Catholic Charity Complaining and Maintaining that Rome is Uncharitable, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Wherein is declared, that Rome wants this catholick love; 1. By her separation from other Churches. 2. By her hatred to Protestants, manifested in the cruell persecutions and massacres practised against them in Popish countries, and by the rebellions, treasons, open hostilitie stirred up against this Kingdome. All which prove her to bee uncharitable and un-catholick.
IT hath been shewed that love and peace must bee catholick and universall, that so they may be capable of a catholick and universall Church: for as wide and as large as the Church is, so large must the love of the Church be; The body of Christ is the measure of this love, and this love must bee no jot shorter then the body of Christ; the body of Christ then extending to all Nations, and so being a catholick body, must be followed through all Nations with no lesse then a catholick love: but love, as much as it is short of loving this catholick body of Christ, so much is it short of being a catholick love, and so much it is indeed uncatholick. Now, the Romish Church (which according to the Church aHomily of Whitsontide.of England, is to be understood of the Pope and his bThe name Papists is from an whole state and order of chiefe Governors, to whom wee are bound to cleave in Religion, and to obey in all things. So, to bee a Papist, is to bee a Christian man, a childe of the Church, and subject to Christs Vicar. Romish Test. on Act. 11. ver. 26. Pontificem Romanum quem Papam dicimus tantum non Deum faciunt, ejusque authoritatem non modo supra totam Ecclesiam, sed supra ipsam Scripturam divinam efferunt, & sententiam ejus divinis oraculis parem, imò infallibilem …idei regulam constituunt; hos non video quo minus Pseudo-Catholicos & Papistas appellare possis. Cassan. de Offic. pii viri.adherents) doth not make this body of Christ the measure of her love, but the body of the Papacie; not Christs Kingdome, but the Popes Kingdome is the measure of Romish love. As much then as the Popes Kingdome is short of the Kingdome of Christ, so much is Rome short of a catholick love, and so much is shee uncatholick. Now, wee know that the Kingdome of Christ spreads it selfe much farther then the Kingdome of the Pope; yea, Christ is known and beleeved where there is neither knowledge nor faith of the Pope. Accordingly, cNeque id tantum de Occiduis, sed etiam Orientalibus Ecclesiis, ut Graecorum, &c. Id. Ibid.Cassander thinketh, not onelyonly the Westerne Churches of Protestants; but the Easterne and Southerne also, and by name, the Russian, Syrian, AEthiopian, and Armenian, that beleeve the Apostles Creed, and doe not by schisme divide themselves from the communion of other Churches, to bee members of the true and catholick Church of Christ. And these parts of the Church are so great and large, that a Countrey-man of ours in his diligent Inquiries,Brier-wood his Inquiries of Tongues and Religions. cap. 18. gives this judgement of the Greek Church alone; If wee should collect and put together all the Christian Regions hitherto intreated of, which are all of the Greek Communion, and compare them with the parts professing the Roman religion, wee should finde the Greek farre to exceed, if wee except the Roman new and forraine purchases made in the West and East Indies:Id. cap. 21. & 24. Now to these, if wee shall add the Christians in Syria, Cyprus, Mesopotamia, Babylon and Palestine, which are by the least computation 50000. families, and by the greatest 60000. And if againe we joine with these the Armenians, who are under two Patriarchs of their owne, whom they terme Catholickes, and are esteemed to exercise jurisdictions over 70000. families: And if yet further wee shall increase this number by those innumerable Christians of AEthiopia, that are spread far and wide in the vaste Dominions of Prester Iohn: And lastly, if to these wee adde the no little number of Protestant Christians in the West; wee may see that the Kingdome of the Pope is far short of the Kingdome of Christ, and consequently that the love of Rome at least, so much is short of catholick love.
But if wee leave those other famous, and farre dispersed parts of Christs body, whom Rome leaves without true catholick love, and more particularly and punctually examine Romes want of love to Protestants, whereof especially is our present inquirie; all the paper in the world were scarce sufficient to containe the words that might be written for the proofe of it, with the bloud of Protestants shed by the Romists. So that the ancient parable of Iotham hath been fulfilled in our dayes; If indeed yee annoynt mee King over you, Judg. … ….then come and put your trust in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devoure the Cedars of Lebanon. The fire and lightning of the Popes excommunications fly out against the denyers of his universall Kingdome and Supremacy; and that fire is too often seconded with materiall fire. For the maintenance of his pride Christians must bee hated, spoyled, and butchered of Christians. There is a method of cruelty set forth against such who are Romes Hereticks, and the true Churches Christians. This wee finde thus summed up by Azorius the Jesuite;Azor. Instit. moral. lib. 8. cap. 10.11.12. 1. Excommunication. 2. Irregularity. 3. Confiscation of goods. 4. Dissolving of all bands, bee they oathes, fealty, service, or any other covenant and promise. 5. Deprivation of all dignities and honours. 6. Losse of Ecclesiasticall buriall. 7. Infamy. 8. Uncapacitie of all dignities and offices Ecclesiasticall to themselves, their favourers, receivers, and children, to the second generation by the fathers side, yea, though the children were borne before the heresie. 9. Losse of life. And even Bellarmine himselfe, whom learning (which once had a name of emollit mores) and seeming devotion should have made somewhat milder, drinks deeply, if not pleasantly, in this cup of bloud, and delivers it to his Disciples, that they may pledge him: Solum remedium est mittere illos maturè in locum suum: Bellarm. de …, cap. 21.The onelyonly remedy is to send them betimes to their owne place; which place, though indeed it be heaven, it seems yet the good Fathers charitable meaning was, by a first death speedily to send Protestants to hell, the place of the second death. But no wonder is it if this Father drank to his children in this red cup of cruelty, when the Father of these Fathers, being now ready to goe out of the world, drank to his fatherly Sonnes very stiffely in the same cup of the bloud of the Saints: For the Pope, that hee might shew some contrariety to Christ, (for which some aOmnis Spiritus qui solvit Jesum, & negat in carne venisse, de Deo non est, sed hic de Antichristo est, &c. Nunquid omnis qui non negat …sum in carne venisse, Spiritum Dei habet▪ Sed hanc negationem in opere, non in voce esse—. Si credat Christum inca…na…um, quiescat odi…e memb…a Christi. Si credit Verbum caro-…actum, quid persequitur in carne Verbum caro-factum? — Non op…tur mal…m in Christi carne, hoc est, in servis suis, quoniam Domin… & Eccl…sia una caro est: In quà carne si credit esse hominem, cur non …igit, aut q…od c…udeliùs est, cur odit? sicut scriptum est, Qui non … in morte: &, Qui fratrem suum odit homi…ida est. Aliud in … evidentius signū cognoscendi Antichristi non esse dixit, quā, Q…i negat … carne, idem edit fratrem. Ticonius in his Rules, which Rules are co…mended by S. A…ust. de Doctr. Christ. lib. 3. cap. 30.perchance may espie in him a likenesse of Antichrist) when hee was to leave the world, as Christ left peace, so the Pope leaves war to his Disciples; for at parting, above all, he bequeathes to his Cardinals a legacie of bloud, commending to them chiefly the Inquisition, as a maine Pillar of the Papacie. And if this be the chief Pillar of the Papacy, no doubt, as the Pope was before contrary to Christ, so is the Papacy or Popes Kingdome contrary to Christs Kingdome; for Christs Kingdome did grow by the bloud of his owne subjects,Plures essicimur quoties metimur à vobis: Semen est sanguis Christianorum. T…rt. Apolog. but the Popes Kingdome must grow by the bloud of them that will not bee subject to him; yea, by shedding the bloud of Christs subjects. But yet wee see him deceived; for the bloud of the Martyrs even now (as in the Primitive times) hath increased the Church, and diminished the Papacie: Yet still they goe on, the divels malice herein overcomming his wit, as it did when hee entred into Iudas to kill Christ,Heb. 2.14. that Christ by his death might overcome him that had the power of death, even the divell.
And according to this Sathans method of aHist. Con. Tr…. l. 5. id …. 1558cruelty, wee reade of 50000. in a few yeeres hanged, beheaded, buried alive, and burned in the Low-Countries; and of 30000. slaine and bThe souldiers & common executioners refusing to kill the Protestants at Lyons, the butchers were impl…y…d in it. Comment. …f France.butchered in a few weekes at and after the Massacre of Paris, cAb origine Jesuitarum, ad annum 1580. hoc est, paulò pluribus quàm 30. annis nongenta serè millia fuisse trucidata notat …lduinus de Antichrist…, C… ment. Apoc.and of nine hundred thousand slaine since the originall of the Jesuites, to the yeere 1580. which is little more then thirty yeers. Generally, Europe hath beene flaming with fires, wherewith Romish charity hath turned Protestants into ashes; many of which were burning in this Land some yeers before Queen Elisabeth, whom God did send as a gracious raine to quench those fires, and to refresh his Inheritance. But when shee assayed to quench the Popes fires, the Pope sends out his fires to devour her; yea, many vipers came out of that fire, and would have stung her to death, but that the hand of God did so shake them off for her, & from her, that the fire which sent them forth became their destruction. Declaramus dSee B. Iewels answer to this Bull.(saith the Pope) praedictam Elisab. eique adhaerentes in praedictis, &c. We declare that Elisabeth and her adherents, in the matters aforesaid, have run into the danger of our curse: We declare also that we have deprived her from that right which shee pretended to have in the Kingdome aforesaid (of England,) and also from all and every her authoritie, dignitie, and priviledge: Wee cha…ge and forbid all and every the Nobles, subjects and people, and others aforesaid, that they dare not to obey her, or her will or commandements, upon paine of like curse upon them After the bellowing of which Bull, or blowing of which Trumpet by Sheba the son of Bichri, many inspired with the spirit of the Papacy, contrary to that spirit of Saint Peter, 1 Pet. 2.17.which said, Fear God, Honour the King, practised treason against Gods Annoynted, and their Soveraigne Queene. Yea, eSee B. Carltons Thankfull Remembrance, and there the continuall treasons and rebellions following the Popes Bull & Curse, but followed with a curse.open rebellions have been added by the Popes incitations and incouragements (whereof that in the North is recorded to the Popes honour by the Popes owne Historian; and others in Ireland we finde in our Stories to have been animated by his owne money, souldiers, and benediction.
And here I cannot but with griefe complaine, that so learned a man as Doctor Sanders, the cunning builder of the Babylonian Monarchie, should be so bewitched with the cup of abomination, as to bee the Popes Ensigne-bearer in an unnaturall rebellion against his naturall Soveraigne. For with him came over a consecrated banner from his holinesse, to a most unholy service: And yet notwithstanding the Popes blessing, the curse of God haunted that designe, and the learned man that had abused his wit and learning, lost the use of both; and so being distracted, and pitied, and wandering in the mountaines, lamentably dyed. But the great Fleete of Eighty eight, that should have swallowed up both the Queen and her Kingdome, comes forth against both, having her sails filled with the wind of the Popes Benedictions. For the Pope sets forth in print a Cruciate, as against Turks and Infidels, wherein hee bestowed plenary Indulgences out of the Treasurie of the Church, upon all that would joyne their helpe against England. And against the Queene hee reneweth his former Buls, hee denounceth excommunication, hee deposeth her, and absolveth her subjects from their allegeance. But God curseth where the Pope blesseth, and blesseth where hee curseth; a most certain signe that the Pope is not of Gods minde; yea, not so good a Prophet as Balaam;Num. 23.8. Not so good, for Balaam said, How can I curse where God hath not cursed? and not so good a Prophet; for of Balaam it was acknowledged, Hee whom thou blessest is blessed, N…m. 22.6.and hee whom thou cursest is cursed.
But as the Author to the Hebrews saith of the faithfull, and the great vertues of faith; so may I say of the faithlesse, and miserable effects and issues of their faithlesnesse: What! What shall I more say?Heb. 11.32. for the time would fail me to tell at large of fThe first was made General, Baron, Vicoūt, Earle, & Marquesse by the Pope. The second set on worke by hearing the Popes Bull extolled. The third took his infection from the second, and Ballard a Priest. The fourth would not kill the Q…. except the Pope did approve it, & give him a plenary indulgence; which was assured to him by a Cardinals letter, to bee seene in Speeds Chronicle.Stukely, Savage, Babington, Parry, and others, who by treasons, springing from the spirit of the Papacy, have assayed to overthrow Kingdomes, opened their mouthes like Lions upon Gods annointed, have wrought unrighteousnesse, and endeavoured by the violence of fire to destroy both King, Peers, and choice of the people. For that masterpiece of Satan, & the very wit of hell may never bee forgotten, both as a perpetuall bond of thankfulnesse upon English Protestants, for a miraculous deliverance, and as an everlasting scandall and detestation of Popery; seeing hellish Atheisme or Turcisme hath scarce brought forth such a monster of treason, as the gK. Iames his Apology of the O…th. The only reason th…y gave for plo…ing so hainous an attempt, was the ze…le they ….zeale of that which these Romists call by the name of Religion. And now, if wee looke stedfastly on the faces of these treasons, rebellions, invasions, murders and massacres, doe they looke like the faire children of charity, or like the horrid broods and bastards of uncharitablenesse? Charitie her selfe is a chiefe fruit of heavenly wisdome, and the daughter is like the mother; therefore is charity first, pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to bee intreated, full of mercy: Behold the amiable and beautifull face of charity. But on the contrary, see in these Romish actions foulenesse and impurity, wars and sedition, cruelty and inhumanity. A viperous generation that truely representeth and owneth uncharitablenesse for their mother; uncharitablenesse, a fury which ascendeth from below, even from that infernall wisdome which is sensuall and divelish.
And surely since the actions are so manifest, and so manifestly uncharitable, how can Rome, but by the forehead of an harlot, say that shee loves us? doth shee love us with treasons, murders, rebellions, fires upon earth, and fires under the earth? are these fruits of Romish love? O then what, and how cruell are the fruits of her hatred! If shee love us thus to death, shee cannot but hate us to hell.
Wherefore, upon the whole matter, wee may undoubtedly conclude, that Rome, as shee wants catholick love and peace towards many famous parts of the catholick Church, and is therefore uncatholick; so shee notably and especially pr…ctiseth her unpeaceablenesse and uncharitablenesse towards Protestants. And if wee will have their uncharitablenesse and hatred expressed and confessed in their owne words, Let us heare their Jesuite Maldonate, Maldonate in Ioh. 4.on the Gospel of the beloved Disciple, and a great teacher of love, thus publishing their hatred to Protestants: Qui Catholici sunt, majore odio Calvinistas, caeterosquè omnes haereticos prosequuntur, quàm Gentiles: The Romish Catholicks hate Calvinists, and all other hereticks, with a greater hatred then heathens.