Oraculo voci viiindi moderaris habenas, Et merito in terris crederis esse Deus. Sixtus 4th. His coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs, and lying wonders, of which there are numberless multi- tudes in popery, their legends swarm with them. " He hath horns " as a lamb,"' viz. pretences of meekness and innocencj', but " speaks hke a dragon,"" Rev. xiii. 11. He " arose out of the " earth," stirpium more, after the manner of plants, growing by insensible degrees to this monstrous greatness ; to him alone agree all other characters in Rev, xvii. et alibi. Therefore,
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A7'g. 4. That religion which tolerates and countenances all man- ner of pride, covetoLisness, lust, murders, &c. is a false religion; but the popish religion tolerates and countenances these, and many other fleshly lusts. Therefore it is a false religion.
The major (if doubted) may easily be proved by all those scrip- tures which shew the purity of true religion, as James i. ST. " Pure religion, and undefiled before God," &c. Tit. ii. 12. " Teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts,'' &c. Psal. xix. 9. " The fear of the Lord (which is there put for his " worship) is clean,"' kc.
The minor may be as easily proved from their own histories and writings, and many other credible authors. As for their pride, let an instance or two suffice : Sir Richard Baker in his Chronicle, p. 30. tells us, that Aldred, archbishop of Canterbury, upon the repulse of his suit by king William the first, grew discontent, and offered to depart, when the king, in awe of his displeasure, stayed him, fell down at his feet, desired pardon, and promised to grant him his suit. The king being all this while down at the archbishop's feet, the nobles that were present, put him in mind, that he should cause the king to rise : Nay, saith the archbishop, let him alone, let him find what it is to anger St. Peter ! Richonius, that proud papist, was not ashamed to tell the world in print, that a priest is as much above a king, as a king is above a beast ; yea, as God is above a priest. Their covetousness is also insatiable, all things are vendible at Rome, even the blood of Christ is set to sale for money ; they have vast revenues from the very stews and brothels. The bhndest times took so much notice of their covetousness, that though they durst not speak out, yet expressed their apprehensions, and just indignation against them in pictures. There was found in the abbey of Fulva, (besides other emblems taxing popish prelates) the picture of a wolf in a monk's cowl, and shaven crown, preaching to a flock of sheep, with these words coming in a pendant out of his mouth, God is my witness, how I long for you all in my howels * ; and underneath was written, This hooded wolf is the hypocrite, of whom in the gospel, beware of false prophets : This picture was made two hundred years before the reformation by Luther. Ano- ther like this was found at Ptortzhem, only with this difference, that the wolf was preaching to a flock of geese, every one holding in his bill a pair of praying beads. Prodigious lusts are found among them : They forbid marriage, and scatter their lusts like brute beasts, promiscuously, f St Gregory commanded, that their priests should not marry; but understanding what filthiness they com-
* John Wolf, led. memor. torn. 1. advan, 1500. f Valeret's Lives of the Popes, p. 5.
mitted, and finding in one fish-pond six thousand heads of young infants that liad hcvn nuirdcred, he re]K'aled his decree. Yea, their own writers tell us such stories of their wickedness in this kind, that I am asluuned my pen should English them ; the learned reader may find more than enough in liernard, in Cant. Serm. 6G. Alvarez. Pelag. de 'planet, eccles. lib. 2. artic. 24. Peter Aleacu, Palcngennis^ Cornelius Mus, <^c. Most horrid murders are fre* quently practised by them, yea, and encouraged with promised re- wards in heaven.
* Hospinian shews us how tlic Jesuits animate him whom they employ for the miu'dering of kings : they bring him into a chapel, where the knife lies wrapt up in a clotli, with agnus Del engraven on it ; then they open the knife, and sprinkle it with holy water, fastening to the haft some consecrated beads, with this indulgence, that so many stabs as he gives the king, so many souls he saves out of purgatorij. Then they commend to him the knife, in these words, O thou chosen son of God, take to thee the sword of Jephtha, Samson, David, Gideon, Judith of Maccabeus, of Ju- lius the second, who defended himself from the princes by his. sword; go, and be wisely courageous, and God strengthen thy liand : Then they all fall U])on their knees, with this prayer, Be present, O ye cherubims, and seraphims, be present ye thrones, powers, holy angels, fill this holy vessel with glory, give him the crown of all the holy martyrs ; he is no longer ours, but your com- panion; and thou, O God, strengthen his arm, that he may do thy will, give him thy helmet, and wings to fly from his ene- mies : — Then they shew him a crow^n of glory, and say, Lord, respect this thy arm, and executioner of thy justice: — Then they tell him they see a divine lustre in his face, which moves them to fall down and kiss his feet, and now he is no more a mortal man, &c.
These, and all other lusts are indulged, even by the doctrines and principles of papists ; for, if venial sins do not render a man unworthy of the love of God, they are but trifles, toys, gnats, as Bellarmin calls them, Vib. 2. dc peecat. If the pope can grant in- dulgences for certain days or years, some partial, some plenary; for all sins, yea, interdum plefia plenlor, far more than all ; some for this life, some for ever: What should hinder, but that they should take the bit in the mouth, and rush into all wickedness, as the horse into the battle.? Especially adding, what Navarrus Cor- dubensis, and others, by •)* Bollarmin's own confession, teach, that if men rush into sin, upon the hope of such indulgences, they may
* Hospin. Hist. Jesuit, p. 225.
f Bdlar. de Indul^. c. 4. qu. 5. LoQ.cit,
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be nevertheless absolved. But I have stood too long upon this head ; our proteatant writers have clearly and learnedly evinced the falsity of this religion ; only because many of their arguments are in Latin^ I thought it not amiss to add somewhat for the satisfac- tion of vulgar readers.