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both hatched and shamelessly thrust into the light of the world. They defy those ridiculous legends, which we father upon their Church and how much do they scorn S. Francis's bird, or his wolf, or his wounds, or his apostles of Assize! Pope Joan was but a fancy. Never Pope was a heretic.

If now we cry out of impudence, and call their allowed writers to witness; lo, even they also are forged by us, and are taught to play booty on our side.

Thus resolved to outface all evidence, they make fair weather of their foulest opinions; and inveigh against nothing, so much as the spitefulness of our slanders.

It is not possible, that any wise stranger should be in love with the face of their Church, if he might see her in her own likeness; and, therefore, they have cunningly masked one part of it, and painted another: so as those features of hers, which are ugly and offensive, shall not appear to any but her own eyes. And, because books are dangerous blabs, and will be telling the generations to come, how strangely that face is altered with age and art, therefore their tongues are clipped also, and made to speak none but her own words.

Out of this licence, and hope to win, they can fit their dishes to every palate; and are so saucy, as to make the Church belie itself. Hence it was, that a Spanish Father could teach *, That it is not of the necessity of faith, to believe that the present Pope is the Vicar of Christ, and the successor of Peter: that Hostius, the Jesuit, could say, That the Pope abused his keys, and the authority of the Church, in receiving Henry the Fourth: that another of his fellows, in a discourse with a French Bishop, could disparage the decision of his Holiness in comparison of a General Council: that Menas, the Reader of Divinity at Valladolid, following Salas the Jesuit, could affirm the lawfulness of the marriage of religious persons, upon a doubtful revelation: that more than one of that Order have dared to broach Confession by letters, against the Bull of Clement the Eighth.

And, if these men be not sparing of their contradictions to that Vice-God of theirs, whose vassals they are by peculiar profession, how much more boldly will they swim against the stream of any common opinion, that may concern the body of that head!

SECT. 18.

THEIR Second Advantage is, that they regard not with what untruths they make good their own assertions, It is all one, with what mortar or rubbish they build up a side.

Exemplar. Epist. Scriptæ ad Dominum Paulinum, quondam datarium sub Clementis viii, beatæ memoriæ Pontificatu.

From hence flow the confident reports, both of their miracles to convince us, and their slanders to disgrace us.

Father Hayndius, a Jesuit of thirty-three years' standing, amongst fifty-two complaints, which, out of an honest remorse, he put up against his own Society, to their General Aquaviva, finds this not the least, that his fellows shamed not to seek the honour of their Order by cogging of miracles. What packets fly about daily of their Indian wonders! Even Cardinal Bellarmin can abide to come in as an avoucher of these cozenages; who dares aver, that his fellow Xavier had not only healed the deaf, dumb, and blind, but raised the dead: while his brother Acosta *, after many years spent in those parts, can pull him by the sleeve, and tell him in his ear, so loud that all the world may hear him, Prodigia nulla producimus, neque verò est opus. Of the same stamp are the daily-renewed miracles, revelations, visions, wherewith any man's ears must needs be beaten amongst them. Africk was, at the best, but barren of novelties, in comparison of Rome; and yet the world is incredulous, if it will not suffer itself to be gulled with these holy frauds.

And no fewer are those lewd calumniations, the stuff of all their invectives, whereby they labour to make us loathsome to the world: our persons, our doctrines are loaded with reproaches; neither matters it how just they are, but how spiteful. What other measure can be expected of us, when their best friends have thus, upon some private dislikes, smarted from them? Their own holy Fathers, Clement the Eighth, and Sixtus Quintus, and with them (the honour of the Jesuitical Order) Cardinal Tollet, can all shew bloody wales in their backs, from their lashes. Their late patron of famous memory, whose heart they well merited, and keep it (as their dear relique) enshrined in their La Flesche, was, after his death, in their pulpits proclaimed Tyrant and worse t: no marvel, then, if after the virulent declamations of our Gifford (their Gabriel), and the malicious suggestions of others of that viperous brood, we have much ado to persuade our neighbours, that we have any Churches, Baptism, Liturgy, Religion.

I appeal then to all eyes and ears, how easy it is for a man, that will take leave to himself of making what truths he lists, and defending them by what untruths he pleaseth, to lead a credulous heart whither he pleaseth.

SECT. 19.

BUT if the power of falsified reason prevail not, these desperate factors of Rome, as I have been informed, have learned, out of their acquaintance in the Court of the Prince of Darkness, to employ

Lib. iv. de Salut. Ind. c. 12. &c.

+ Exemplar Epist. sup. cit.

stronger aid. On some of their hands, I fear, magical delusions and devilish incantations shall not want, rather than they will want a client.

Neither can this seem strange to any, that knows how familiarly the Roman Church professes the solemn practice of conjuration; in such a fashion, as it doth more than trouble the best Casuists, to set down a perfect difference betwixt their sacred magic and the diabolical.

From hence, perhaps, have proceeded those miraculous apparitions, if at the least they were any other but fancy or fraud, wherewith some of our death-sick gentlemen amongst them have been frighted into Catholics.

A famous Divine of France, second to none for learning or fidelity, told me this one, amongst other instances, of his own experience, which he yet lives to justify. A Gentleman of the Religion, whose wife was popishly devoted, lying upon the bed of his sickness, in expectation of death, sends for this Divine, his pastor. The sick man's wife sends for a Jesuit. Both meet at the bed's side: each persuades him to his own part: both plead for their religion at this bar, before these judges: after two hours' disputation, not only the gentleman was cheerfully confirmed in that judgment, which he had embraced; but his wife also, out of the evidence of truth, began to incline to him, and it. The Jesuit departed, discontent ; yet, within some few hours after, returning, when the coast was clearer, entreats some private conference with the gentlewoman: with whom walking in her garden, he did vehemently expostulate; mixing, therewithal, his strongest persuasions. At last, to shut up his discourse, he importuned her, with many obsecrations, that she would vouchsafe to receive from his hands a little box which he there offered her, and for his sake wear it about her continually she condescended: no sooner had she taken it, than she fell to so great a detestation of her husband, that she could by no means be drawn into his presence ; and, within two days after, in this estate she died. An act more worthy the sword of justice, than the pen of an ad

versary.

These courses are as secret as wicked. Not daring therefore peremptorily to accuse, I would rather leave these practices to further enquiry. Sure I am, that by their tongues Satan labours to enchant the world, and hath strongly deluded too many souls. And are we weary of ours, that we dare tempt God, and offer ourselves as challengers to this spiritual danger?

The Jesuits, amongst much change of houses, have two famous for the accordance of their names: one called "The Bow," at Nola; the other, "The Arrow," La Flesche, in France: though this latter were more worthy of the name of a whole quiver, containing not fewer than eight hundred shafts of all sizes. Their Apostate Ferrier, if I shall not honour him too much, played upon them in this distich:

Arcum Nola dedit, dedit illis alma Sagittam
Gallia: quis funem, quem meruere, dabit ?

"Nola the Bow, and France the Shaft did bring:
But who shall help them to a hempen string?'

This provision is for the care of Christian Princes: but, in the mean time, what madness is it in us, not only to give aim to these roving flights, but to offer ourselves to be their standing butt, that they may take their full aim and hit us level at pleasure!

Do we not hear some of their own Fellow-Catholics, in the midst of their awfullest senate, the Parliament of Paris, pleading vehemently against these factious spirits; and crying out passionately of that danger, which will follow upon their admission, both of lewd manners and false doctrine *? and do we, in greater opposition, fear neither; and especially from English Jesuits?

Some countries yield more venemous vipers than others: ours, the worst. I would it were not too easy to observe, that, as our English Papists are commonly most Jesuitish, so our English Jesuits are more furious than their fellows. Even those of the hottest climates cannot match them in fiery dispositions. And do we put ourselves out of our comfortable sunshine, into the midst of the flame of these noted incendiaries? Do we take pleasure to make them rich with the spoil of our souls? And, because they will not come fast enough to fetch these booties, do we go to carry them unto their pillage?

SECT. 20.

THE danger is in the men, more than in their cause; and if this great Courtizan of the World had not so cunning panders, I should wonder how she should get any but foolish customers.

The Searcher of all Hearts, before whose tribunal I shall once come to give an account of this "Censure," knows that I speak it not ma liciously. Him I call to witness, that I could not find any true life of religion amongst those, that would be Catholics. I meddle not with the errors of speculations, or school points; wherein their judgment palpably offendeth: I speak of the lively practice of piety.

What have they amongst them, but a very outside of Christianity, a mere formality of devotion?

Look into their Churches: there, their poor ignorant Laity hope to present their best services to God: and yet, alas! they say, they know not what they hear, they know not what they do, they know not what returning empty of all hearty edification, and only full of confused intentions; and are taught to think this sacrifice of fools meritorious.

At etiam num non animadvertimus, quòd, Latini sermonis obtentu, impurissimè Gallica juventutis mores ingenuos fædant: bonarum literarum prætextu pessimas edocent artes: dum ingenia excolunt animas perúunt: &c. Oratio ad Curiam Parlamenti super Henrici Magni parricidali nece.

Look upon their Chemarim, the sacred actors in this religious scene: what shall you see, but idle apishness in their solemnest work, and either mockery or slumbering?

Look into their religious houses: what shall you see, but a trade of careless and lazy holiness? hours observed, because they must, not because they would. What do they, but lull piety asleep, with their heartless and sleepy Vespers ?

Look into the private closets of their devout ignorants: what dif ference shall you see betwixt the image and the suppliant? If they can hear their beads knack upon each other, they are not bid to care for hearing their prayers reflect upon heaven. Shortly, in all that belongs to God, the work done sufficeth; yea, meriteth: and what need the heart be wrought upon for a task of the hand?

Look into the melancholic cells of some austere recluses: there you may find, perhaps, a haircloth, or a whip, or a hurdle; but shew me true mortification, the power of spiritual renovation of the soul. How should that be found there, when as that saving faith, which is the only purger of the heart, is barred out as presump. tuous; and no guest of that kind allowed, but the same which is common to devils? What Papist in all Christendom hath ever been heard to pray daily with his family, or to sing but a Psalm at home? Look into the universal course of the Catholic life: there shall you find the Decalogue professedly broken; besides the ordinary practice of idolatry, and frequence of oaths. Who ever saw God's day duly kept in any city, village, household, under the Jurisdiction of Rome? Every obscure Holy-Day takes the wall of it, and thrusts it into the channel. Who sees not obedience to authority so slighted, that it stands only to the mercy of human dispensation? And, in the rest of God's Laws, who sees not how foul sins pass for venial? and how easily venial sins pass their satisfaction: for which a cross, or a drop of holy water is sufficient amends? Who sees not how no place can be left for truth, where there is full room given to equivocation?

All this, though it be harsh to the conscionable man, yet is no less pleasing to the carnal. The way of outward fashionableness in religion, and inward liberty of heart, cannot but seem fair to nature; and especially when it hath so powerful angariation. It is a wonder, if but one half of Christendom be thus won to walk in it. Those, which are either ungrounded in the principles of religion, or unconscionable in the practice, are fit to travel in these miserable errors: But, though Israel play the harlot, yet let not Judah sin. Come ye not to Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven.

SECT. 21.

FROM the danger of Corruption in Judgment, let us turn our eyes to the DEPRAVATION of manners, which not seldom goes before.

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