutes may doe, yet I am more then most as∣sured that this manner of doctrine, is not lesse practised by any then by your Ignatians and their Fauourites the Ignatianed, which are as Stationers where this miracle-monging is. Call to minde Sir, the wrongs which your holy brethren the Ignatians and their Fauourites haue done, by the way of deffamation, and traiterous strata∣gemes to Popes, Kings, and kingdomes; to Churches,

Colledges, Seminaries; Vniuersities, Sorbones, and A∣cademies; to religious orders of all sortes; to Prelates and other Clergie of all degrees; and hauing done such wronges and being charged therewith most iustly, haue your miracles euer perswaded them to do any satisfacti∣on or to make restitution? no God wot.

Consider what your Ignatian spirit is, concerning the restitution of goods purloyned by your deuoted sisters and humbled Penitents, from their Husbandes; you cannot but haue heard that, whereof England, France, Germanie, Spaine, Italy is full, some examples I haue ad∣ded.

But here by the way because you talke so much of re∣stitution of goods, I would haue the Reader to obserue, that the Ignatians doe procure for such their Priests as be sent into Countries which they call hereticall, one speci∣all facultie, from their holy Father, by which they haue power to compound with their Penitents, for all secret restitutions due to heretikes; I my selfe had the facultie granted vnder these wordes, (facultas componendi super restitutiones occultas debitas hereticis) Afacultie, to com∣pound for such secret restitutions, as are due to Heretikes. by which your manner of proceeding, it may easily ap∣peare what care you haue of restitution, when you can make any benefit by compounding.

M^r. Floode pag. 152. num. 35.

But a greater fruite reaped from our miracles, and a clea∣rer signe that they are of God, is the conuersion of Infidells; many Countreies partly by this meanes, partly by the good life of our religious Preachers of Gods word, haue beene in this age wonne to Christ, to the increase of the Christian name. These miracles haue beene so cleare, and the fruit of them so manifest, that some learned Protestants, x herein not vnlike to the Magicians of Egipt, acknowledged both in the miracles,

and conuersion the finger of God. But they adde that such miracles z are done in confirmation of the Protostant Gospell, which the Iesuites preach in those Countries.

Notes

• Luc. 10. 20.
• ad Rom: 8. 34. ad Hebr. 7. 25.
• Hovv superstiti∣ously you teach concerning the Virgins Media∣torship. See Orat. Steph. Ar∣chiepisc. Patrac. in Con. Later. sub Leo 10. Sess. 10.
• Matth: 11. 28
• Hebr: 10. 22.
• Matth: 24.
• Apoc: 13.
• 1 Cor: 14. 22.
• Mr. Copley in his Doctr. Ob∣seruat. chap. 11. and elsewhere.
• Mysterium ini∣q••itatis.
• Psalm: 1.
• V••bstota est lu∣pa••ar. Mantuan.
• See Auent: lib. 5. pag. 346.
• Nonus Homo fine.
• Garnet. Tesmond. Gerrard. Holdcorne. Cate••by. Percy.
• It was colou∣rably directed to Blackwell in∣tended for Garnet.
• Disputat. Theol∣ogica de Iuram. Fidelitatis. cap. 10.
• 2. Tim. 3.
• Ignatians make no conscience to restore fame, Is it not lesse wrong for a man to haue his life taken away by poy∣son then his good name by calumny where and when thee cannot answer for himselfe? Restitution of debts secret to Heretikes is not needfull, saith the Igna∣tian.
• x

  Philip: Nicl••l. de regno Christi lib. 1. pag. 312. 313. ••14. Iesui∣tae licet Idolola∣trae sin•• tamen p••ssunt per no∣men Christi mag∣nas virtutes condere apud Judos.
• z

  Iesuitae in pri∣ma Indoris con∣uersi nesese Lu∣thoranos vel E∣uangelicos pre∣bent ibidem pag. 53.