Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 12 · Part 55
Saint George.
LIkewise Saint George that killed the Dragon, to deliuer the Kings Daughter from that terrible beast which had destroyed all Capadocia: By Capadocia is ment the world: The Dragon signifieth the Diuell: The Kings Daughter the Church: And Saint George represents Christ: of which fable the Papists hauehave made a great Saint and pray vntounto it.
The Papists hauehave trantfsormed all the heathen Gods of Rome to be their Gods onelyonly by giuing them other names. Pantheon in Rome which was the house of all Gods, is Maria Rotunda, the house of all Saints: In the place of Cibile, mother of Gods▪ is now placed to Mary. The Temple that was dedicated to Pallas Minerua a Uirgine, is now dedicated Minerua a Uirgine. The Temple of Romulus and Rheimes is now the Temple of Saint Cosmus, and Damian. The temple that was ef Castor and Pollux, is now of Saint Geruais and Protheys, the Heathens had Lucian to heale their eyes: the Papists in stead thereof hauehave Saint Lucy, and in steed of Ceres God of Corne, now is Saint Pancras: The Heathens had Mars, and Pallas, Gods of Warre: in steed of them the Papist hauehave Saint George, and Saint Barbera: The Heathen Sea men saw Castor and Pollux at the end of a tempest: the papists in such case see Saint Erenius: as Vesta Virgines could not marry, so the Nunnes may not marry, in the old time they washed to clense sinnes, and now they fillip Holy Water vponupon their foreheads to clense sinnes: For the Heathens, Iuno Feronia, they hauehave Iuno Lucina: For the heathens Iuno Saturnia, they hauehave Iuno Curies; For the Heathens Lady of Grace, and Lady of Myracles: the Papists hauehave our Lady, our Lords Mother, and our Lady of People: The Papists fill their Churches with tables, containing vowes for the help that the Saints hauehave done for them, as were in the old time, in the heathen Churches, containing the myracles that their Idols had done.
Calapine, saith, that Cardinall is the selfe-same that Carneuale; neither the one nor the other doth attend to any other thing; then to eate, drinke, sleepe, commit whooredome, banquet, and doe other wicked acts, so many that no tongue can expresse.
In place of the foure Gospels, the papists hauehave put the foure Councels: Nice, Const…ntinople, Ephesus, Calcedon: Then foure Doctors: Ambrose, Augustine, Ierome, Gregory: and foure Bookes, to wit, of Decrees, of Decretals, of Sects, of Clementines, and whosoeuer had a Coule, or a shauen Crowne, might write what they would and it should goe for Gospel; whereby the Pope hath drawne all things to himselfe, and made himselfe aboue Christ. They will hauehave Bels, carued Images, Crosses, Lights, Wax, Uessels, and Garments to be …o vsus in steed of Euangelists.
Saint Peter was made Pope after his death, which neuer was Pope, nor neuer could be, nor yet was at any time at Rome: so was Saint Ierome made a Cardinall: Saint Iohn Baptist, a Patriarck: And Saint Dominick, and Saint Frances Patriarcks long time after their deathes.
They picture Iohn Baptist a terrible fellow, with a fayre sharpe sword in his hand, and all in armour, followed with a number of Sea Rouers called knights of the Rhodes: they baptize no otherwise but by drowning men in the Sea: they doe not make men repent of their sinnes as Iohn Baptist did, but they make them repent that euer they were borne, and driue them for necessitie to dwell in the wildernes: They weare crosses on their breasts, because they cannot beare them in their heart, and to shew them selues crucifyers of others: Iohn dwelt in deserts, but they make deserts: Iohn Baptist liued in Fasting and Prayer, but these in pleasure like Sardanapalas, when they had the Isle of Rhodes, they did that which Turkes would not hauehave done: Therefore they were driuen thence by Gods iust iudgement: they marry not like Iohn Baptist, but they hauehave the more harl…ts.
Dominick, by the procurement of Innocent the third: Hee at Tholosa quenched the heresie of the Lutherans with maruellous speed: Hee said hee must not dispute, but fell to the busines with fire and sword; and for this cause he was made a Saint
A Spaniard of the inquisition for heresies, accused certaine of the best Spaniards for Lutherans, and said he smelt them, because they gaue almes vntounto the poore, and not vntounto Fryers: And because they left swearing, and blaspheming of GOD and his Saints, and playing, whore-hunting, and other vices, applying themselues to things graue and profitable, and all day long reade in the Scriptures.
Saint Francis was required of his Disciples to giuegive them a rule of liuing, and he gaue them the Gospell: but his Fryers hauehave set forth a Booke of conformities, which is preferred before the Gospel; with the whith if thou compare the Al…oran of Mahomet, thou wilt say the Alcoran is more holy, although in many things they agree: His Fryers were bold to preach, that a Frier once desired to knew in what place Saint Francis was, and therewith ran out of his wits, and was led about all parts of heauen and found him not: at last he came vntounto the throne of Diuinitie: where demanding for Saint Francis Christ rose vp from his seate, on the right hand of the Father, and opened his clothes vponupon his brest, and S. Francis came out of his side: Then the Fryer came to his wits againe,
In the strife for the supremacie, Constantinople said to him it belonged, because with him was the Sea of the Empire: Ierusalem would hauehave it, because the high Bishop Christ had triumphed there: Antioch would needs hauehave it alledging that Peter the Apostle there had kept his Sea, and was neuer at Rome, as it may appeare by the booke called quod Petrus nunquam Romae fuit: Hee of Rome, not regarding the saying of Saint Gregory, that he should be Antichrist, that would be vniuersall ouer Bishops, by deceits, gifts, and force, obtained to bee called the chiefe Bishop, the greatest, the highest, vniuersall; most blessed, most holy, and lawfull successor of Peter and Christ.
The Fryers of Dominick and Francis, dee chiefely apply themselues to sorcery, and witchcraft, and thereby learne euill diuellish Arts: A man may reade that Siluester the second, one of them, got to be Pope, by the help of the Diuell, vponupon condition that after his death he should be his: and in our dayes Paul the third, called Pope Farnese, hath not left his like in Astrology, and diuination: it is certainly said, that he beleeued that the soule was mortall: so did Pope Lewes, and Cardinall Chitty.
A Gentleman of Uenice and his wife, were in doubt vponupon a case of conscience: The woman confessed her selfe in the Church of the Chittines, and opened the matter, praying to bee resolued: The Frier did it as well as hee could: and then hee opened the whole matter to Cardinall Chitty, as it is their old vse to doe: hee commanding him to bee secret, and finding the resolution of the case in the Cannon Law, the morrow the Gentleman came vntounto Chitty, and opening the matter, hee commanded him to hold his peace, and tooke him by the hand, and put it into the booke, in the place which hee before had marked for that purpose: Then he bad him tell his tale, & when he had ended, he said, look there where your hand is: The Gentleman read there, and found that which he sought: then forthwith hee fell downe, and worshipped him, as it had been another Christ which knew all secrets. Pasquine saith, hee knoweth ten thousand such trickes by them.
Saint Ioyce is patron of fruitfulnes of Children, she hath a Church in France: the Flemings goe vntounto her to hauehave Children and speede of their purpose, for whilst they be on their voyage, she vseth the Priests and Friers, as instruments with their wiues.
The Pope in policie sends flattering Courtiers to Francis King of …, to flatter him in all his actions, to remember him of that Title of Most Chr…ian King, which his Progenitors receiued of the Pope, and that therefore hee sh…uld defend the Dignitie of them that gaue him so goodly a Title: and to exhort him, that he should not fa…le to persecute the Lutherans, and that he should fail to Dancing and Banquetting, and to serue Venus, and to Hunting, rather then to sauour Learning, as it seemed he would doe.
In the Popes Policie it was decreed, That of all the chiefe Houses in Italie, or elsewhere, there should one euer be a Cardinall, to keepe them in deuotion of the Church of Rome, which they began to forsake for the Gospell, but aboue all things there should be six, or foure at the least, of the Uenetians Cardinals, because a …umber of those Senators be wittie, and of profound iudgement, least they should slip their heads from the Pope.
It was decreed by the Pope concerning Spaine, That the Inquisitors should not be seuere with the Marraines, who denyed the Diuinitie of Christ, but that they should be most cruell against the Lutherans, who denie the Diuinitie of the Pope. They hauehave made Peace with the Turke, that they may the better maintaine Warre against the Gospell, and to keepe the Christian Princes in Warres and Businesse, that they may not seeke for a Generall Councell for Reformation.
There is not one man condemned by the Uenetians, but he is adiudged by fortie Iudges, and the offendor may alledge for himselfe the best he can, yet they suffer a Legate onelyonly to condemne whom he list for the Gospell, and the person accused cannot come vntounto his Purgation.
Cardinall Fernese made the liuely Picture of his Sister ouer his Chamber dore; shee was Pope Alexander Borgias his Concubine, and by her honourable meanes, shee made her said brother Cardinall, and after to be made Pope: Her Image goeth currant for the Picture of our Ladie, and the Pictures of our Ladie be made thereby.
By the Papists Tradition, the Soule for euerie deadly sinne is to abide seuen yeares in Purgatorie: Moses ordained many Sacrifices for the sinnes of the liuing, but none for them in Purgatorie; he chideth for weeping for the dead: It is deuised onelyonly to deceiue the people with Trentals and Quarentals, and other foolish Inuentions, full of Couetousnesse: The Scripture biddeth vsus remember the poore that be aliue, the Papists bidde vsus bring hither for the Soules of your dead Friends and Parents, with crie Miseremini: These Priests and Religious are the Prophets Sa…ke, neuer full; and Solomons Horse-leaches, and the fire that neuer saith hoa: if thou shouldst giuegive them the world, they will not be satisfied. The places of Scripture that they ground Purgatorie vponupon, are the fift of Mathew: Agree with thine Aduersarie by the way, least thou be cast into Prison, &c. And in the 18. of Mathew; Hee that owed thee tenne thousand Talents, was deliuered vntounto Prison, &c. And in the 12. of Mathew; The sinne against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen in this World, nor in the World to come. And in the 1. Cor. 13. Stubble and trash, builded vponupon Christ, shall be tryed by Fire. And 2. Machab. 12. Macabeus offered two thousand drammes of Siluer for the dead, which bought Beasts which were sacrificed. And Reuelation 14. 21. Those that follow the Lambe are without spot, and no vncleane thing shall enter into heauen: Therefore we must be purged with Purgatorie before we can come there. Thomas Aquine confessed hee could not finde Purgatorie in the Scriptures, yet hee would hauehave it beleeued. The Doctrine of Purgatorie is the greatest Blasphemie that is vntounto Christ.
Boniface the … eight made a Decree, That eueryevery worldly creature should be subiect vntounto the Pope, vponupon paine of Damnation.
Pope Alexander Borgias lay with his naturall Daughter Lucrece, with whom also Duke Valentine, his brother, lay.
The Friers lay with the Nunnes, and with Lay-sisters, and taught them to murder yong Babes, least they should be discouered; or teacheth them how they shall not conceiue with child, or to destroy it in her body: Some of them make Women to poyson their Husbands: some of them hauehave giuen meate to a whole household to make them to sleepe, that he might not be seene to goe to the good wife, and thereby hath killed them all: One faineth our Ladie doth Miracles, to get Offerings; another persecuteth the Truth, because he would be a Bishop: Another false knaue, in Confession, caused a woman to giuen him her money in keeping, and then denyed it. They sit toting in the bosome of simple yong maids which come vntounto them to shrieue: others, in confessing the sicke, cause them to leaue their goods vntounto the Monasterie, and depriue their wiues and children.
A Can…n of …urney after his death left a Booke, wherein hee had noted the Names and Houses of two hundred women of the chiefest of that Citie, whome he had enio…ed at his pleasure.
A Fryer in Fris…land had put into the h…ads of foolish women this opinion, That they must giuegive vntounto the Church the tenth Night, as they doe vntounto their Husband.
A Fryer, with a poysoned Host, brought vntounto his death Henrie, the seuenth Emperour of that Name. Thus much out of Pasquine in a …rance; wherein, if thou be disposed, thou shalt find eueryevery thing that I hauehave set downe, and much more: which, least I should be too tedious, I hauehave omitted.