Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 12 · Part 53 – Part 54
The Popish manner to get Reuelations.
FIrst he must fast eight daies, then hee must bee confessed, during which time he must not medle with any flesh of male or female, then he must heare seauen Masses of the holy Ghost, and vponupon a Friday at midnight, when the Moon is in the last degree of Cancer, he must lay himselfe downe vponupon a Mat, which some Fryer in a traunce hath slept vppon, and in such a Fryers Hood, and a Stole on his Necke foulded, with a Crosse on his breast, and these wordes In principio erat verbum written in Red Letters, and he must perfume the place with Holie Perfume, hauing a Lampe burning by him with Holie Oyle, then hee must make circles about the Mat of redde earth and white: Betwixt the circles must bee written these words, Pater filius & spiritus sanctus, nox visionis, nox reuelationis, nox veritatis, with a Crosse made betwixt eueryevery Word: then he must say a certaine Charme which coniureth all spirits that are for Reuelations to bee there and to tell the truth. The Spirts must be called by Hebrew names, because they vnderstand no other language. The name of the cheese Spirit for Reuelations, is Herusatanaell, and when all this is done he must fall on sléepe, and that which hee desireth to know, shall be reuealed vntounto him.
Calamichaell, and Saint Anthony of Padua are Spirits to be sought vntounto for things stolne, who appeareth in the shape of the Theefe: and S. Helene Mother of Constantine, is to be sought vntounto for louelove matters, who if the louelove be true, appeareth to the fasting Fryer with faire Damsels, at a table richly decked, and eateth with him: but if the louelove be fained, the feareth him with weapons and fires, and changeth her selfe into a wilde Boare, a Lyon, and an Asse, and cryeth ilfauoredly. This louelove is not to be trusted.
The Franciscan Fryers had gotten such estimation, that they were counted GODS Kinsmen: they onelyonly had the handling of the Gospell, they tooke out heere and there a peece, and mixt it with lies, false miracles and dreames of Purgatory: they kept the people more in feare of their Commaundements then of Gods: that Towne was counted vnhappy where one of their Monasteries was not néere: men thought to weare their apparell, or of their colour, was good against the Ague, and other diseases, and for one to be burned in their habit, was the right way to heauen. Longolius was burned in their habit, and so was Carpi a Noble man, and Rodulphus Agricola, and diuers others: If thou consider their Lawes with what burthens they hauehave laden mens shoulders, thou wilt sweare that the Iews Law is an hundred times more pleasant and easie then theirs. Because the Israelits forsook the trust in God, and made themselues a Calfe to worship it, God laded them with Ceremonies that none could beare: so now, because Mans folly could not be content with Christ onelyonly, the diuine iudgement suffered them to fal into a Sea of Ceremonies and superstitions, that except Christ had bin gracious to defend vsus, and had receiued the truth, we should hauehave béene drowned therein.
A Gentlewoman of Pulia hating her Husband, made her selfe of the order of Saint Francis, and of the same order took a yong lusty Fryer vntounto her adopted Sonne, who handled her in such sort, that he made her hart to faint, and her purse to shrinke, that shee was faine to leaue but halfe builded a Monastery to Saint F…auncis which was building: and this being complained of vntounto the Lordes of Bonony, there was good laughing thereat, but she could hauehave no remedie at all.
Saint Katharine (as the Papists affirme) promised vntounto him that would remember her Passion, to deliuer him from Lightning and Thunder, and that Saint Barbara maketh Souldiours to kill their Enemies: Many deuout Souldiours hauehave her painted vponupon many parts of their Armour to defend them from Gun-shot.
Saint Ierome did so much (but falsely) extoll virginity, that hee made this conclusion: it is good for a man to be without a Wife, therefore it is wicked to be maried vntounto a Wife, and that God promiseth heauen vntounto Uirgines. And Origen mistooke himselfe when he gelded himselfe, that he might be chast for the kingdom of heauen.
The Sorbones or Inquisitors of Paris, said; if they had S. Paul in their hands, they would burne him.
Wheresoeuer a number of Nunnes is, the Fryers be of the one side, and the Confessors be on the other side: the Fryers teach them how to coniure the Diuill into Hell, and to fight with him, and to be in a trance; and the Confessors vnderstanding all that they doe, with their hands vponupon their heads, and their displing Roddes assayle them. The Monkes can bring them vnderunder when they list.
Vastalla a Widdow being very rich, ordained a sect of Women and men, who must séeke to attaine vntounto that purity that was in Adam and Eue before their fall: the means wherby they should attaine hereunto, was long prayers, much silence, continuall fastings, to be shréeuen eueryevery day, and to receiue their maker eueryevery 8. daies: there meanes to know their perfection is, as Adam for shame grew from …akednesse, to be more and more clothed; to these must go …om being clothed, to be more & more naked, vntill they were not ashamed of their nakednes, whether they were Man or Woman; then they put Adam and Eue to bed together, and if they touch not, nor think vponupon the forbidden fruit, of which they must be straitly examined, then they are Angels; but if they do otherwise, as the virgin is for the most times sped, then are they cast out of Paradice.
S. Camella, to shew that she was of high blood, said, that Lewis King of France warring in Italy, had to doe with her Mother, and begat her. She had a Religion of her owne making, she vsed to be accompanied with thrée women as superstitions as her selfe. They abide in no Monastery, but in a priuate house, and frequent solitary and pleasant places; her house is haunted with Women, Gentlemen, and Lords, as vntounto an Oracle; sometimes shee shutteth her selfe vp, to bee more familiar with Angels to talke with them: vponupon the Friday she will not be séene nor speake with any, but contemplats the Crosse and nayles of Christ, and thereby obtained the print thereof in her hands and féete, which she kept couered: she hath beene seene to drop Malinesie into the markes. An Ambassador thought she had the pore, she loued well the Franciscan Fryers, she got much by contracting marriages, and by making medicines.
In Bernia a Towne of Switchers, certaine Fryers did séeke to make the prints of Christs wounds in a simple soules hands and feete: the newes whereof was brought to Pope Iuly the second, yet escaped they not vnpunished therefore, for foure of them that were priuy to this and other so great sacriledges, were burned aliue, before those of Berna had the Gospell, but they were euer e…emies vntounto the knauish deuises and deceits of the Fryers.
A Priest of Placentia was accused vntounto the Pope, that he had a wife & children, the Pope depriued him of his Benifices, and he went to Rome and shewed that she was another mans wife, and but his Concubine, and neuer married vntounto him nor could be, and though he was a vile Adulterer, he was restored vntounto his Benifices againe.
If any Iew become a Christian, the Pope confiscates their goods according to a Law of the Iewes, else many Iewes would become Christians.
S. Anthony is the Papists Saint to pray vntounto for fire, S. Rock for the plague, S. Bastion for the pestilence, S. Apolinia for the tooth-ache, S. Blase for the disease of throat. S. Anthony and S. Rocke were called Martires, because they went from Citty to Citty to desire men to offer them by death, and could get none.
Saint Christopherus.
THE Christians in old time, pictured a Christian in the forme of a great Gyant, because he must be strong to beare Christ and his truth before men: they feigned he carrieth men ouer the water: by water they mea… our life, which we cannot come ouer to come vntounto heauen, except we be taught by a Christian the truth, they pictured him with a tree in his hand to stay vponupon, by the which they meant faith, without which we should often fal: after hee vsed this tree it grew greene: to signifie that Faith exercised with Charity is liuely. His name was called Christopherus, which signifieth bearing Christ: Hee was painted at the entrances of the Churches. The Papists hauehave conuerted it vntounto a Saint, and pray vntounto it.