The Jesuits Gospel 2, Text 2
A DISCOVRSE OF THE LADIES OF HALL AND SIchem, in way of preface ſhewing particularly the occaſion of this new Goſpell.
THE bleſſed Mother of our Lord, as the Church in all ages hath done, ſo doth ours, willingly honour, as the moſt bleſſed of all Saints, yet as a creature, and as one ſaued by her ſonne, that Sauiour in whom her ſpirit reioyced: aLuke 2.we know & acknowledge that not ſhe but the holy ghoſt hath ſaid that all generations ſhall call her bLukebleſſed: Yet we muſt confeſſe, we are of that fathers religion, who ſaid, cAuguſt lib. de virginit.her ſpiritual bearing of Chriſt was happier then her carnall, and her ſelfe more bleſſed by conceiuing Chriſt in …ellcior partus ſpiritualis quam carnalis beatior enim Maria ſuit concipiend, Chriſtum ſide quā earne materna enim propinquitas nihil ei profuiſſet niſi felicius, chriſtum corde quā earne geſtaſſe….her heart then in her wombe, and by beleeuing in him then by bearing him: for her bearing him in her body would not hauehave ſaued her ſoule, if ſhe had not more happily borne him in her heart. And in another place, dIdem Inde felix quia verbum Dei cuſtodiuit non quia in illa verbum caro factum eſt. Papiſts themſelues cannot deny but our men do (out of this caſe) ſpeak and write moſt reuerently of the bleſſed Virgin, as namely, Luther, Oecolampadius, Brē tius, Spangenbergins, vrb. Rhegus, Bucer Bullinger. All this is confeſſed by Coccius the great papiſt in his The …ure Ca…helico. To. 1▪ Li. 3: at 5. p. 300.ſhe was happy and bleſſed, not becauſe in her the word was made fleſh, but becauſe ſhe heard the word of God and kept it.
This her bleſſedneſſe, far be it from vsus to impeach: and who would not yeeld her all bleſſedneſſe and honour that a creature may hauehave, of whom GOD vouchſafed to take the fleſh of man? And if any of our Religion hath giuen any words of her, that may giuegive the leaſt blemiſh to her bleſſed ſtate, it was not done in any the leaſt contempt of her, but in the zeale, they bare to the honor of their Sauior, whom they held diſhonoured by the vnequall cōparing of her with him: for what will not a Chriſtian mans zeale cauſe him to do, when he ſeeth his God diſhonoured? who would hauehave thought that Moſes would hauehave caſt ſo careleſly out of his hands, ſo precious a Iewell as were the two Tables written with the finger of God? and yet when he heard the name of the Lord blaſphemed, he forgot himſelfe and them, and as though he remembed none but God, he threw them away and brake them in pieces.
If Moſes his zeale makes his haſtines excuſable, then no reaſon to condemne them whoſe … gaue paſſage to their paſſions, and cauſed them for the honor of the Creator to forget the priuiledge of a Creature: & I dare ſay there was neuer learned man of our profeſſion that preſumed to touch the very skirt of the garment of her glory, vnleſſe they ſaw her ſet in compariſon with God or Ieſus Chriſt: which ſeeing the Romiſh Church dare offer to doe, thereby ecclipſing the glory of Gods merciemercy and the worthyneſſe of Chriſts ſatisfaction, wee hold it our duties to bee zealous for the Bonauenture himſelfe ſaid that we muſt take heed leaſt we ſo farre aduance the glory of the mother, that we diminiſh the glory of the ſonne.glorie of our God, and to preſerue as farre as in vsus lieth the prerogatiues of our Sauiour. If it be ſaid, that they match her not with God or Chriſt: I anſwer they doe, and that in ſuch a meaſure, as wee dare pronounce her or any Angell accurſed that ſhould either arrogate or accept of that which the Romiſh religion aſcribes vntounto her. Too good euidence hereof hath beene ſeene in all ages for theſe 200. yeares laſt paſt, wherein they hauehave fallen from honoring her as a Saint, to magnifie her as a Mediator: to pray to her as to a God, to truſt in her as in a Sauiour: Many perticulars hauehave beene ſpecified by many of our writers which by the aduerſaries could neuer be denyed (they are ſo euident) & yet were they neither recanted nor remooued, but contrary-wiſe Reinoldus de Idolatria. Catalogus teſtium veritatis. Perkins, of the Idolatry of the laſt times.they hauehave proceeded from euill to worſe, till their blaſphemy hauehave euen pierced the heauens and touched the Crowne of the Almighty, and confronted the wounds, merrits and bloud of our Sauiour. Perticular inſtances hereof are many, which may be collected out of the Authors of late yeares, part wherof ſhall if God permit be particularized in this Treatiſe.
But aboue all there is one, which as it is the lateſt, ſo is it the fowleſt, and wherein Popiſh Blaſpemy is at that height, as now it giues hope to all Chriſtian men that their prayers are heard, her end is at Reuel.hand, and that her iniquity is come vp before God, and there remaines nothing but the reuenging hand of God to bee ſtretched out vponupon her. Wee hauehave it not from the report of merchants, from the letters of the Poſts, nor from the Intelligence of Embaſſadours, for then our aduerſaries might ſuſpect it: Nor from the report or writings of our owne men, for then let the world not beleeue vsus: but wee hauehave it from the fountaine it ſelfe euen from the Record wherein it is written with the Authors hand: and ſurely if the euidence were not beyond exception, our ſelues would not beleeue it of them, though they bee our enemies. Thus ſtandeth the caſe.
Amongſt the late deuices that Romiſh pollicy hath forged to vphold their Hierarchy, a principall is, their art of Miracles, which they pretend to hauehave ſo ordinary, that in many Churches they hauehave more In So yeeres the Pope loſt all England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark Sweden, and a great part of Germany, France, Switzerland, Poland, and Hungary.miracles then ſermons: but alas dayly experience ſheweth that they be lying Wonders and no true miracles. Now becauſe ſuch tricks are moſt effectuall to delude the common people, and that they finde themſelues and their cauſe to hauehave loſt much of late in many parts of Chriſtendome a therefore to recouer themſelues and to gaine credit to their forlorne cauſe, they hauehave moſt buſily applyed this point of late, and hauehave by the craft of Machiauilian Ieſuits (as Watſon their brother In their quodlibets often.Prieſt often ſtiles them) ſo farre preuayled, that there ſcarce paſſeth a month wherin ſome new Image of our Lady is not found, or ſome ſtrange miracle and wonders heard of.
Two yeares agoe they cauſed a ſtory to bee written and publiſhed wherein they bluſh not to make their See the booke called, Iuſt…. liptij diua. Virgo. Hallenſis.people beleeue, that more miracles, and greater then Chriſt did, hauehave beene and are dayly done at Hall (a towne on the borders of Brabant and Henault) by the Virgin Mary, at a Picture of hers in a Chappell there: and this is ſet out by no triuiall or vulgar fellow, but by that famous Apoſtata Lipſius, that the tale may carry the more credit: and the miracles are not of ordinary but of the higheſt nature: for healing of frēſies, feuers, cōuultions, is nothing, nay: ſight is giuen to the Iai… daughterblind, and whereas Chriſt raiſed but 3. from the dead (that we know of) our Lady of Hall (ſaith Lipſius) gaue life to 7. at leaſt that were dead: Loe here how far ſhort Chriſt himſelfe is of his Mother: and now we maruaile Omniae quae fecit Chriſtus fecit Franciſcus plura quam fecit Chriſtus fecit Franc…. lib. conformitatum beati Franciſci.no more if they hauehave written that St. Francis did all that Chriſt did, and more then Chriſt did, ſeeing the Picture of his Mother, can do more then he did.
I ſay the Picture of his Mother, becauſe Georgius fabricius, the Popes cenſor of books, in his allowance of this Legend of Lipſius ſaith, that God giueth and communicateth diuine power to worke miracles nor onelyonly to the Virgin Mary and the Saints, but euen to their Images or Pictures: behold good reader a worthy piece of new refined Popery, Gods diuine power is Strange doctrine of Poperycommunicated to the very pictures of creatures: And if any man obiect that miracles are not in theſe dayes to bee expected, Lipſius hath a learned and Catholike anſwer, that now indeed in reſpect of Chriſt, or to auerre his Doctrine, or to maintaine his honour, they neede not, but the eaſe is otherwiſe (ſaith he) with the Saints, for many do refuſe to worſhip them, and grudge at the honour that in the Romiſh Church is giuen them, and therefore to defend them in this point, and to eſtabliſh By Popiſh doctrine chriſt doth more to eſtabliſh the worſhipping of Saints then his owne.that worſhip which they do vntounto them, God ſuffereth ſo many miracles to bee done euen by their Images: which anſwere being well conſidred of, what a kind of Doctrine it contayneth, I leaue to the learned and iudicious Reader.
I only ſay, that if this be true, then how forteth it with the very body and current of his ſtory, by which no man can deny, but it is apparant that moſt of the miracles which he ſpecifieth, were done almoſt 200. yeares a…oe, namely betwixt the yeares 1400. and 1500. long before Luther began to preach, and (as they ſay) afore our Religion was in the world, and conſequently before the worſhipping of Saints was withſtood; therefore it followeth, that miracles were ordained at Saints Images, euen then when worſhipping of Saints was not denied: Lipſius might hauehave done well to hauehave reconciled ſo euident a contradiction.
But what aſſurance hauehave we for the truth of theſe miracles? or how know we that this is an approoued Picture of our Lady? Lipſius anſwereth that there was one Sophia daughter to the Landgraue of Heſſe, by his Lady Saint Elizabeth: (a Saint of Pope Gregory the 9. making within foure yeeres after her death.)
This Sophia (ſaith he) as it is thought, had certaine Images of our Lady, giuen her by her Mother Elizabeth, (was it then but thought ſo, and muſt wee now beleeue it?) one of theſe ſhe gaue to the Nunnes of the Nunry at Vilvord, and that was called our Lady of comfort: 2. more ſhe gaue to Madam Machtild, or Maud, her huſbands ſiſter, who beſtowed them thus: one ſhe gaue to Graueſand, another to Harlem (two townes in Holland) the third (which it ſeemes ſtole all the vertue from both the other) to Hall a towne in Henalt, (and this is that we now ſpeake of:) and to ad more credit to the ſtory, he tels vsus that this Lady Maude was Mother to that Lady Mawde, who bare at one birth 364. children, An old ſtory, but greatly ſuſpected by Eraſmus and other learned men, to be fabulouswhich were all borne aliue, and baptized by a Biſhop: So (ſaith Lipſius) this is that Image, which now wee worſhip at Hall: and thus ſtrong a foundation hath the Story: and now may not all Caluiniſts be aſhamed to doubt of this Story or to ſuſpect theſe grounds?
Now therefore ſurely we muſt needes beleeue (els we are vnbeleeuing Hereticks) that one was before this Image diſpoſſeſſed of a Diuell without any other meanes, for ſo he ſaith, & that ten at leaſt were deliuered from preſent death by but calling or thinking vponupon our Lady at Hall, and that ſeuen were raiſed from death to life being but laid before the Image; and all theſe within the ſpace of 20. yeares, and in one country (ſo ordinary a matter it is in Popery to raiſe the dead.) Nay wee muſt beleeue (or elſe wee are Infidels) that when a Faulkner ſhould hauehave beene hanged for looſing his Lords Faulkon, and had the rope about his neck, An excellent & new found way for faulkners to find their loſt Hawkes, neuer before heard of Proue this Lipſius, and thou wilt hauehave many Faulkners turn Papiſts.and did but call to mind the Lady of Hall, forthwith the Hawke came flying home againe, and lighted vponupon the Faulconers ſhoulder, and ſo ſaued his life: for this is not Lipſius aſhamed to report. Which if it be true, then we ſhall leſſe wonder heereafter at that in the Legend, where it is reported how a Parrat hauing got abroad out of her Cage, and ſporting her ſelfe in the aire, was by and by eſpyed by a Hawke, who being ready to See the old Engliſh legend in folio, of the life of S. Thomas of Canterbury.ſeaze vponupon her, inſtantly the Parrat ſeeing her ſelfe in danger to be ſurprized, cryed out S. Thomas a Becket ſaue me, and preſently the Hawke fell downe dead, and the Parrat was deliuered.
As alſo thoſe miracles of S. Francis ſo far beyond Chriſts or his Apoſtles, that he tamed wild beaſts, that See the booke called, liber conformitatum, S. Franciſci, of any impreſſion.he preacht vntounto a Wolfe, and conuerted him from his cruelty, and calling him by the name of his brother Wolfe, made the towne of Engubium & him friends, who of long time had beene at contention, and for the aſſurance of the peace, he made his brother Wolfe to giuegive him his faith in the Market place, before the Magiſtrates, and afterward the Wolfe went vp and downe the City, and tooke his meate from dore to dore. Loe here you Heretikes, here is a Miracle worth ſomething; and if they will not beleeue me, looke in the holy Booke of Conformities, and there you ſhall find all See the conformity of the old impreſſion and his life in Engliſh.this and much more: as namely, how the Birds would come flying, and the Beaſts flocking about him to heare him preach, and how the Nightingales and other Birds would come and helpe him to ſay Maſſe, and ſing his office, and would anſwere him Verſe for Verſe. Come out ye Heretikes (Caluiniſts and Lutherans) Saint Francis and his followers challenge you all to bring Sedulius a Popiſh writer hath this laſt yeare defended all theſe.out one miracle like theſe, to approue your Religion: ſurely they may, and for ought I ſee Chriſt and his Apoſtles alſo, for they neuer wrought ſuch a Miracle to confirme the Goſpell. Is it not then apparant that S. Francis hath done more then Chriſt did?
Oh my deare country-men (you that name your ſelues the Catholikes of England) if you would but open your eyes and conſider of this, I durſt make your ſelues Iudges, what diuinity this is: if you ſuſpect mee, beleeue me not, looke into the bookes themſelues, and beleeue your owne eyes: If you ſay vntounto me that ſome ſuch impieties and follies might creepe into the old Bookes, 100. or 200. yeares agoe when the times were not ſo wary nor ſuſpicious; but the Church hath ſince reformed ſuch abuſes, I anſwere, I alledge moſt of this out of the Booke of conformities, lately corrected and printed in Italy within theſe 20. yeares: but if you looke into the old one, printed 100. yeares agoe, (wherewith your forefathers were abuſed) you ſhall there find ſuch matter, as for reuerence of the Reader I ſhame, and for the honour of God I feare to write.
And as for theſe miracles at our Ladies Picture at Hall they were neuer offred to the worlds view nor euer came to light till within theſe 3. yeares that Lipſius (a man who durſt doe any thing but honour Chriſt) preſumed to publiſh them, and with foule impiety to write that in theſe dayes Chriſt and his doctrine, ſeruice and Religion needes no miracles but the Saints and their ſeruice and worſhip do ſtand in neede thereof: and as in the infancy of the Church Chriſt had his, ſo in the perfect ſtate of it, Saints and their Images muſt hauehave their miracles: but obſerue withall that (if See the conformity of the old impreſſion, or his life in Engliſh.they ſay true) more ſtrange and as I may ſo ſay, more Miraculous Miracles are done by the honour of Saints, and approouing the worſhipping of them and their Images, then were for the eſtabliſhing of the Goſpell, the abrogating of the Ceremoniall Law, and for prouing Chriſt to be the Sonne of God.
If Lipſius were liuing I would not ſpare to tell him: Lipſius dyed a relapſed papiſt at Louoin. Anothat this his Doctrine ſmels ſtrongly of that whereof he hath beene, (it ſeemes not without cauſe) ſuſpected, which becauſe he is dead I will forbeare to name.
But ſome of our Engliſh Papiſts (which are not learned) may doubt whether there bee ſuch a Booke or no, or if it be not deuiſed by vsus, and fathered on them, (for ſo do their Prieſts often ſuggeſt vntounto them of ſuch Bookes as they feare the people will miſlike) but if any of their miſleaders doe ſo miſ-informe them, let them know the Booke hath beene twice printed at Antwerpe, and once at Paris, with allowance of authority in both places, not onelyonly of the Cenſors of Books, and the Archbiſhop of the place, but the matter and miracles in the Booke are confirmed Theſe bulls of 2. Popes are in the end of the booke.with the Bulls of a Popes, one of Pope Nicholas, in the yeare 1451. the other of Pope Clement the 8. within theſe 8. yeares: and if any ſhould bee ſo vnreeſonable as to thinke that wee hauehave forged all this, Poſſeuine, the Ieſuite may giuegive him full ſatisfaction: who in his Apparatus ſacer hath publiſhed to the world that Iuſt… Lipſius vir vere Catholicus inter complures eruditisſimos l…bro… anno 604. edidit librum h…c praenetati…ne. Iuſti Liptij diua virgo H…ſtenſ…s eiuſque beneficia & miracula bona fide atque ordine deſcripta. Antuerpia apud moret…m. Poſſe. Appa…ſa. To. 2. in litera. I page 318. Iuſti Lipſij diua Aſpric…llis.Lipſius in the yeare and at the place aforenamed, did put out ſuch a worke, and giues him ſpeciall commendation for his labours, in that and the like for the Catholike cauſe.
But hath not Lipſius recanted, or the Romiſh Church reformed this ſince then? Alas, Lipſius was ſo farre from that, that the yeare after, very neere vntounto his death, as though he intended nothing but to heape vp wrath againſt the day of wrath, he added drunkenneſſe to thirſt, as the Prophet ſaith, for heaping ſin vponupon ſin, inſtead of reuoking & recanting his former colluſion, he publiſhed another pamphlet, a more ridiculous Legend, and fraught with more improbabilities and impoſſibilities then the former. It beares this Title: Iuſtus Lipſius his Hiſtory of our Lady of Sichem, or of our Ladies Picture of the craggy-rocke or ſharpe hill, and of her new miracles and benefits: at Antwerpe. 1605.
At this Image ſaith he, are wrought miracles of al ſorts Apoplexis, Epilepſies, gouts and all kind of diſeaſes are healed, lame are reſtored to limbes, blinde to ſight, deafe to their hearing: and all by theſe heapes, not ſildome or extraordinarily, but yearely monthly, dayly: almoſt 60. are regiſtred by Lipſius beſides many more omitted, and all to be done in 2. or 3. yeares, inſomuch as if his report be true, God makes miracles farre more ordinary for the honour of Saints and their Images, then he did for confirming the doctrine of Chriſt and his Apoſtles: But what credit hath the Story of our Lady of Sichem? euen as good as hath our Lady of Hall, elſe let the Reader iudge.The tale of the …age of craggy Hill,
Neere to the little poore (but old) towne of Sichem ſaith Lipſius, there is a mount, barren, rough, and craggy, on oue ſide thereof there is a little Hillocke: on it growes an Oake, and in it or faſtned to it, is a little Image of our Lady, which hath done great miracles in time paſt, and was therefore worſhipped of the people there: but how is that proued? thus; about 100 yeares agoe, a Shepheard found that Image, and put it in his boſome, thinking to carry it home to worſhip it, but as he was in theſe thoughts, he was ſodainely ſtrucken and aſtoniſht in his ſences, & benummed in his whole body, inſomuch as he could not ſtirre one foote but ſtood ſtil like a dead trunke, not knowing what to thinke of it, nor how to helpe himſelfe: his Mr. wanting both his ſhepheard and his ſheepe, ſought them, and found him ſo ſtanding, who told him the whole matter: his Mr. taking the Image, went with great deuotion and ſet it vp in the Oake againe, and forthwith the ſhepheard had his limbs reſtored, & went & worſhipped it, and ſo by their reports, all the country heard of it, who came by heaps & were healed of all diſeaſes, but agues eſpecially: and ſo it continued (ſaith he) til within theſe 20. yeares, about which time the bleſſed Image was ſtolne or loſt no man can tell how. (But is it not ſtrange that if it could doe theſe Miracles, they would let it be loſt ſo careleſly?) well, loſt it was: But what tho? people went as faſt then as afore, and ſtill as great cures were there done as when the Image was there: and in want of the Image, the people worſhipped the Oake, & why might they not ſay Lipſius, the holy Image had hallowed the Tree? ſo that it might lawfully bee worſhipped: (be hold Popiſh deuotion!) yet, ſaith he, wee worſhipped not the Tree, but in it the Image, and in it our Lady & in her God. Marke good Reader, God gets his worſhip at laſt, though it be at the fourth hand: they tender it to the tree, the tree yeelds it to the Image, the Image conueyes to our Lady, and ſhe preſents it to God: ſo then by Popiſh doctrine and deuotion God is ſerued and honoured after his creatures, and ſo at laſt gets his own. If they ſay that the worſhip is intended to God, & is not ended but in him: I anſwere; but were it not better that the worſhip were offred immediately from the heart and hands of the worſhipper to God himſelfe, and to paſſe through no hands, but of his Sonne the Mediator? but this is Hereſie let it paſſe, or elſe it muſt paſſe the fire.
To returne to the ſtory: our Lady of Sichem is loſt; but what then muſt the poore towne looſe her traffick and liuing? (Nay rather wee will make another, for that is no hard nor vnlawfull thing in that Religion:) and ſo ſaith he 7. yeares after: an honeſt and deuout Alderman of Sichem (perceiuing well how his and his neighboures gaines came in, and how the poore towne liued) like a good towneſman, made another Image, put it in a boxe of wood, and faſtened the Boxe to the Oake that ſo their Lady might not bee loſt ſo careleſly as afore.
This new Image thus made, did as many miracles as the other, and why ſhould it not for was it not as good as the other? nay it may be it was more curiouſly carued and Alwayes remembred that I meane not in any of theſe ſyeeches the bleſſed virgin whom as I hol… a bleſſed Saint in heauen, ſo I preſent her with all the honour that may be giuen to a creature: But I meane Lipſius his Lady of Sichem, or our Lady of Hall.better wrought.
Thus it continued certaine yeares till at laſt the Pariſh Prieſt perceiuing they began to be well cuſtomed, beſtowed ſome coſt on their Lady which got them ſo much, that they built her a little Chappell of boords, & there placed her. But ſtill their cuſtome growing greater, they ſhewed themſelues thankefull to their patroneſſe, & as ſhe fild their purſes they ſought her honour and built her a faire chappell of ſtone, ſome 2. yeeres agoe, and in that reſteth the Image, working miracles eueryevery day. But what become of the holy Oake? it was cut away by pieces by deuout perſons, and carried away, that it was in danger of falling, and a counſell was called in the towne what were to be done with it (as in ſo great a matter it is requiſite) and there, after ſerious conſideration, it was grauely concluded, that it ſhould bee cut vp by the rootes, & with much ſolemnity brought into the towne of Sichem, where when it came, forthwith happy was he that could get a piece of the holy Wood, whereof (ſaith Lipſius, and bluſheth not to write it) diuers made them little Images, and with much piety do worſhip them: others that were ſicke of grieueous dieaſes, ſhaued it into their drinke and drunke, and ſo were healed. See what an excellent Religion this is: one Image hath begot many, and the firſt Image being but faſtned to the Tree, ſo ſanctified the whole Oake, that eueryevery Image made of the whole Tree, ſhould be as good as it ſelfe, and eueryevery crumme of the Wood ſhould worke Miracles as faſt as the Image did.
Loe here the Hiſtory of our Lady of Sichem, or of the ſharp hill: & this legend is not Lipſius aſhamed to thruſt vponupon the world, for a true & vndoubted ſtory: ſuch are the times we be fallen into, that to ſet faſt the crowne vponupon the Popes head, truth muſt ſtand aſide, and lyes muſt paſſe for currant without controule: and ſuch a cauſe is Popery as cannot continue in credit before the people, but by forging a continuall ſucceſſion of lying wonders, for now we are made beleeue, that the Virgin Mary hath 2. Images within few miles together which hauehave done more miracles in a few yeares by-paſt, then God himſelfe did in the old, or Chriſt and his Apoſtles in the new Teſtament: Such Idols of indignation doth the Romiſh harlot aduance againſt the ſoueraigne maieſty of God, to prouoke him withall: for what is it but an Idoll of indignation, that not a creature only, but the very Image of a creature ſhould be made pertaker of the diuine power and Maieſty of God?
The time was when Iſaiah the Prophet durſt ſay of Eſay 42. 28,God, I am the Lord, this is my name, and my glory I will not giuegive vntounto another, nor my praiſe to grauen Images: but how ſoeuer that might be tollerable doctrine in thoſe dayes had he liued in theſe, he muſt hauehave beene taught that a part of the glory and praiſe of God, may dayly be giuen to grauen Images, and yet the glory of God not at all thereby impeached, but rather augmented: Loe what Idols of indignations and abhominations lye hid vnderunder the miſtery of iniquity.
And yet good Reader (as God ſaith vntounto the prophet (turne thee a little and thou ſhalt ſee greater abhominations Ezeth.then theſe.
It is yet ſcarce 3. yeares agoe ſince the tale of our Lady of Hall, was forged by ſome Ieſuit, and publiſhed by Lipſius, when withall a faire Picture grauen in braſſe was prefixed vponupon the firſt Page before the booke of our Lady holding her Sonne in her armes.
And behold, the Ieſuits as though the Mother were a woman, and the Sonne but an Infant: or as though they had gained enough by Chriſt a ready, and would now ſee what they could get by the Mother, began to call in queſtion his merits and mediation, and the dignity of his wounds and ſuffrings, and at laſt pronounce that his wounds and her paps his bloud and her milke, are either all one, or elſe that the milke is better.
And yet before we enter into the particular, let the Reader obſerue that though the Image be both of our Lady (as they call her) and of her Sonne Ieſus our Lord, yet notwithſtanding the miracles are all aſcribed to her and her Picture, and none to Ieſus Chriſt: for the colouring of which impiety, what they can ſay I ſee not, vnleſſe they dare affirme that the ſonne will doe no miracles in the preſence of his Mother, to which end, it may well be noted, and generally in all places where the Mother and the ſonne, the Virgin Mary, and our Lord Ieſus be pictured together in their Churches, ſhee is alwayes ſet forth as a woman and a Mother, and hee as a Child and Infant, either in her armes or in her hand, that ſo the common people might hauehave occaſion to imagine, that looke what power of ouerruling and commanding the Mother hath ouer her little child, the ſame hath ſhe ouer her ſon Ieſus: and that ſeeing the ſonne is but an infant in his mothers armes, therefore they might not wonder why her picture doth all the miracles, and his none; for its like, Chriſt did no miracles whilſt he was a child: into theſe ſuperſtious and euen blaſphemous concelts do they indeauour to driue their people, not caring what they derogate from Chriſt, ſo they giuegive it to their Saints.
Is it not admirable that ſtill they will make him an Infant, ſtill in his mothers armes, ſtill vnderunder her power, and ſtill all miracles muſt be wrought by her, and at her picture, as though either he could not, or in his mothers preſence would not, or (at the leaſt) as though ſhe had many enemies, and therefore needed miracles, and Chriſt none?
But alas who ſeeth not that the Athiſme & prophanneſſe of the world cauſeth euen the name and religion of Chriſt to be blaſphemed, that if miracles might lawfully be expected, wee ſhould thinke them as needefull as euer ſince the firſt planting of the Goſpell: it is therefore a ſtrange piece of Popiſh doctrine, that there is more cauſe that the Virgin Mary, and her Picture ſhould hauehave miracles for them, then Chriſt and his Religion.
But yet this, and all other their ſuſpitious and impious ſpeeches and practiſes againſt the honour of Chriſt & his Religion, are in my iudgement inferiour, and may all ſtoupe to this new impiety of the Ieſuits, whereby the Mother is compared to the Sonne, not as being a child, or a man, but as the Sauiour and mediator: & the pappes of a Woman equalled with the wounds of our Lord, and her milke with his bloud.
If this were written by Proteſtants, ſome might ſay we might report partially, or if it were a matter of old, the age might yeeld ſuſpition that it were made worſe in the carriage: But when it is a matter of yeſterday and comes from themſelues, partiallity it ſelfe cannot cauill againſt it.
And the particular is this, Clarus Bonarſcius, a Ieſuit or the Ieſuits Patron, publiſhed this preſent yeare to the world, a volume large enough, in defence of the whole order of Ieſuits, the booke beares this title.
Clari Bonarſcij Amphitheatrum Honoris. In quo Caluiniſtarum in ſocietatem Ieſu, criminationes Iugulatae. Editio altera, libro quarto auctior. Palaeopoli Aduaticorum, apud Alexandrum Verheidon 1606.
This volume he erected, as a Theater, yea an Amphitheater of Honour, in defence of the Ieſuits wherein after he had aſſaied with much ſleight of wit, and in a ſtrange ſtile, to wipe away many foule blots, with which that Atheiſticall broode hath ſtained the holy name of Ieſus, and adorned it ſelfe (for generally that which diſhonors God adornes them) and after he had ranged ouer all the former Churches, and raked vp all rotten ſlaunders, and reuiued the callumniations that were anſwered, dead and buried, 40. 50. and 60. yeares agoe, and rayled vponupon the liuing and dead, Caluin, Beza, Pareus, Stenius, Toſſanus, Faius, and many other holy and learned men, with that bitterneſſe and virulency as neuer was before him: yea, moreouer after that hee had laid high and horrible imputations vponupon this whole ſtate of England, and (like a true Ieſuits Impe) ſlandred the whole gouernment, with foule iniuſtice, and monſtrous cruelty in many perticulars, and See for theſe perticulars of our Queen & ſtate lib.had in Ieſuiticall pride, dared to defile the name and honour of renowned Queene Elizabeth, (whoſe memory for euer will bee bleſſed) with words vnworthy the mouth of man (if hee were not a Ieſuite) at laſt from the defence of Ieſuits, hee falls to defend Lypſius, (a good friend of theirs) and his two ſtories of our Lady of Hall, and our Lady of the craggie Rock, and not only labours to to make good all his fancies and fables, but further (to ſhew that a Ieſuit hath one trick of impiety beyond all, and is anointed by the Diuell with the oyle of miſchiefe aboue all his fellowes) addeth a number of verſes directed to that Picture, which he calleth our Lady of Hall, fraught with ſo many blaſphemies againſt the bloud and merits of the Mediator, as no Chriſtian eares to this day did euer heare, and doubtleſſe no Chriſtian heart can patiently endure: and certainely if the bleſſed Virgin Mary, to whoſe picture he hath cō ſecrated them, may be his Iudge, without doubt both hee and his blaſphemy will bee condemned to hell: and ſhe whoſe ſoule reioyced in God her Sonne and Sauior, Luke …. 47.her ſoule I ſay will reioyce in the iuſt damnation of him who ſhall match the milk of her a creature, with the bloud of him her Sauiour: But ſhall we heare them? no will ſome ſay, let blaſphemy rather bee buried in the depth of obliuion, darken not the Sunne, defile not the heauens, poyſon not the ayre, burden not the earth with it, amaze not the minds, and terrifie not the conſciences of weake Chriſtians: and aſſuredly could I bury it ſo that it might neuer liue, and quench it ſo as it might neuer flame againe, and if my Booke were the onelyonly Copie in the world, I would rather chooſe to couer this ſhame of the ſhameleſſe whore of Babilon, then by diſcouering it to cauſe good mens eares to tingle, and their hearts to tremble: But ſeeing the ſtrumpet hath the whores forhead, and glorieth in her owne ſhame, and ſounded out this blaſphemy (as with a trumpet) in the eares of all Chriſtendome by publiſhing it in a booke which he calls the great theater of the Ieſuits honour, euen bringing ſo fearefull blaſphemy vponupon the ſtage, & dare diu…lge it in a ſecond impreſſion, leaſt the world ſhould want it:
Let vsus therefore craue leaue of our Lord Ieſus, to diſcouer her ſhame wherein ſhee glorieth, and that wee may without impeachment of his honour, repeate ſo foule blaſphemy, that ſo the world may both perceiue what a Religion Popery is, and that we for our parts hauehave no fellowſhip with ſuch abhominable workes of Epheſ. ….darkeneſſe
The Title he giues them is this:
Ad diuam Hallenſem. & Puerum Ieſum.
That is,
To our Lady of Hall, and The Child Ieſus.
See firſt the impiety lurking in this Title. She is a Queene or Lady, Ieſus a Child or Infant: compare this with holy Scriptures, they indeede ſpeake both of him and her, but of him as God and a Sauiour, of her as a creature; the Mother only of his humanity (although the Mother of him that was God) and exerciſing power onelyonly ouer his humanity, and that onelyonly during his infancy and priuateneſſe, but not after hee tooke vponupon him the Propheticall Office of the Mediator, for then he ſaid (in a certaine caſe) woman, what hauehave I to do with thee? and againe, being told▪ ſhee was without to ſpeake Iohn …. 4▪with him, hee anſwered that hee had more Mothers, tho not in the ſame, yet in a better ſence: for whoſoeuer did the will of his father, the ſame ſaith he is my mother: Mat 12. vlt.thus the ſcripture proceedes to deſcribe him in his propheticall, and afterward in his Prieſtly Office, and leaues him not till at laſt hee be aſcended into heauen, and hauehave taken poſſeſſion of his kingdome, and then the Scripture leaues him in his glory.
Is all this true? and yet muſt he now after 1606 years be an Infant in his Mothers armes? And for her the holy ſcriptures ſpeake no more of her, but as of a creature, a woman, a beleeuing Iewe, a holy Saint, ſaued by faith in her ſauiour Ieſus Chriſt, and ſo leaues her, with little mention (after Chriſt was baptized, and entred his propheticall Office) her body to goe the way of all fleſh, and her ſoule to enter into that great glory which Chriſt had purchaſed for her, and all that ſpirituall kindred of his, whom with his owne mouth hee had pronounced more bleſſed for hearing his word & keeping it, then they could hauehave beene by being the mother of Luke 12.his fleſh.
And yet now after 1600. yeeres, ſhe muſt ſtill bee a commanding Mother, and muſt ſhew her authority ouer him, and he muſt receiue our prayers by her meanes, and Monſtra te eſſe Matrem ſumat per te preces. So are the miſſals, Breuiaries, & Offices that are reformed.ſtill ſhe muſt beare him in her armes, or lead him in her hand, and her Picture muſt worke all the miracles, but his none: and ſhe muſt be ſalured as a Lady, a Queene, a Goddeſſe, and he as a Child: If this be not ſo, let this Title iudge: Ad Diuam Hallenſem, & puerum Ieſum. But let vsus leaue the Title, and not ſtand long at the gates, but enter this Citty of confuſion.
And now all good Chriſtians hearken with griefe of heart to that which I rather wiſh you might neuer hauehave heard; but if your eares tingle, your haire ſtand vp, and your hearts tremble at the blaſphemy following, blame the heart that indighted it, the hand that wrote it, the Religion that allowes it, and not the pen that diſcouers it.