The Jesuits Gospel, Part

The Jesuits Gospel · Part

p. 37Haereo lac inter meditans interque cruorē inter delicias Vberis et Lateris.

That is:

My thoughts are at a ſtand of Milke and Blood:

delights of breſt & ſide, which yeilds moſt good.

HEarken thou bleſsed Apoſtle Paul, (if thou in heauen canſt heare the blaſphemy on earth,11. Cor. 2.2.) thou that didſt preach and write, that thou deſiredſt to know nothing but Ieſus Chriſt & him crucified: thou that didſt teach the Churches onelyonly to know & beleeue in Chriſt for ſaluation: & almoſt 20 times in thy Epiſtles haſt magnified his Blood, without once mencioning the virgin Mary or her Milke.

Heare and be aſtoniſhed at this, that ſome who profeſſe p. 38to be thy Diſciples or thy fellowes rather, cannot tell whether to chooſe that bloud of the mediator, or the milke of a woman: At leaſt harken thou bleſſed ſpirit of truth, thou that canſt and wilt heare, thou that didſt inſpire thoſe holy truths into that holy Apoſtle: behold a religion riſen vp in the world, that dare compare the bloud of that God who was by thee conceiued, with the milke of that woman, who was the mother of his humanity and was ſaued from hell and damnation by that bloud, and that dare allow her profeſſors to make doubt whether to eſteeme the greater delight of their ſoules her milke or his bloud: and we for reprouing this, muſt be accounted heretickes: heare from heauen we beſeech thee and Iudge betwixt vsus.

The blaſphemer proceedeth.

Et dico ſi forte oculos ad Vbera tendo

Diua Parens. Māmae gaudia poſco tuae

Sed dico ſideinde oculos ad Vulnera verto

O Ieſu Lateris gaudia malo tuae.

That is:

And ſay aloud when I the Teates do ſee,

O Goddeſſe mother, lend thy Brests to mee!

But thus I beg, when on the wounds I thinke

O Ieſu giuegive me from thy ſide to drinke,

p. 39What before he deliuered more darkely, now he maketh plainer: if any doubt what milke what blood he meant, hee anſwereth our Ladies Milke, and Ieſus Chriſt his blood: but what, doth popery make queſtion whether of theſe two is better? is this their holy Catholike Romane faith? If not, let their words be Iudge, I ſtand muſing ſaith he and cannot tel whether to take, milke or blood: If I looke at her paps, then I long for milke, If to his ſides, then I would hauehave blood.

Marke how indifferent a papiſt is, whether he receiue the one or the other: is not this euill enough? a man would thinke ſo, yet hearken what followeth, and we ſhall heare worſe: but let vsus do it with feare and reuerence of that glorious name, and pretious blood which are blaſphemed.

Rem ſcio, prenſabo ſi fas erit vbera dextra

Laeua prenſabo vulnera ſi dabitur.

in Engliſh thus,

Long hauehave I muſ'd, now know I where to reſt,

for with my right hand I will graſpe the breſt:

(If ſo I may preſume) as for the wounds,

with left Ile catch them, thus my zeale abounds.

Hetherto he doubted, now he is reſolued: but ſuch a doubt, and ſuch a reſolution, Chriſtian eares neuer heard of: he doubted whether were better, the blood of God, or the Milke of a creature (the diuell himſelfe p. 40neuer doubted hereof) but now what is his reſolutiō, doth it make amend…? yes doubtles as the Pope vſeth to make Chriſt amends, when he hath diſhonored him: I was at a ſtand (ſaith he) whether to take, and now I reſolue I will hauehave both: both are ſo good I will refuſe neither, her milke his bloud both ſo precious, both ſo powerfull, both ſo vertuous, as I will hauehave both. Both are good, and ſo good as hardly can I finde difference, but if there be any, it is that the milke is more excellent, and therefore with my right hand, I will make it ſure mine, if I may be ſo bolde as to touch it, or if it be lawful for a ſinners ſoule to taſte ſo glorious, ſo vnualuable and deuine a liquor as is the Milke of the Mother: and as for the childe it is well for him if he may follow his Mother, and hauehave the next place to her: therefore if he pleaſe to giuegive me leaue I will lay holde with my left hand on his wounds.

O glorious God, the eternall ſonne of the eternall Father, thou bleſſed Ieſus Chriſt the ſtay & comfort of all Chriſtian ſoules, heare in heauen thine holy habitation this hainous blaſphemy, and iudge thy owne cauſe: And if it fal out that any contagion of ſin catch holde on me the writer or any the readers hereof, by not trembling or not ſufficiently deteſting ſuch fearfull impiety as this that is paſt or that that is to come: vouchſafe in mercy to forgiue it, and to waſh it away with that moſt precious bloud of thine, whereto all the creatures in the world are not worthy to be compared:

And though this that's paſt, be abhominable, yet p. 41with reuerence to thy holy name and pretious blood, giuegive vsus leaue to diſcouer the height of their iniquity, which ſtill goeth forward in more horrible & fearefull manner: for thus ſinges the Ieſuit.

Lac Matris miſcere volo cum ſanguine nati

Non poſſum Antidoti nobiliore frui

that is,

And of her Milke mixt with his blood Ile make,

The ſoueraignſt Cordiall ſinfull ſoule can take.

So now Chriſt Ieſus ſhall hauehave ſatiſfaction, if there were a fault afore, for if he complaine that the mother of his fleſh, a woman and a creature, hauehave the righthand when himſelfe and his merits muſt take the left or none, heere they will make him amends, for that he may hauehave no cauſe to complaine, for want of place or precedence, her milke and his blood will he mingle both together, and ſo make a ſoueraigne compound cordiall for his ſoule. But what? a mixture of milke and blood, of the blood of God with the milke of a creature? and is now the blood of the Lambe of God but one of the ſimples in that cordiall Antidote, that muſt both reſtore and preſerue the life of mans ſoule? ye heauens be aſtonied at this, ſo may we well ſay, for ſo ſaid the Prophet at a matter of farre leſſe wonder, hearken O Chriſtendome, and al ye people, nations, & languages p. 42to whome the bleſſed name of Ieſus Chriſt hath ſounded: that poore paſchall Lambe of the Iewes that was but a ſhadowe of our Sauiour, the ſigne and ſacrament, and in ſome ſort the meanes and inſtrument of the Iſraelites temporall preſeruation, might not, nay needed not to hauehave any thing mingled with the blood thereof,Exodus. 12.5. &c.Exod 12:5 but the blood alone being ſprinckled on their dores deliuered them from the ſtroke of the deſtroying Angel: this was their paſſouer, & ſaith the Apoſtle, Chriſt our paſſouer is ſacrificed for vsus: 1. Cor. 5.7.1 Cor 5:7ſhall this then be true, of their paſſouer, a lambe taken out of the fold & flock, & onelyonly dedicated by Gods inſtitution, and ſhall not the blood of our paſſeouer the Lambe of God, God and man Ieſus Chriſt (whoſe Godhead is conſubſtantiall and coequall with the father, and his humanity perſonally and indiuiſibly vnited to the deity) being ſprinckled on our hearts & ſoules, ſuffice to preſerue them from the infernall ſtroake of hell and damnation, vnleſſe it be mingled with the milke of a creature? pardon this blaſphemy O bleſſed Ieſus Chriſt, if it be not a blaſphemy againſt the holy Ghoſt, and a deſpighting of the ſpirit of grace: pardon it in as many of them as do not ſinne vnpardonably, for thy mercies ſake. Amen.

But ſay (I pray thee) tell vsus in good earneſt, (If ſo we may preſume to call a Ieſuites proctor to his anſwere) is there not a more ſoueraigne Antidote for a ſinful ſoule, then a mixture & cōpound of Maries milk and Chriſt his blood? then tel vsus who can make this mixture? who hath the skill ſufficient for this confection? who giues the true doſſe? who apointes the quantities, p. 43Mithridats and triacles for the body are not compoſitions for eueryevery conceit, nor matters for eueryevery hand to make, but rather beſeeming the skilfulleſt, and require the ouerviewing eye of the whole Colledge of Phiſitions, ſhall then the heauenly Antidote of the ſoule be compounded without a heauenly Phiſition? ſay then (Man) if thou dare ſtand to thy deedes, who was the Phiſition that preſcribed and gaue thee this receipt, was it God the father, the fountaine of holineſſe and happineſſe? himſelfe ſaith no, for thus proclaimed he twiſe from heauen of Ieſus Chriſt, This is my welbeloued ſonne in whome I am well pleaſed: In none as in him,Math. 3. At his baptiſme: &c. Math. 17 At his tranſfiguration.Matt 3Matt 17 nay in none, no not in his mother, but in, for, and by him. Thus the father of heauen hath teſtified that the blood of his ſonne is one ſufficient & ſoueraigne ſimple, for a heauenly Methridate. Now ſhew thou, (and take the Pope to helpe thee) where euer he teſtified ſo much of her milke: but if no ſuch thing, nay nothing at all, then he was not the Phiſition that preſcribed this mixture.

Who then, was it Chriſt himſelfe the ſonne of God and the ſonne of this woman? No, for of himſelfe he ſaith, My fleſh is (ſpirituall) meate indeede, Iohn. 6.John 6and my blood is (heauenly) drinke indeede: but of her he ſaith that eueryevery true beleeuing Chriſtian,Matb. 12.4.6. is his mother (as well as ſhe) in the beſt ſence, and much more then ſhe, had ſhee beene no more but the mother of his fleſh: ſurely then if this be a lawfull mixture, which this papiſt makes, the ſonne was much to blame to ſay ſo much of his owne blood, that it is drinke indeed, and that it giues p. 44the drinkers eternall life, &c. and not one word of his mothers milke: Not a word ſayd I? I recall that, for when once a certain woman hearing him preach, not for any thing ſhe ſaw in her, but for the powerfull and gratious words, that came from him, would hauehave had her wombe bleſſed that bare him, Luke. 11.27.28.Luke 11:27Luke 11:28and her paps that gaue him ſucke: (the worſt whereof is better then her milke) he inſtantly anſwered her, that much more bleſſed was eueryevery man that heard Gods word and kept it. If no extraordinary bleſſednes belong to the wombe that bare him (in that reſpect onelyonly, becauſe it bare him carnally) If none to the wombe nor paps, which ſhal endure for euer, then how much leſſe to the milke that fed him, which is vaniſhed & ſhall be no more: If Chriſt would not match her wombe or paps with a man that feared God, what will he ſay to them that make her milke a match for his owne blood, the milke being a matter farre inferiour, either to wombe or paps. Thus they may ſee that Chriſt is not a fit Phiſition to make this mixture.

What then, was the holy Ghoſt the Phiſition that framed this receipt?

No, for he by his deuine power, conceiued Chriſt in that holy and miraculous maner, that Chriſt was fully without originall ſin, and therefore his blood might well be a pure and perfect ſimple to make the Aqua Caeleſtis that muſt quicken dead ſoules: let them approue as much of her if they can, they ſpeake and write that ſhe was conceiued without ſinne originall, and hauehave a holy day for it, but they can not prooue it: it is an Article of our faith, and grounded on plaine p. 45wordes of Scipture,Learned Papiſts hold that the Popes Buls and the decree of the counſell of Baſil do not conclude it as an article of faith. that Chriſt was conceiued without ſinne: and though the whore of Babilon, affirme as much of her, yet was ſhe yet neuer ſo impudent, as to conclude it an article of the faith. Thus God the father, the ſonne, and the holy Ghoſt, doe all diſclaime the compoſition of this Antidote, as neither preſcribed nor allowed by them.

Who then may be imagined to be this Phiſition, was it Moſes? no,Exodus. 12.Exod 12 for he allowed nothing to be mingled with the blood of the paſcall Lambe: was it Eſaias? no, for he auoucheth that with his ſtripes, Eſay. 53Isa 53are wee healed, and his ſtripes were not without blood.

Was it Zacharia? Zacha. 9.11.no for he teacheth that the Church is ſaued by the blood of her couenant, which is grounded onelyonly on the Meſſias.

If any other Prophet, let them ſhew him: was it Iohn Baptiſt: no for he teſtified that not the mother of his Lord, but his Lord Ieſus Chriſt was that Lambe of God that takes away the ſinnes of the Worlde.Iohn▪ 1.29.John 1:29

Was it St. Paul? no for he teacheth the Romaines, that we are iuſtified freely by his blood: (beholde yee Romaniſts, Ro. 3.24.25.Rom 3:24Rom 3:25theres no milke) and the Epheſians that we hauehave redemption through his blood: yet there is no milke,Epheſ. 2, 13. Coloſſ. 1.14.Eph 2:13Col 1:14 and the Colloſsians, that he ſet vsus at peace through the blood of his croſſe not the milke of her paps:Hebrews 9.12Heb 9:12 and the Hebrewes that not with any milke, but with his owne blood he obtained eternall redemption for vsus: to conclude, 13. times at leaſt in his Epiſtles doth he mention the blood of Chriſt, to the ſame purpoſe, and with the ſame honour as afore, & not once did he ſo much as name our Ladies milke: ſurely either this was an intollerable omiſſion in Saint p. 46Paul, not once to name it, elſe, preſumptuous impiety in the Papiſts to match it with blood of the ſonne of God.

Then who is it, was it St. Peter whome you bragge to be the founder, nay the foundation of your Church and head of your herarchie? No, that bleſſed Apoſtle renounceth it, for he proclaymeth to all the worlde,1 Pet. 1.2.1 Pet 1:2 that we are elect through the ſprinkling of the blood of Ieſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1.81.1 Pet 1:81heere is no milke: and as we are elect and ſanctified, ſo redeemed alſo not with things corruptible (therefore not with milke) but with the precious blood of Ieſus Chriſt. Behould ye Ieſuits and be aſhamed, Peter is all in Blood, blood, he knowes no milke.

There remaines but one (for St: Iames and St. Iude if they name not Chriſts blood, I am much more ſure they name no milke: was it St. Iohn the beloued diſciple, to whome Chriſt committed her, (as his mother, but not his Sauiour) no verily, for he is plaine, that not the milke of the virgin Mary, 1 Iohn. 1.7.1 John 1:7but the blood of Ieſus Chriſt his ſonne clenſeth vsus from all our ſinnes: and that there are three which beare witnes on earth, 1 Iohn 5.8.1 John 5:8the ſpirit, and water, and blood: behold three witneſſes on earth of our ſanctification and redemption, and of them blood is one, but milke is none, yea water is and yet milke is not: ſurely if the fathers of the ſociety or the inquiſition might be Iudges, St. Iohn were ſure to be cenſured to remember water, and forget milke. But ſee how St. Iohn and the Ieſuits differ, they dare match and mixe her milke with his blood, hee will neither mixe nor match it ſo much as with the water, ſhewing that the very water iſſuing out of his pretious ſide, was more of worth and value, p. 47then all her milke, euen that which fed the fleſh of Chriſt when he was an infant: Nay, the Apoſtle hath not yet done,Reuel. 1.5.Rev 1:5 but tels vsus that Chriſt loued vsus and waſhed vsus (not in his mothers milke, but) in his blood: and that the Robes of the Saints are made white (euen white, & yet not in white milke, but) in the red Blood of the Lambe: Reuel. 7.14▪Rev 7:14See heere, if euer milke had bene apt it had bene here, if euer it had bene ſeaſonable to hauehave named it, here had bene the place: for what ſhould make white, milke or blood? and yet the whiteneſſe that muſt clothe the Saints; muſt be dyed not in the milke of our Lady, but in the blood of Ieſus Chriſt, if his beloued and bleſſed Apoſtle Iohn, nay if his owne holy word may be beleeued. If none of all theſe, was it then her ſelfe that preſcribed this potion and made this mixture? no aſſuredly: They ſay we hiſhonor & diſgrace her, yet I dare venture euen my ſoule vponupon it, that her hart neuer cō ſented to ſuch a thought, as to match & mixe her milk with his blood:Luke. 1.28.Luke 1:28 for ſeeing the Angell ſaith ſhe was beloued of God, I am ſure that no creature can be beloued of God, that durſt offer to match the beſt thing in him (if it were his very harts blood) with the blood of his Son; no his ſoule would hate him, his wrath break out vpō him & his vengeance purſue him to deſtructiō. Farre therfore was ſhe from ſo vile a thought:Luke. 1.47.Luke 1:47 nay her ſoule reioyced in him her Sauiour, ſo farre was ſhe from making her ſelfe in any part a ſauiour of her ſelfe: yea rather, if a Saint in heauen doth heare a blaſphemy on earth, then doutleſſe that bleſſed ſoule of hers, that magnified her ſonne and reioyced in him as her Sauiour, will neuer p. 48ceaſe to cry and call vponupon him, to reuenge ſo high impiety: which is ſo much more haynous, in as much as they make the mother the diſhonorer of the ſonne. And if her prayers be as powerfull with him as their doctrine teacheth, aſſuredly ſhe will not ceaſe to prouoke his iuſtice againſt them, till ſhe hauehave laid their tottering kingdome flat on the earth, for erecting vp her as an Idoll againſt her ſonne, and for mixing her milke with his pretious blood.

Thus then, if neither God the Father, nor Chriſt Ieſus, nor the Holy Ghoſt, nor Moſes, nor the Prophets, nor the Apoſtles, nor the bleſſed Virgin her ſelfe, did any of them preſcribe this potion, nor make this mixture: It followeth, that either the Diuell was the deuiſer of it, or elſe that they framed it out of their owne braines and therefore are to be iudged Mountebankes, and ſpirituall deceiuers, who make ſhew to the worlde, they hauehave a confection of miraculous vertue, when indeed it is a perfect poyſon to all that take it: for if S. Paul ſay true,… Galath. 5.2. that if we ioyne circumciſion to Chriſt, Chriſt ſhall profit vsus nothing: then without all controuerſie, if we mixe the milke of a creature with the blood of the mediator, that blood of his hath loſt the vertue, and ſhall ptofit vsus nothing: And thus the Church of Rome hath ſpunne a faire threed, ſhe will needes hauehave both the ſonne and the mother to be hers, in ſuch a maner, as ſhe hath loſt them both, and made them both her enemies, the mother to be her bitter accuſer, and the ſonne to be her angry Iudge. But thus hath God in Iuſtice blinded her, that whereas for theſe 2: or 300. yeares paſt, p. 49ſhe came to this height of blaſphemous deuotion, as to truſt more the piety of the Mother, then the merrits of the ſonne, & often to appeale from him to her.

**This is ord… nary in many otheir bookes eſpecially Bernardine de Bu… to his mariale… & reuelationes Brigere, and others.Now at laſt by this dealing they hauehave taken the direct courſe to turne her againſt them alſo, and to make her curſe and abhor them and their ſuperſtition, who dare make her name and her milke to be the diſhonourers of her ſonne, her Sauiour, and his pretious bloud.

Thus we hauehave heard and ſeene the ſtrangeſt peece of phiſicke, and moſt vnequall mixture that yet was euer heard of, The blood of God, and milke of a woman are mixed to make a cordiall potion, But now what will this potion do, what is the operation of it, hearken to the Mountebankes proclamation, and he will tell you. Thus he cries,

Vulnera reſtituent turpē vlceribus mendicum,

Teſta cui ſaniem reddere ſola poteſt:

Vbera reficient Iſmaelem ſitientem

Quem Sara non patitur, quem neque nutrit Agar

illa mihi ad Peſtem procul & procul expūgēdā

Ista mihi ad lōgas eualitura febres.

That is,

Theſe wounds the ſores do clenſe & cure full wel,

p. 50Which none can dreſſe but ſcrape thē with a ſhell

Theſe breſts the fainting Iſmael wel would cheriſh

Whō Sara would not, & Hagar could not noriſh

The firſt from me expels all peſtilence,

The ſecond driues all lingring feuers hence.

Now he tells vsus what his phiſicke will doe, and that perticularly in both his ſimples, the blood & the milke: and as for the one of them that is the blood and wounds of the mediator, if he had aſcribed much more vntounto them, he might hauehave paſt with praiſe (for vsus) for hee cannot ſufficiently extoll the merit & vertue of them, but as for the other, that is the milke of a woman, (tho it be the bleſſed virgin) or a confection of both, there he ſheweth himſelfe both impious in making ſuch a mixture, as alſo a vaine deceiuer, proclayming great and ſoueraigne power in that which is nothing worth; for I ſay againe, if it be true that to him that ioyneth circumſiſion to Chriſt, Chriſt is no Sauiour: then we dare boldly ſay to him that ioyneth a creatures milke in equallity with Chriſts blood, Galath. 5.that blood of Chriſt is of no vertue: for circumſiſion is of the fathers, nay it was Gods owne ordination. Geneſ. 17,Gen 17But her milke is meerely apart (and no eſſentiall part) of her body, which is a creature, and as for the mixture of it with his blood, it is an impious deuice of prophane pollititians, not derogating from the dignity, but euē quite abolliſhing the glory of the mediator: then if his paſſion may not be ioyned with circumſiſion, may his blood be mixed with her milke? p. 51But what is it that he proclaymeth vulnera reſtituent, &c. Chriſts wounds will reſtore & heale the ſpirituall ſores of a ſinfull Lazar, we beleeue it wil, they wil do ſo & much more; yet not for his ſake that ſaith ſo, for we knowe that deuills thēſelues for a vantage would beare witnes to Chriſt. But for his ſake that ſaid,Math. 8.29.Matt 8:29 He was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, He was broken for our iniquities, Eſay. 53.Isa 53the chaſtiſement of our peace was vponupon Him, & with His Stripes are we healed: and for his owne ſake eſpecially, who ſaid it and did it, I lay downe my life for my Sheep. Thus he hath ſaid well and truly of the wounds;Iohn. 10.John 10 but the wounds of Chriſt will not ſerue his turne: He therefore addeth.

Vbera reficient &c.

The Pappes will quench & refreſh thirſtie ſoules.

And will they ſo? who taught you that Diuinitie? will a creatures paps quench and ſatiſfie that ſoule that hungreth and thirſteth after righteouſneſſe? Say ye children of iniquitie, hauehave you not read Eſay the Prophet, who tels vsus He was deſpiſed, He was afflicted,Eſay 53.Isa 53 He was broken, He was plagued, and all for vsus: His ſtripes healed vsus, and not a worde of her nor her Milke, but al of him, his ſtripes and his wounds: what will ye ſay, wanted he knowledge of her worthineſſe? or deuotiō to her deſerts? Can ye ſay the firſt without blaſphemye to God, or the ſecond without iniurie to the Prophet? could it be he knew not her who knew her ſonne, **Indeed the Papiſts hauehave taught ſo in former times ſo ſaith their marailecould he foreſee him and not her? or could any ſuch miſtery be kept frō him who ſpake and wrote, as he was inſpired by Gods ſpirit? p. 52and to conclude, was it not he that ſaith, Beholde a virgin ſhall conceiue and bring forth a ſonne, euen Emanuell Ieſus Chriſt? ſo that it's plaine as the Prophet knew a Meſsias ſhould come and ſhould ſaue his people by dying for them; ſo alſo he foreſaw and knew he ſhould be borne of a virgin: If thē the prophet had knowledge of her, dare ye ſay he wanted due deuotion? and yet one of theſe you muſt ſay, and for want of one of theſe you muſt condemne him, who names none but Chriſt, or elſe your ſelues, who dare mixe her milke with his blood.

But is this all? No,

Illa mihi ad peſtem—

Iſta mihi ad febres—

One can heale ſpirtuall peſtilence, the other ſpirituall feuers; ſee what difference there is by their religion, betwixt her milke and his blood: are not theſe men great and deuout honorers of Chriſt, and his ſuffering that can finde other helpes to heale their ſoules beſides his blood? But if it be thus that both can heale ſo wel, how comes it to paſſe they hauehave ſo many ſicke ſoules in popery, euen ſicke of all ſpirituall diſeaſes, eſpetially ſeeing by their owne doctrine and daily practiſe, it is apparant they can neither want the one nor the other of theſe 2. ſimples: for firſt they ſay they make Chriſts blood eueryevery day, then they hauehave blood at hand continually: If they ſay that the laytye may not hauehave that, but onelyonly their Preiſts (who indeede drinke it vp all) p. 53yet then they may take their Ladies milke whereof (if themſelues ſay true) they hauehave ſo much in ſeuerall places, as ſome that liued 100. yeares agoe do write,Eraſmus and others hauehave ſpoken more plainely and fully then I d… that in thoſe dayes, it was more then a woman vponupon one childe can giuegive out, though the childe ſucked none at all: If that that is kept, and ſhewed, and worſhipped in ſo many Citties of Italy, France, Spaine, Germany, be not her milke, then where is the truth and honeſty of that religion, ſo to deceiue the world? if it be then, why are their ſoules ſo full of ſpirituall diſeaſes? why are they not healed ſeeing this Ieſuit teacheth that it will heale as well as Chriſts blood? as wel as Chriſts blood will ſome ſay, why do you them that wrong▪ they are neuer ſo wicked to ſpeak ſuch blaſphemy. No? then iudge by that which followeth.

Ira vomit flāmas, fumat que libidinis Aetna?

Suffocare queo Sanguine, Lacte queo,

Liuor inexpleta rubigine ſaeuit in artus?

Detergere queo Lacte cruore queo.

Vanus honos me perpetua prurigene tētat?

Exaturare queo Sanguine, lacte queo.

That is:

Let Ire belch fire and luſt like Etna flame,

Chooſe either milke or bloud, both quench the ſame

Let Enuies ruſt canker my heart about,

p. 54This milke that bloud, either will fetch it out.

Or do vainglorious paſſions ſtuffe me ſtill,

Either with milke or Bloud the ſame Ile kill.

Heere iudge and ſpare not (without all partiallity,) whether that I ſaid be not true, that her milke wil heale as wel as Chriſts blood, and this they affirme, not in generall tearmes but in plaine perticulers: if ſaith he Anger ſwell, if Luſt inflame me, blood will quench them & ſo wil milke: are there two ſtronger paſſions, two more conquering corruptions, two more raging and raigning ſinnes then Anger and luſt? yet euen theſe two are quenched & conquered by her milke as well as Chriſts blood: hearken ye Children of the Romiſh Sinagogue, hearken I ſay what inſtruction your father giues you, heare I pray (but learne it not) a creatures milke will cleanſe your ſoules from ſinne, as wel as your ſauiours blood: O ſpirit of error and blaſphemy, whither wilt thou goe? O Romiſh impiety, when wilt thou make an end? wilt thou not ceaſe till thou haſt puld downe the fire of Gods fury, from heauen vponupon thee? O Babylon we would hauehave healed thee but thou wilt not be healed, for who can heale him that will needes kill himſelfe? ſo who can heale thee,Ierem. 51.9.Jer 51:9 whoſe blaſphemy hath wounded and yet benūmed thy heart, gone ouer thy head, & is aſcended vp to heauen, & in the preſence of God crieth vengeance vponupon thee; & as for you ſeduced ſoules (my deere coūtrymen) you who are deceiued with ſhewes of holyneſſe and deuotion, behold heere a peece of popiſh holyneſſe, and of the doctrine of their deuotion, p. 55that the ſinnes of the ſoule are cleanſed and taken away aſwell by a creatures milke as by Chriſt his blood! is this the catholike doctrine they brag ſo much of? is this the catholike Church that teacheth ſuch diuinity? is this the chaire of S. Peter, & the ſeate that cannot erre? If it be ſo, then what didſt thou meane thou St. Iohn Euangeliſt, to teach that it was Ieſus Chriſt that faithfull witneſſe, Reuel. 1.5.Rev 1:5that firſt begotten from the dead, and that Prince of the Kings of the earth (euen he, and not any creature) who hath loued vsus and waſhed vsus from our ſinnes in his blood: ſure either muſt thou recant this doctrine, els they that boaſt themſelues to be ſucceſſors of thy brother Peter may be aſhamed of theirs, who tell vsus that our ſins are waſht away in her milke as well as by his blood: and you that are the dutiful and deuoted children of that Romiſh ſear, be Iudges euen your ſelues in this caſe, what can be ſaid heereunto: how can it ſtand with ſcripture, or with the tenor of true catholike faith? or how can it any way be defended that a creatures milke can quench the fire of ſinne in the ſoule as well as Chriſt his blood?

Can ye ſay that heere is onelyonly aſcribed to her and her milke, a deriued vertue from another, and that the original and fundamentall power, is onelyonly and wholy in Chriſt and his blood? if it were ſo it were leſſe euill (though Chriſt Ieſus may not, nor will not beſtow the prerogatiues of his Mediatorſhip on any creature) but looke and wade ouer the words againe and again, expound them with any fauour that the wordes may beare, and you ſhall not ſee the leaſt difference.

p. 56Suffocare queo Sanguine Lacte queo.

Detergere queo Lacte Cruore queo.

If Luſt burne, Anger boyle, Enuy fret, Vaineglory ſwell I can helpe it with blood, ſo can I with milke: I can helpe it with milke, ſo can I with bloud: there can be no greater equalitie made betwixt any two thinges in the worlde, then here they make betwixt this Bloud and Milke.

Can it be ſaid that the Author is a Poet, and ſaid thus but to make vp the Verſe, which otherwiſe wold not hauehave falne ſo fitly? ſurely no, for a yong verſifier can ſoone ſhew how the verſes might hauehave run aſwell as they do, if he had not purpoſely laboured to ſort his verſe to his matter, and not the matter to the verſe:

For thus he might hauehave ſaid, Detergere queo ſanguine Chriſte tuo. with very little alteration.

And ſo of the reſt: but he as truly endeuoured to magnifie the milke as the bloud, and therefore without any neceſſitie of the verſe, giues the ſame power, place, & preheminence, in eueryevery reſpect to the milke as to the bloud: but had he bene as ſound and ſincere a Chriſtian as he is a good Poet, he might in as good verſes hauehave giuen all the honour to Chriſt as he deſerueth. Therefore (my deere country-men) be no longer ſeduced by a Religion ſo fraught with Atheiſme, blaſphemy & impyety: doe but looke into the Scriptures, Counſels, or Fathers: yea aske the honeſteſt & learnedſt of your owne religiō, (or any except Ieſuits p. 57or ſuch other like them, who frame a religiō to their owne purpoſes.)

If this be tollerable Diuinitye, that the Milke of the Virgin doth cleanſe mans ſoule from ſinne aſwell as Chriſt his bloud.

If it be not diuinity but blaſphemy, no Chriſtian doctrine but impiety, and yet ſuffered, yea approued in the Romane Church, both by doctrine and practiſe; then returne to that truth and holy religion, which out of Gods word, and according to the pureſt antiquity is eſtabliſhed amongſt vsus: & with heart & voice ioyne with vsus to imbrace and ſay Amen, to that holy doctrine of bleſſed St. Iohn, who ſaith, it is Ieſus Chriſt that loued vsus, and waſhed vsus from our ſinnes by his blood, to him be glory for euer and euer, Amen.

This was his religion, this is ours; oh that it were yours alſo! he ſucked this diuinity out of that bleſſed breſt of Gods ſonne, whereon he leaned: and if he had ſucked thence this diuinity of the Ieſuits, that the virgin Mary waſhed vsus from our ſinnes by her milke, ſurely he would neuer hauehave concealed it from vsus, nor hauehave depriued her of the honour, nor vsus of the comfort that thereby might accrewe both to her and vsus: for he was her ſonne by her owne adoption, yea her ſonne by the gift and nomination of her ſonne and ſauiour, yea her ſonne in louelove, duty, and all reſpectiueneſſe could he then, or would he in any ſort obſcure her due glory? would he giuegive too much to her ſonne, and too little to her? would he giuegive all that to her ſonne, which in parte was hers? can this, may this, or dare this be immagined p. 58by any Ieſuit? If not, then how dare they extend their deuotion beyond his, and aſcribe that to her which he neuer did, yea that to her, which he appropriates to Ieſus Chriſt?

If they thinke that Peter had more deuotion then Iohn, 1. Pet, 2.24.hearken then what he ſaith: Ieſus Chriſt his owne ſelfe bare our ſinnes in his body on the tree: let the words be pondered, Ieſus Chriſt ſaith he bare our ſinnes: true (ſay they) but ſo did the virgin Mary alſo, No (ſaith Peter) he himſelfe, his owne ſelfe bare them, yea in his body, he bare them in his body: (ſay they) that is true, but he beares them in his myſticall body, in his members, much more therefore in his mother, which is more then many members of his body; nay ſaith St: Peter, he bare our ſinnes his owne ſelfe in his body: but what body? euen that body that was on the tree: therefore if St: Peter preach true diuinity, then is this doctrine of your Teachers hainous blaſphemy.

All that may be imagined for their defence at the beſt is this, that all this is but poeticall, & hyperbolicall, or proceedes from the paſſion & height of deuotion: but that in truth and earneſt he aſcribes all to Chriſt, & to his blood, makes his prayer to him, and puts the confidence of his heart in him alone: but leaſt any man ſhould hauehave the leaſt ſuſpition of him this way, or thinke ſo good a thought of him, he deales yet more plainely and to preuent all ſuch thoughts and obiections, he makes his prayer both to the mother and the ſonne, without any difference in the world, to the one for her milke, to the other for his blood: for thus he ſaith.

p. 59Ergo par ens et nate meis ad vertite votis,

Lac peto depereo ſanguinem vtrū que volo

That is:

Mother and Sonne giuegive eare to what I craue,

I begge this milke, that blood, & both would hauehave.

Heere is plaine dealing, it is not the Sonne and his blood that will ſerue his turne, he muſt alſo hauehave the mother and her milke, is not this good catholike doctrine and deuotion? but further is it not ſtrange to ſee how he marſhalls them in the order of his iudgement and affection? he prayeth to the mother and the ſonne; but firſt to the mother, hee will hauehave both milke and blood, but firſt milke: thus Mary hath the precedence of Chriſt, and her milke of his blood: But you will ſay it is not that he ſo eſteemes them in his iudgement, but onelyonly for the neceſſitie of the verſe: the anſwere is that a grammer ſcholler, can ſoone ſhewe how the verſe is as good, and giuegive Chriſt his precedence, as it is doing him this wrong: Ergo Nate parenſ que meis aduertite votis,

But he ſtil keeping Chriſt in wardſhip and vnderunder age, held it not fit that he ſhould hauehave the place before his mother onelyonly, and therefore without all neceſſitie euen wittingly and wilfully, he puts Chriſt in the ſecond place. But now let vsus haſten to an end of this (if it be not endleſſe and bottomeleſſe) impiety.

VponUpon theſe fearefull premiſes thus he proceedes,

p. 60Paruule maternis medius qui ludis in vlnis

et tua iam comples vbera, iam vacuas:

Quid me reſpectas obliqua tuētibus hirquis

Roboris in Coelum nil habet inuidia.

Saepe quidem dixti, noxis offenſus iniquis,

Tune meas māmas, Improbe, tune meas?

Nolo tuas ó nolo tuas puer auree māmas:

Non ſum tam duri, tā grauis oris homo:

ſed tātū lateris pluat vnica & vnica ſtilla:

Et ſaltem a dextrae vulnere gutta pluat.

Si nihil è dextrâ visimpluere, implue laeuâ:

Si nihil é laeuâ, de pede ſanguis eat.

Si tibi non placeo vulnus mihi vulnera dāto

Mercedem danto vulnera, ſi placeo.

In Engliſh thus,

Youngling that in thy mothers armes art playing,

Sucking her breſt ſomtimes & ſomtimes ſtaying,

Why doſt thou view me with that look of ſcorne

Its forceles enuie that gainſt thee is borne.

Oft haſt thou ſaid, being angry at my ſinne,

Dareſt thou deſire the teats my foode lies in?

p. 61I will not, oh I dare not (noble childe)

Dutie from me is not ſo far exilde:

But one, euen one poore drop I doe implore,

from thy right hand or ſide I aske no more.

If neither: from thy left hand let one fall,

nay from thy foote rather then none at all.

doſt thou diſlike me? let thy wounds me wound,

But pay my due, if I in grace be found.

Now from blaſphemy he proceedes to plain Atheiſme, not fearing to expoſe the greateſt myſteries of Chriſtian faith, and euen our bleſſed Sauiour himſelf, to the ridiculous & ſcornefull contempt of prophane men: Speaking vntounto Chriſt, God coaequall with the father, and whoſe very humanity raigneth now in glory at Gods right hand, as to a ſeely infant in his mothers armes: and to him whoſe very humanity is fedde with the gloryous preſence and contemplation of the deity, as to a poore childe ſucking his mothers breſts: ſuch conceits are common, and ſuch words and writings rife with them, of our bleſſed Sauiour, who neuer ſpeake of the Virgin Mary, but with the title of Queene of heauen, Lady of Angels, the gate of Paradice, the fountaine of mercy, or ſome ſuch other titles, fitting none but him that is God, or at the leaſt ſhe is alwaies a cō maunding Mother, and he an infant gouerned and an obedient childe: But let vsus conſider his words a little better. Paruule &c. youngling (ſaith he) thou pretty babe, that playeſt in thy mothers armes, and ſometimes ſuckes p. 62her breſtes till they be emptie, and againe ſtayeſt till they be full. &c. Is this good and ſound Diuinity, that Chriſt our Redeemer is now this preſent yeare, at Halla in Brabant, an Infant playing in his Mothers armes, & ſucking her breſts?

If it be ſo, then ſure St. Paul was much to blame to teach vsus, that euen the man Ieſus Chriſt, after he had offred one ſacrifice for ſinnes, ſitteth for euer (not in his mothers armes, but) at his Fathers right hand: and what doing? not playing in her armes, nor ſucking her breſts, but there he euer liueth to make interceſsion for vsus. Interceſſion! to whome? not to her in whoſe armes they will make him play, but to him, at whoſe right hand he ſitteth for euermore.

And much more to blame St Peter, who (not foreſeeing, it ſeemes what doctrine his pretended ſucceſſor would teach after him) teacheth vsus that Ieſus Chriſt is at Gods right hand, gone into heauen, to whome Angelles, powers & might are ſubiect. Are Angels, powers & might ſubiect to him? & muſt he be ſubiect to a mortall & humane creature? Nay, is he now an Infant, playing in his mothers armes, and hanging on her breſts? is not this good Catholik Rōiſh doctrine? & is not this good pure Romiſh deuotion, to pray to him who is God of glory, & whoſe manhood is now at Gods right hand, Angels and powers ſubiect to him, in ſuch wordes as theſe: Thou pritty Childe that playeſt in thy mothers armes, & hangeſt at her breſts? Is this a ſaluation fit for the Sonne of God, who is the Sonne conſecrated for euer? the heire of all thinges, the brightnes of Gods glory, and the ingrauen p. 63forme of his perſon? or is this a Chriſtian like deſcription of him, who hauing by himſelfe purged our ſinnes, fitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in the higheſt places? But this is naturall to Popiſh religion, to diſgrace the mediator they care not how, ſo that they may aduaunce ſome creatures, and magnifie their owne deuiſes: but though they neuer ſo much abuſe moſt of Gods ordinances, and nullifie the very Offices of the Mediator, Yet me thinks they ſhould be a little feareful how they touch the perſon it ſelfe of the mediator and ſonne of God, and ſhould ſhrinke and ſhame to expoſe the perſon of Ieſus Chriſt, to the baſe conceit of the vngodly: for what can the carnall man, much more the Atheiſt, the Turke, and the Iewe imagine of Chriſt, when he that is his pretended Vicar ſuffers his followers to ſpeake and write of him, and pray to him, as a playing childe, and ſucking infant, and to deſcribe him in his behauiours as a very childe, greeuing and crying that any ſhould touch his mothers paps but onelyonly himſelfe? alas what will this religion of Rome do at laſt? the word of God and Sacraments and other his holy ordinances they hauehave prophaned, the officer of the Mediator hauehave they nullified, and yet not content: heere they labour to make rediculous to all irreligious men, the very perſon of Ieſus Chriſt himſelfe: could this be done by any but them that are the Children of that mother of fornication, that ſits vponupon the beaſt full of names of blaſphemy? ariſe O Lord, maintaine thine owne cauſe, deliuer thy holy name from that pollution, and thy religion from that contempt which they bring vponupon it. To conclude: p. 64it may not be amiſſe heere to obſerue the oppoſition betwixt God in his holy ſcripture, and the Pope in this his religion.

Out of all this followeth a concluſion of good vſe: It hath bene often obiected to the Romiſh Church, that they hauehave not true Chriſt left amongſt thē, but an Idoll of their owne rearing, erected in their owne carnall fancies: now that this is no ſlaunder, no cauill, no hybolicall nor figuratiue ſpeech, nor an accuſation forced vponupon them againſt their wills, is apparant by their owne doctrine and practiſe in this place: for the Chriſt of God and of his Church, is God equall to the father, and can do all things himſelfe: the Chriſt of the Romiſh church is a childe inferiour to his mother and may deny her nothing. The true Chriſt, being man grew in ſtature and wiſedome, and being growne a man, ſo liued and dyed, roſe againe and was glorified, and neuer decreaſed: but theirs is now become a childe againe and a playing infant: the true Chriſt ſitteth at the right hand of God his father, theirs is borne in the armes of Mary his mother.

Hence the concluſion is euident, that therefore the Romiſh Chriſt is not the true chriſt of God and of the true chriſtian church. This concluſion I demonſtrate thus: the title of theſe verſes is this, To our Lady of Hall, and the Childe Ieſus: this childe they ſpeake of is either Ieſus Chriſt indeed or it is not: if not, then they proclaime p. 66them ſelues lyers and impoſtors: if it be, then my concluſion ſtands good: for this Ieſus, in all the forenamed reſpects, and many more, differeth from the true Ieſus and ſauiour of Chriſtian men: let them take whether they will, the better is to bad. But now let vsus ſee what is that he ſaith to this childe Ieſus.

Quid me reſpectas &c.

Why (ſaith he) doeſt thou frowne on me (thou prety childe) art thou angry with me for deſiring thy milke? doeſt thou chide me that I dare preſume to aske the milke of thy mothers teates? this is all the cauſe he layeth of Chriſt his anger, what ſhold a man ſay to this? what would a Iew ſay, what will an Atheiſt thinke of it? ſurely they will deride and laugh at that religion that allowes it, if our Chriſt be ſuch a one as is angry at ſuch a cauſe: But ſay I pray thee thou Romiſh Ieſuit, (thou wanteſt neither wit nor learning to giuegive anſwer) ſpeakeſt thou in ieſt or earneſt? If in Ieſt, then, knoweſt thou with whome thou ieſteſt? conſidereſt thou that it is Ieſus of Nazareth, the great one of God, he of whoſe kingdome there ſhall be no end, he that is the brightnes of Gods glory and the ingrauen forme of his perſon, he at whoſe remembrance the diuels tremble, & to whome all knees bowe in heauen, earth, and hell' and dareſt thou exerciſe thy wit, and whet thy ſtile, and practiſe thy poetical vaine vponupon him? and vntounto him that now hauing conquered ſinne, death, and hell? ſitteth now at the right hand of Maieſty, in the higheſt places? dareſt thou preſent ſuch a petition as this? O pretty childe doe not enuy me that I ſhould touch thy mothers paps, with which I perceiue thou wilt ſuffer p. 67none to play but thy ſelfe: oh be not angry that I long for that which is thine, namely, for the milke of thy mothers teats? didſt thou euer finde in ſcriptures or ſound antiquity, that any holy man did euer conceiue of him, or ſpeake to him on this faſhion? no for its rather aſporting ſpeech fit to be ſpoken to a playing childe, then a ſalutation fit to be tendered to the ſonne of God & Sauiour of the world:

But if thou ſay thou ſpeakſt in earneſt according to the truth of religion, and ſoundneſſe of diuinity, then tel me I pray thee in earneſt, is this any part of chriſtian faith, or is it catholike diuinity, that Chriſt Ieſus is offended with that man that ſhall deſire to touch the Virgin Maries papps, or to taſte of her milke (not in this regard that its a thing not poſſible, and therefore indeede not to be wiſhed by a Chriſtian, but) becauſe they be peculiarly & propperly his paps & his milke, ſtill as they were when he was an infant? If this be Romiſh diuinity, alas for the ſheep that are fed in ſuch paſtures, and filld with ſuch doctrine: for this is fundamētally both falſe & impious, falſe, for if it be true that the holy ſcriptures teach,1. Cor. 5.1 Cor 5 that Ieſus Chriſt is now no more to be knowne nor conceyued of according to the fleſh, that is as a meere and mortall man, but as a glorified man, a ſpirituall conquerour of his enemies, and a ſpirituall head of his Church. If this I ſay be true, that he is no longer to be knowne as a man, as he was vponupon earth, then it is falſe that he is ſtill to be conceyued of and ſpoken vntounto as a playing childe: Beſides it is impious and irreligious, and a ſtep to Atheiſme to p. 68imagine that Chriſt our God and Sauiour, is offended for ſuch an imaginary toy as this is, to touch his mothers paps, or to deſire her milke: and what enemies of our religion would not loudly laugh at this our Chriſt whome we ſo magnifie, that we make him the reſt of our ſoules, to be ſuch a one as he is heere deſcribed? namely one that chides him that dare touch his mothers paps, for ſo ſaith the verſe: Tune meas Mammas improbe tune meas?

That is: Dareſt thou deſire the teates, my food lyes in? Alas how ſhall the mouthes of Turkes and Iewes be ſtopped from blaſpheming, and ſaying: Is this your Chriſt? is this the glory of chriſtianitie? is this he whome you make a God? are theſe the ſins he is offended withall? Surely no wayes can ſuch and fowler blaſphemyes be preuented, but that the Chriſtian world publikely renounce, condemne, and curſe, this damned doctrine, as being the priuate and impious blaſphemye of the Machiuillian Ieſuits, but not the Catholike doctrine of chriſtianity: For we cannot deny but there is a generation of vipers, bred of the corruption and putrifaction of an olde and ſinfull world; calling themſelues Ieſuites, or Prieſts of the ſocietie of Ieſus: who as they come neareſt to God in their mouthes; ſo are they in their hearts (if their courſes can diſcouer them) the furtheſt from him. With theſe fellowes it may be it is a doctrine or a peece of deuotion, that it's a great ſin for a man to deſire frō Ieſus ſome of his mothers milke: p. 69but if they be asked who made this a ſin, they muſt anſwere, themſelues: if what law? euen their owne fancies: But as for the catholike & chriſtian Church, ſhe dooth renounce it.

But to proceede, is it not ſtrange that a witty and learned Ieſuit, ſhould frame ſuch a ſpeech as this vntounto Ieſus Chriſt, for thus to begin, Oh bleſſed Childe why art thou angry at me, and offended with me? oft haſt thou ſaid to me being angry at my ſinnes, &c. would put a man in hope that ſome great matter followed: for vponupon ſo good a beginning, would not a man preſume that ſome good confeſſion of ſinnes ſhould follow? as this, I muſt confeſſe o Lord I hauehave ſinned in ignorance, in ſelfe-louelove, in ſecurity, in hardneſſe of heart, in incontinency, in mallice, in hatred, in couetouſnes, in omiſſion of my duties, in commiſſion of euill &c. for theſe O Lord, and for any of theſe, thou mighteſt ſay vntounto me, thou miſerable wretch, how dareſt thou thus pollute my name, and as farre as in thee lyeth, crucifie me againe, by theſe thy ſins? how dareſt thou duſt and aſhes, thus vilifie my eternall law, the curſe whereof thou haſt heereby incurred? how dareſt thou beare my name, or looke me in the face, whome thou haſt thus prouoked? oh that our eares might hauehave heard a Ieſuit ſaying thus, and ſurely in reaſon a man would hauehave expected ſome ſuch cōcluſion from ſuch a beginning. But why ſhould we looke for either reaſon or religion from a Ieſuite?See Watſon the Preiſt hi… iudgement the Ieſuit … ten in his quidlibets. Coſterus in …chiridio: cap calibatu ſa…d: …cerdos ſi forcatur aut d… …i cōucubinam …eat tamet ſi …us ſacriligſe ob…tringet raeuius tamen …ccat ſi malit …enirum con… hat. …his is alſo by …efended both …retſer the Ie…it in his hi…oria ord. Ieſ. …d by Igna…us armandus …e Ieſuit, in …s Epiſtles to …hamier: vid. …. Ieſuiticas. …r the points … ſwearing & …oly daies, ſee …ollet in his …ſtructioſa…r dotum: & …zorius in his …ſtitutiones orales Sixtus fiue made that a …int at King …helops requeſt …r recōpence expreſly) of …is inuaſion …f England. …88. (if that be true which their brother Watſon the Prieſt hath written of them.) To hauehave ſuppoſed Chriſt to be angry with him for breaking the morrall lawe had p. 70bene good diuinity, and no poeticall immagination, but theſe holy fathers hauehave no ſuch faults: nay ſee how innocent Lambes the Ieſuits be, that when chriſt is moſt angry with a Ieſuit, and rebukes him for ſinne, he hath none to lay to his charge, nor finde any wherof he is guilty, but a little holy preſumption, or rather height of ardent deuotion, that he dare touch the papps, and beg the milke of the virgin Mary: o fearefull preſumption, o carnall ſelfe-louelove, o helliſh pride, and well beſeeming the Ieſuiticall broode! is not this the generation that praiſeth it ſelfe, and (as Salomon ſaith) is good in his owne eies? But ſay in earneſt, is this all the fault that thou thinkeſt chriſt can finde with thee? then belike there is either no breaches at all of the morrall law, amongſt Ieſuits, or els the breaches of Gods lawe, are leſſe ſinnes amongſt them, then are the breaches of their owne deuiſes, and well may it be ſo: for he was a Ieſuit who taught that a Prieſt ſinneth leſſe if he keepe a whore, or lye with another mans wife, then if he marry a wife of his owne, I ſay he was a Ieſuit that wrote it, and he was a Ieſuit that defended it.

Againe, they teach that its a leſſe ſinne to ſweare in common talke by the holy name of God, then it is to eat an egge in lent: for the latter ſay they is a mortall ſin, the firſt is but a veniall. Againe, that he ſins no more that workes vponupon the holy Saboth day then hee that workes vponupon the feaſt day of St. Didace the Spaniard whome Sixtus made a Saint, not yet 20. yeares agoe: they whoſe doctrines theſe & ſuch others be, no maruell tho they holde that the breach of a duty of their p. 71owne deuiſing, is a greater ſinne then the breach of the morall lawe: for ſo muſt he holde that wrote this, or els that chriſt can finde no greater fault in him, but that he durſt beg his mothers milke: or els that Chriſt would paſſe by al other faults in compariſon of that, let him chuſe which of the three dooth pleaſe him beſt, for one he muſt needes take, or elſe confeſſe that all this while he is but in ieſt.

I would leaue this point, but that my louelove to you (my deere country-men, the papiſts of England) prouoke me to one word more, to you and for your ſakes.

Conſider I pray you what theſe men are, who be the Fathers and founders, at leaſt the guiders and gouernours of your faith: A generation that knowes no euill by it ſelfe, but this that I dare ſtand to is no euill at all, but of their owne making, a generation againſt whome Chriſt hath nothing but this ridiculous allegation which you hauehave heard of: which if it be true, as they are a ſocietie of all the world to be honoured, ſo being falſe, they are a broode of hypocrites, of all the worlde to be deteſted: Then ſee how, you are dayly bewitched by their inchauntments, and caried vp and downe as they pleaſe to lead you: but conſider I pray you what will not thoſe men ſay of thēſelues to you in priuate, which ſpeake thus inſolently of themſelues in publike? what meruailous, miraculous, and incredible things wil not theſe fellowes buz into the eares of their nouices (whome they endeauour to binde prentiſes to their Belzebub?) who dare offer to publiſh to the eyes and cenſure of all the world, that Chriſt layeth nothing to their charge vnleſſe it be an extremity p. 72of deuotion, to his bleſſed mother: O beloued countrymen, be not ſeduced by ſuch impoſtors! let not ſuch vipers eat out your hearts; but diſcouer the hypocrites and ſend them home vnmasked to hell where they were hatched, for they that dare thus dally with our Sauiour, no maruaile tho they be ſo bold with your ſoules and your conſciences, your children, and your eſtates and all that belongs you.

Now to goe forward, he hath tolde vsus the great quarrell that Chriſt hath to him, and the hideous fault for which he chides him, that he offers to touch his mothers teates, and will needes hauehave ſome of her milke: but now let vsus ſee what he anſwers & how he defends himſelfe.

Nolo tuas ô nolo tuas puer auree māmas.

I will not, oh I dare not, golden childe:

Duty from me is not ſo farre exilde:

But one, euen one poore drop I doe implore,

From thy right hand or ſide, I aske no more.

To a ſtrange accuſation heere is a more ſtrange anſwer: for now the tide of his blaſphemy is almoſt at the higheſt: the quarrell he ſuppoſed Chriſt to hauehave againſt him, was that he durſt preſume to touch his mothers paps, or deſire to taſte of her milke: a fearefull ſinne doutleſſe, yet neither forbidden in the Lawe nor the Goſpel, but a ſinne of the Popes making. But what is his anſwer hereunto? he p. 73plainely pleads not guilty, alleadging for himſelfe, that he is not ſo bold, ſo rude, ſo preſumptuous, as to dare to entertaine any ſuch thought, or attempt any ſuch thing, as to touch her ſacred paps, or to drinke of that glorious milke: no his ambitiō reacheth not ſo high, he onelyonly prayeth to hauehave part of his wounds and blood, that he deſireth as being a thing of an inferiour nature and not comparable to the other.

O miſerable times of ours, that we ſhould liue to ſee that any mans heart ſhould conceiue, any mans tonge vtter, eſpecially any mans penne ſhould publiſh ſuch horrible blaſphemy againſt the blood and perſon of our Sauiour! what, muſt the Virgin Mary be firſt compared, afterward equalled, & is not that inough vnles now ſhe be preferred before, and aduanced aboue Chriſt? is his blood inferiour to her milke? and is it leſſe preſumptiō to be bold with Chriſt then her? whither will Romiſh religion goe at the laſt, that alreadie comes to this?

But to come to a more perticular conſideration of the wordes: the anſwer that here the Ieſuits makes, containes apparantly both abſurditie and impietie, & both in the higheſt degree: The abſurditie appeares in the euident contradiction of himſelfe; for now, as tho he had either forgottē or cared not what he ſaid afore, He denyeth that which afore he ſpake almoſt in eueryevery verſe: dare you not now touch her paps, nor taſte her milke? then who was it that afore ſaid, I am doutfull whether to take paps or ſide, milke or blood: If I looke at the paps, I long for milke: if at the wounds, I would hauehave blood: p. 74ſeeing therefore both are ſo good, I will hauehave both: I will catch the milke with my right hand, the blood with my left. Didſt thou this euen now, & now ſaiſt thou dare not touch it? Nay, was it not thou that ſaidſt I will mingle the milke of the mother with the blood of the Sonne, and ſo make a ſoueraigne cōpound to heale my ſoule, & now dareſt thou not touch the milke nor paps? was it not thy mouth that ſaid, if Anger, Luſt, or any ſinne vexe my ſoule, blood will help it, and ſo will milke: therefore mother and Sonne heare my requeſt, I muſt hauehave milke, I will hauehave blood, I will hauehave both? and doſt thou now ſay, oh I will hauehave blood indeede, but I dare not deſire milke? was it then deuotion to take it, and taſte it, and drinke it, and mingle it with Chriſts blood, and apply it to the ſoule, and is it now preſumption to deſire it? can one mouth ſend out ſuch groſſe contradictions? but let it paſſe, for no abſurdity nor contradiction can be ſo vile as ſhould euer hauehave moued me to hauehave ſet pen to paper at this time, (for they are ſufficiently diſcouered already in theſe and other points,) but when diſhonour and blaſphemy is offered to the blood & perſon of Ieſus Chriſt, how can a chriſtian hold his peace? for if that be true which the learned father ſaith,Hieronim. that in accuſation of hereſie he would hauehave no man patient, wheras hereſie is but the ſhame and hurt of the man that holdes it? then ſure in the caſe of blaſphemy and impiety, touching the very crowne, and ſtriking at the head of Ieſus Chriſt our lord and redeemer, who can be patient, who can but ſpeak? neither thinke that heerein I chalenge ought to my ſelfe aboue my bretheren, but knowe contrariwiſe, that though I only write, who firſt, or with the firſt that p. 75diſcouered it, yet ſpeake I, and write I in the perſon of many millions more, who all with one heart and voice deteſt this Romiſh impiety.

The impiety that bewrayes it ſelfe in this anſwere is ſuch as goeth beyond all we yet heard, and wherein it ſeemes the blaſphemer thought to exceed himſelfe. That we may the better diſcouer it marke the currēt of his ſpeech: O Chriſt (ſaith he) oft haſt thou being prouoked with my ſinne, rebuked me and ſaid: dareſt thou ſinfull wretch preſume to touch my teates or medle with the milk that feedes me? he anſwereth, oh no bleſſed childe I dare not, nor I will not ſo farre preſume, I neuer was ſo rude, nor ſo vnciuil, as to imagine that I might touch thoſe precious papps, or taſte the bleſſed milke of thy mother: I onelyonly beg a little of thine owne blood, from thy ſide, thy hand or foote: that ſhall content me: what is this we heare? you are content to hauehave Chriſts blood, but as for the virgin Maries milke thou dareſt not deſire it: what, is her milk more pretious, more dainty, more ſacred then the blood of the mediator? Yee heauens be aſtonied at this, and all yee creatures of God (in your kindes) renounce and deteſt this haynous blaſphemy. And you (my poore countrymen) that are the devoted children of that church, beholde heere a peece of popiſh diuinity and deuotion, a creatures milke is of more eſteeme then Chriſt his blood: a chriſtian by the power of his ordinary ſauing faith, may be partaker of the benefits of Chriſts blood, but not of the bleſſed milke of our Lady. The blood he may boldly challenge, the milke he ſcarce may name: in the blood he may diue and waſh his ſoule, the milke he may not preſume to touch: oh new diuinity, for p. 76merly it ſeemed ſtrange that her milke was but compared to his blood, but when after it was made equall to it, and mingled with it, and held as fit to heale the ſoule as it that ſeemed incredible, till we ſawe it: then what is this that now we heare, that her milke is not onelyonly comparable nay equall but euen more pretious, more ſacred, more excellent then the blood of Ieſus Chriſt: oh miſerable religion of popery, whether wilt thou draw thy deceiued children in the end? what will become of thee and thy followers? If the diuels confeſſed that Ieſus of Nazareth was the Chriſt of God, that is the onelyonly Sauiour of the world, and the onelyonly ānointed of God, to be the mediator, and yet for all this are diuelt ſtill and no better: then what are they and what a religion is that, which makes his blood not ſo good, ſo vertuous, ſo ſoueraigne, ſo pretious as her milke, and ſo by conſequent will neither let him be the onelyonly nor the principall Sauiour. Now the ſame glorious God and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, whoſe merrits are debaced, whoſe perſon diſhonored, and whoſe blood little better then troden vnderunder foote, either conuert in mercy, or in iuſtice confound all that ſhall conſent, defend or giuegive countenance to ſo fearefull a blaſphemy: and the ſame God giuegive you grace poore ſeduced Engliſhmen to relinquiſh that religion, which is the mother of ſuch monſters as vponupon this theater of the Ieſuits, are preſented vntounto you: and eſpetially to deteſt that Ieſuititical ſect, whoſe honor it is to diſhonour Ieſus Chriſt, and who bring vponupon the great theater of their honour, the blood of Ieſus, ſo diſhonoured, as it yet neuer was by p. 77any ſect or profeſſion, Turke or Iewe, Atheiſt, or heretike, deuill or man, ſince the world began.

But let vsus ſee what remaineth.

Sepae mihi Babilon patera propinat et auro

Ingeminatque meis auribus, euge, bibe,

non faciam, vel ſi Coelum miſce bitur Orco

Non faciam, meretrix impia, non faciam

O ſitio tamen, o vocem ſitis intercludit:

Nate cruore ſitem cōprime, lacte parēs

Oft times doth Babilon in golde me proffer,

Delicious drinke, and wooes me to her offer:

No, no, thogh heauen & hel ſhould meet, Ile none

Ile none, vngratious ſtrumpet hence be gone:

But ah I thirſt, a drought my breaſt doth ſmother

Quench me with blood ſweete ſonne, with milke good mother.

After the diſcourſe imagined (as we heard before) to be betwixt Chriſt and him, contayning Chriſts accuſation and his defence touching the high preſumption of being as bolde with his mothers milke as his blood: now ſodainely he turnes himſelfe from Chriſt to Babylon and ſuppoſeth that Babylon that ſpirituall ſtrumpet allures him to her vnlawfull luſts p. 78and vilde idolatries, and that her temptations hauehave bene both frequent and forcible. And ſurely heerein we eaſily beleeue him: for what is ſpirituall Babylon but the Kingdome of ſinne and Sathan, of impiety, Idolatry, blaſphemy, ſuperſtition, prophanes: and where is that as in Popery, and where to be found ſo fully as in the bowels of the Popiſh ſtate, whome they well know all the world either cleerely condemnes, or at leaſt iuſtly ſuſpects to be that ſpirituall Babylon ſo fearefully accurſed and condemned in the Reuelation. For what Citty is ſo notoriouſly knowne to ſtand vponupon the notable and famous hills as Rome is? what Citty in all the world did raigne ouer all the Kings of the earth, then when St. Iohn wrote, but onelyonly Rome? and the text ſaith (as plainely as can be) that the woman, the great whore, great Babylon the mother of fornications, is that great Cittie that raigneth ouer the kings of the earth: & laſtly there is no place, perſon, ſtate, nor power, in the world, in whome the number of 666 ſo fully concurreth, in ſo many languages, in ſo many reſpects, ſo directly; and with ſo little ſtrayning as in the Popes.

I will ſpecifie but fewe for many, the Pope or none but the Pope chalendgeth to be the Prince of al the clergy in the world, and therefore in theſe latter yeares hath calld himſelfe vniuerſall Biſhop, and paſtor of Paſtors: Now it falls out that this his pride doth proclaime his ſhame to all the world, for the number of the beaſt is in this name, without adding, altering, or any ſtrayning, as he ſhall finde that will reckon.

p. 79DVX. CLerI

500. 5. 10. 100. 50. 1. Totall: 669.

Againe, the Pope glorieth in this title and honour, that he is Gods generall Vicar on earth: this is the foundation of all his pretended power and vſurpation: this he and his imps fight for as for their liues.

This his ſeduced creatures, Engliſh Prieſts and Ieſuits, doe in England dye for (excepting ſome that dyed for horrible treaſons) and no maruel, for they know they looſe all if they looſe this, and yet the Pope cannot holde it, but withall he muſt hauehave the number of the beaſt ingrauen in his forehead, ſo as he that runnes may read it: for put downe this title in the latine tongue, (which is the tongue by him aduanced aboue Greeke or Hebrew, wherein he writes his Letters, giues his lawes and his Bulls, and workes all his feates) and it containes the number of the beaſt, and neither more nor leſſe.

GENERALIS VICARIVS DEI. 50.1. 5.1.100. 1.5. 500. 1. IN TERRIS. 1. 1.

50. 1. 5. 1. 100. 1. 5. 500. 1. 1. 1. totall 666.

Thus its cleer, that as the Pope will needes be Gods generall Vicar on earth, ſo he cannot hauehave it, but he muſt beare the marke and number of the beaſt. If any man ſay he calls not himſelfe Gods Vicar, but p. 80Chriſts Vicar, I anſwere Chriſt is both God & man, and he holdes himſelfe Chriſts Vicar, euen as Chriſt is God, and full little would he thanke him that holds him Chriſts Vicar, onelyonly as he is a man: But I anſwer further, that who euer reads his owne decrees & publike conſtitutions, ſhall eaſily ſee that he calls himſelfe ordinarily the Vicar of God, and ſuffers others ſo to ſtile him: and that the world may ſee they hauehave not reformed it,Tuccii Tuccii patritii lucenſis & protonet Apoſtol: comment in cant. lug. 606. 4. In titulo libr…. the Pope that now is, Paul the 5. hath ſuffered one of his owne creatures in a booke dedicated to him, to call him the Vicar of God. Thus he will needs be Gods vicar, but his pride is well paid for, for as he will be Gods Vicar againſt Gods will, ſo God makes him beare the diuels marke, in the number of the beaſt againſt his owne will.

If therefore it be ſo likely that Rome is Babylon, and her doctrines and deceits, ſuperſtitions, and Idolatryes, the fornications of that whore of Babylon, then we eaſily beleeue this to be true, that oft times did Babylon allure him with her entiſements, and wooe him to her ſpirituall fornications: ſo hath ſhe done many more, and preuailes with too many.

But what, with him? No, he wil hauehave none: it is wel ſaid. Oh that you would do as well, that is the worſt we wiſh you Ieſuits, though you wiſh vsus nothing but fire and gunpowder: oh that you would turne into your ſelues and ſee your error in beleeuing her, and in being deceiued with her inchantments, and dronk with her fornications that you would no longer be the ſonnes of her that is the mother of abhominations leaſt p. 81you be alſo children of abhomination: oh that you would forſake her and diſcouer her ſkirts, and teare her in pieces as ſhe hath deſerued, and then returne to be the children of the Church, & ſeruants of the liuing God! this is that we wiſh you from the Lord, whome we alſo pray that thou whoſoeuer thou art, that wrote this and all other of thy faction in the worlde, may hauehave grace to performe that which heere thou promiſeſt.

No no, though heauen and hell ſhould meete Ile none,

Ile none vngratious ſtrumpet, get thee gone.

Well then, if he will hauehave none of Babilons dainties what will he hauehave? for he ſaith he thirſteth, and muſt hauehave his thirſt quenched, but how?

Quench me with blood ſweete ſonne, with milk good mother

But alas theſe are children of Babilon, they wil not be healed: for loe he ſings his olde ſong againe, he muſt hauehave blood, he muſt hauehave milke: loe heere the hunger and thirſt of a papiſt, it is for milke as well as blood: our Sauiour proclaymeth to the world,Math 5.Matt 5 Bleſſed are they that hunger and thirſt after righteouſnes, I would heere aske a reaſonable papiſt, a briefe queſtion, whether this righteouſnes can be attained by any meanes, but by the blood of the Mediator: If he thinke it may, let him that ſaith ſo, take time to conſider of it, and he wil anſwere otherwiſe: But if not (as if they be Chriſtians they muſt needes anſwere) then what a kinde of thirſt is that, that thirſteth for the milke of a creature, as wel as for the blood of the Mediator: But whilſt they take time to anſwere this queſtion, let vsus goe forward, and trace this Ieſuit to his vnhappy iourneyes end.

p. 82dic matri meus his frater ſitit optima mater

Vi de fonte tuo promere, deque meo?

Dicnato, meus his frater mi mellee fili,

Captiuus monſtra vincula, litron habes

Ergo redemptorem mōſtra te iure vocari

nobilior reliquis ſi tibi ſanguis in eſt.

Tuq parens monstra matrē te iure vocari

Vbera ſi reliquis diuitiora geris.

That is,

Say to thy mother ſee my brothers thirſt,

Mother, your milke will eaſe him at the firſt:

Say to thy ſonne, beholde thy brothers bands,

Sweet ſonne thou haſte his ranſome in thy hands

Shew thy redeeming power to ſoules oppreſt,

Thou ſonne if that thy bloud excell the reſt:

And ſhew thy ſelfe iuſtly ſo ſtilde indeed,

Thou mother if thy breſts the reſt exceed.

Now if you pleaſe to obſerue a little, you ſhall ſee a new peece of popiſh deuotion: his ground already layd is, that he muſt hauehave milke from the mother: blood of the ſonne.

But how will he come by them? he hath found a p. 83ready way, he will make the ſonne mediator to his mother, and the mother to her ſonne: Chriſtian Religion hath euer taught, that the ſonne is our Mediator to the father: and Popiſh religion hath long taught that the Mother is a Mediator to her ſonne: But now they begin to teach, that the ſonne is alſo a mediator to his mother: what will it come to in the end? And heere obſerue, that as euer heretofore when there was any honour in precedence, the mother had the firſt place: ſo now when it is a burden and a duty, the ſonne muſt hauehave it, but not till then, for ſo he now ſaith.

Say to thy mother ſee thy brothers thirſt,

Mother your milke will eaſe him at the firſt.

Firſt indeed he intreates the ſonne and then the mother: but what intreats he him? to be a meanes: to whome? to his mother: for what? for her milke: ſo that vponupon the matter, her milke is it that is firſt in his thoughts, its that he longs for principally, and Chriſt Ieſus ſhall be preferred to goe a meſſage to his mother, and to entreat for him, that he may hauehave it: as tho he had ſaid, o Ieſus my ſoule ſo thirſts for milke, that I cannot be without it: now becauſe thou haſt rebuked me for my preſumption, in offering to take it as boldly as thy blood: I hauehave therefore no other way but to intreat thee to be a meanes to thy mother, that ſo by thy mediation and her mercy I may obtaine it, therefore I beſeech thee Ieſus ſay to thy mother &c.

Is not Chriſt honoured and wel aduanced by Popery p. 84that makes him mediator to a woman for her milke, and for the benefits and merrits of it, and that for ſuch a one as will not be content with the benefits and merits of his owne blood ſhedding: But behold good reader ſeriouſly what diuinity heere is! A Chriſtian man in his deuotion may (ſaith this Ieſuit) deſire Ieſus Chriſt to goe intreat his mother for him, and to complaine that his poore brothers ſoule thirſteth, deſiring her to quench and comfort him with her milke: what is this we heare? Is Chriſt a mediator to a creature? and for ſomething in that creature to quench the ſpirituall thirſt of the ſoule? If this be true, then what meant Chriſt to ſay Come vntounto me all that be weary, Math. 11.Matt 11and I will eaſe you: for if he ſend them that be thirſty and weary to his mother to be eaſed, ſurely in that word, Chriſt either ſpake too much of himſelfe, or too little of his Mother.

If Chriſt held that they might come onelyonly to himſelfe, then it appeares the Ieſuits religion and his be contrary: If he knew that they might come to her, as well as him, or to her by him, then what meant he to ſay Come vntounto me, and not rather Come vntounto her or vntounto me: what can they, what dare they ſay? was he vndutifull to his mother? or enuied he her dignity? or forgot he her when he thus ſpake? or was he ſwayed with too much ſelfe-louelove? if none of theſe without blaſphemy may be imagined, then what may be ſaid, that there were any ſuch thing due to her, and he knew it not? If this alſo be impoſſible, then there remaines but one that he named himſelfe, but excluded not his mother, he bids come to him, and forbids not to come to her: p. 85I anſwer, firſt heere he bids vsus come to himſelfe, let them ſhew where he bids vsus goe to her, if he no where bid it, it is as good as forbidden: againe, he that in one caſe of truth ſaid, I and my father are one, would not hauehave ſpared in this caſe if it had bene true, to hauehave ſayd I and my mother are one, and he who out of his holy humility, and knowing the difference of the fathers deity and his owne humanity, freely confeſſed my father is greater then I, I…hn. 14.would neuer hauehave ſcorned (if it had bene true) to hauehave acknowledged, my mother is as great as I: whereas contrarywiſe, leauing out her and all creatures in the world, he ſaith directly, Come vntounto me: And whereas he came to fulfill all righteouſnes: and the fift commaundement we know commaunds aſwell reuerence to Parents, as obedience: therefore doubtleſſe he who went hence ſaith the text and was obedient to them, would alſo moſt readily hauehave yeilded her this reuerēce if it had bene due vntounto her, or if it might lawfully hauehave bene giuen her: But he knowing the contrary, doth in this caſe paſſe by her, and commaunds Come vntounto me: If yet they will reply and ſay he ſaith indeed come to him, but meaning to ſend vsus from himſelfe to her for eaſe & comfort, who is the Mother of mercy & of grace: I anſwere, ſo indeed is ſhe called in their ſeruice booke,**Maria mater gratiae …ter mi…rec…e: t… nos ab hoſte …rot…ge, et hora mortes …uſ…. Officium beat… …triae. but Gods booke takes that name to himſelfe onelyonly, & giues it to no creature, therefore let them anſwere it that giuegive it to her: Againe, the ground of this replication is falſe, for as he ſaith Come to me, and names no other, ſo neither ſends he vsus to her for eaſe, but ſaith plainely and directly, and I will eaſe you. p. 86Further, they not onelyonly make Chriſt a mediator to his mother, and that for ſpirituall eaſe and comfort, but they doe it in ſuch a faſhion, as they make Chriſt one that either is not able or not willing to helpe vsus himſelfe: for if he were, then why doe they ſay that he complaines to his mother, that we thirſt, and for the eaſe of our ſoules, do yeeld her milke? If heere they were asked this queſtion, I wonder how they would anſwer it? if Chriſt be not willing or not able to eaſe the thirſty ſoule, then how is he a perfect Sauiour? If he be, then how is it likely that he would ſend him that humbleth his ſoule to him for helpe, to another to be eaſed, ſeeing he asketh of him, who ſaid, come vntounto me all that are weary, doth he aske that that Chriſt hath to giuegive, and is it likely he will deny it? dooth he aske that that Chriſt hath not to giuegive, and is it probable that his mother hath it? then they may aſwell ſay that ſhe hath more grace and mercy, or more power & ability then Chriſt himſelf hath: let thē anſwer theſe queſtions, how they will, heere will be found ſtrange diuinity, which we ſee is currāt in the Romiſh Church.

But whilſt they prepare their anſwere, let it pleaſe the reader to obſerue how contrary the Romiſh doctrine is to the doctrine of Chriſt and of the holy ſcripture.

Theſe and ſuch like oppoſitions are common betwixt Christs Goſpell and Romiſh diuinity, may not this giuegive ſtrong ſuſpition that their religion is Antichriſtian, which in the foundations of it are ſo repugnant to Chriſts, as theſe and others which ſtand confirmed with more authority then yet theſe doe? well, thus Chriſt is made a mediator to his mother, now the Ieſuit proceedeth, and to make him amends hee makes the mother a mediator to him,

Say to thy Sonne behold my brothers bands.

Sweete Sonne thou haſt his ranſome in thy hands.

That Chriſt Ieſus hath the ranſome of ſinfull ſoules p. 88in his hands is good diuinity, and we heartily imbrace it, wiſhing it were as heartily and truly (without Equiuocation) intended, by this papiſt: if he and all other papiſts doe ſo hold it, we heartily reioyce, but then we deſire them to anſwere to a fewe queſtions.

Who payeth this ranſome? is it not Chriſt? who accepts it? is it not God the father? is it not mercy, grace & louelove, that either the one will accept it, or the other pay it? can any pay it but the one? can any take it but the other? are not thē they the foūtains & fathers of mercy, which hauehave done ſo? if all theſe be true, then what a religion hauehave they, who in their liturgies & daily prayers, call a creature the mother of mercy, and mother of grace, oftner then either God the father, or Chriſt the redeemer, or both put together▪ we deſire ſome conſcionable papiſt to anſwere vsus ſeriouſly: was the virgin Mary a Creator or a creature? if a creature, was ſhe any more then an excellent creature, ſet apart for the moſt excellent vſe in the world? & was it not in Gods election to hauehave choſen any other woman, at his owne good pleaſure to hauehave bene the mother of Chriſt? and was it not his owne free mercy, that he regarded the low eſtate of her his handmaid? if this be ſo, then did ſhe anything in our ſaluation, which any woman had not done, if God had taken her to be his mother: was there any thing in her to moue God to chuſe her, which was not Gods owne gift in her and to her? ſhe may be then a veſſell of grace but ſhe can be no way a fountaine of grace: for what had ſhe but ſhe receiued it: but if (as they ſay) ſhe be the fountaine of mercy and mother of grace, then ſhe p. 89giues but receiues not, as the fountaine receiues from no other, but hath of it ſelfe, and ſends out to others: & the mother takes not of her children, but layeth vp for them. Now if it be as their liturgie ſaith, it is that ſhe is the mother of mercy and grace, &c. as aboue: of grace and mercy, then ſure ſhe hath the ranſome in her hands: but if it be in Chriſts hands, as heere they ſay it is, then how is ſhe the mother of mercy? hardly would theſe be reconciled, but that they hauehave equiuocations, reſeruations, or deſtinctions, that will make any thing ſeeme good inough to ſerue their turnes.

Thus then they hauehave not onelyonly made Mary Mediator to Chriſt, which is common in their religion, but (which was ſcarce euer heard of before) they make Chriſt their mediator to her, her to him for his blood, but firſt him to her for her milke: now to leaue this point, obſerue (in one word) how in theſe two meſſages of mediation, here is no difference, but ſhe that is a creature and ſaued by her ſonne, is made to ſpeake to him in the ſame tearmes as he to her, and with no other words or ſignes of reuerence: and he her ſonne and ſauiour, yea God himſelfe made to ſpeake to her with the ſame reuerence as ſhe doth to him: as thogh there were no difference betwixt him and her, and as though he being God and her ſauiour, was aſmuch beholding to her for her milke, as ſhe being a creature is to him for his blood: Loe what popiſh deuotion is heere? now if they be aſhamed of this, then why are they not aſhamed of the other? But they are farre from that, for p. 90where are the intreatings, the cries, the humble requeſts and ſubmiſſiue beſeechings to him for his blood? heere be none ſuch: but contrariwiſe as though there were no difference in the world, betwixt either the perſons entreating, which are Chriſt and Mary, or the things deſired which be his blood & her milke, he ſaith to Chriſt.

Say to thy mother ſee my brothers thirſt,

Mother your milke will help him at the firſt.

And to her he ſaith,

Say to thy ſonne behold thy brothers bands,

Sweete ſonne thou haſt his ranſome in thy hands:

Thus Popery makes of Chriſt and Mary, one no greater a perſon then the other, and of his blood and her milke one, no greater a matter then the other: Chriſt with no more reuerence to be implored then Mary, his blood with no more vehemency to be deſired, with no more difficulty to be obtayned then her milke: If this doctrine may be defended vnderunder pretence of deuotion, then will not there want a cullour for any blaſphemy: But the Ieſuit goeth forward and ſaith to Chriſt.

Ergo redemptorem monstra▪ &c.

Shew thy redeeming power to ſoules oppreſt,

Thou ſonne of that thy bloud excells the reſt.

And ſhewe thy ſelfe iuſtly ſo ſtilde indeede,

Thou mother, if thy breſts the reſt exceede.

p. 91It may be doubted in whoſe name he ſpeaketh theſe words, whether in his owne, to both Chriſt & his mother, or in Chriſts name to his mother, and in hers to him: if in the firſt, they containe blaſphemy, if in the ſecond, abſurdity: for if he ſuppoſe the virgin Mary ſaith thus to Chriſt,

Shew thy redeeming power to ſoules oppreſt,

Thou ſonne if that thy blood excell the reſt.

It is fouly abſurd to imagine that ſhe being ſo dignified as ſhe is (yea rather as they holdHoratius. T… ſellinus Ieſu… in hiſtor. lautanae in praf… almoſt deified) ſhould make an if, or a queſtion whether Chriſts blood excell the reſt or no: and much more abſurd is it to make Chriſt ſeeme to be ignorāt of his mothers power and ſtate how great it is: be it more or leſſe. But if ſo be he ſpeak theſe words himſelfe to thē both, then behold the haynous iniury done to the pretious blood of the mediator. Cōcerning which this wicked papiſt makes as much & equall doubt, whether it excell the blood of other creatures, as he doth: whether the milke of the Vrgin Mary excel the milke of all other women: let all chriſtian men ſhrinke and tremble at ſo great a blaſphemy, for al the learned Papiſts in the world may be challēdged to proue (if they can) out of Gods word & the grounds of Religiō, that ſhe was any more then another holy woman, (ſauing this prerogatiue, that ſhe was his mother acording to the fleſh) or any more then a Saint of God ſanctified by the ſpirit, and ſaued by the blood of Ieſus chriſt, whoſe mother ſhe was in regard of his fleſh: or that her milke had any vertue in the world, but to nouriſh his body as doth the milke p. 92of other women, their children: for was not he a man like vntounto vsus in all things (ſinne excepted) and if Chriſt take it no preiudice to himſelfe, to be like vntounto men, ſhall it be a wrong to her to be like to other women? Nay we dare goe further and aske them, if God hauehave vouchſafed once in the whole new teſtament, ſo much as to name the milke of the virgin Mary? whereas altogether and almoſt in eueryevery chapter, he extolleth the blood of Chriſt, and is euer magnifying the vertue, merrits, and efficacy of the ſame: if this be ſo, then what ſhall we ſay to that religion and to thoſe men, who make it as queſtionable, whether Chriſt Ieſus his blood excell the blood of other men, as whether the virgin Maries milke exceed the milke of other women? is this Romiſh religion? is this popiſh diuinity? then ſee what followeth. But it cannot be proued either to reaſon or to faith that her milke excelleth other womens, in any ſpirituall or corporall vertue or operation: therefore it is not to be proued that Chriſts blood is more pretious then other mens: ſee here my deere countrymen, how you are miſled, ſee what doctrine you are fed withall by your teachers! open your eyes and be no longer deceiued; offer not this iniury to him that gaue his life for you, to make this vnequall compariſon: If they wil not teach you holy and found diuinity, then leaue them, and learne from vsus, or rather with vsus from the holy ſcriptures, that his blood is the price of our redemptiō: but as for her milke we know no ſuch thing, ſince ſhe liued on the earth: acknowledge with vsus that it is a fundamentall ground of Chriſtian faith that his blood p. 93is more worth then ten worlds: but that her milke is now of any vallue, can neither be perſwaded to reaſon nor belieued by faith: and yet dar… this malignant ſinagogue make that as likely as probable, as certaine as the other: If enemies of Religion take hold heere, and ſay, that therefore the grounds of our Chriſtianity are vncertaine, and ſo blaſpheme the bleſſed blood of our Sauiour, we can ſay no more but our Church is innocent, our hearts are free, our hands are cleere of it: woe be to them by whome the offence commeth. But now let vsus ſee how the Ieſuit concludes, and whether his end be any better then his beginning.

O quando lactabor ab vbere, vulnere paſcar!

delitiis que fruar, māma, latuſque tuis!

Parce Deus, magno ſi te clamore fatigem:

non potis imperio, non poti arte regi,

Exagitante ſiti, Patientia perdit habenas

clamores ſi vis tollere, tolle ſitim.

Pluris ego clauis: ſaturaſti ſanguine clauos

lanceaque erubu…t ſanguine tincta tuo.

pluris ego pannis: maduerūt vndique panni

nati a vulneribus, Matris ab vberibus.

In Engliſh thus:

p. 94Ah when ſhall I with theſe be ſatiſfied,

when ſhall I ſwimme in ioyes of breſt and ſide:

Pardon O God mine eager earneſtneſſe,

if I thy lawes and reaſons bounds tranſgreſſe,

Where thirſt ore-ſwaies, Patience is thruſt away:

ſtay but my thirſt and then my cries will ſtay,

Better am I then nailes, yet did a ſtreame

of thy deere bloud waſh both the Launce & them:

More worthy I then clouts, yet them a floude

moyſtned of Mothers milke & of Sonnes blood.

Now comes to his concluſion, but alas his iniquity is as much at the laſt as at the firſt: for ſtill he perſiſts in his impiety, without repentance, without remorce, without ſorrow or ſence of the euill he hath done, for ſtill he ſings his olde ſong: O when ſhall I ſucke the milke of theſe breſts, when ſhall I drinke the blood of theſe wounds.

His ſoule thirſteth, but for what? for milke and for blood: but firſt for milke and then for blood: If this be tollerable diuinity, nay if this be holy deuotion, then what did our bleſſed Sauiour meane to cry out to all weary and thirſty ſoules, If any man thirſt let him come vntounto me and drinke: I wiſh the Ieſuits would tell vsus what they thinke, whether he did well or no, to leaue out the Virgin Mary: for if this diuinity of theirs be good, then he ought to hauehave ſaid, If any man thirſt let him come to my mother or to me to drinke: and ſurely if her p. 95milke be thus equall in value, price and merrit to his blood, then we do no longer maruell that they teach how the Virgin Mary did riſe from the dead, and was aſſumed into heauen corporally that as Chriſt roſe & aſcended to apply & make good the merit of his death, ſo did ſhe alſo to make effectual the merit of her milk. But then good Paul how farre art thou to blame, that eſteemd all things in the world, doug, and droſſe, & only that thou maiſt know the vertue of his reſurrection! for then it ſeemes, thou wilt giuegive little or nothing to know the vertue of her aſſumption. Nay it may be thou art halfe an hereticke, and beleeueſt not any ſuch aſſumption: but if thou couldeſt be taken within the reach of the holy inquiſitiō, thou ſhouldeſt pay wel for ſuch thy hereticall incredulity. If now thou wert aliue thy better and more holy bretheren the Ieſuits, could reproue thee for many indiſcreet paſſages, and teach thee better diuinity then thou ſeemeſt to know, for whereas thou durſt ſay, thou eſteemdſt to know nothing but Ieſus Chriſt, and him crucified, they can tell thee thou art farre ſhort in thy duty, and but cold in zeale in reſpect of them, for they ſtand in doubt whether to eſteeme more the blood of his wounds, or the milke of her paps: and whereas thou wilt giuegive all to knowe the vertue of his reſurrection, they can but wonder at thy ignorance, who careſt not to know the vertue of her reſurrection & aſcention alſo, Be thou content to know the one, they for their parts will know both: and if thou be ſo preciſe for thy Maiſter, that thou canſt not be cōtent to ſay, that he purgeth our ſins, but muſt exclude p. 96al other, and ſay, that he by himſelfe purgeth our ſinnes: know thou that they dare be ſo bold as to put out that word by himſelfe out of the text: and when they read thy Epiſtles they are halfe aſhamed to ſee what a bloody man thou art, for thou art all in blood, blood, inſomuch as twenty times at leaſt thou art ſtil vponupon blood as though there were no ſaluation but by blood, and as though bleſſed Maries milke had no merit at all. It ſeemes that as thou wert a perſecutor, and delighted in blood afore thy conuerſion, ſo thou beares ſtil a bloody minde: but now behold theſe meek, & milde and merciful men (the Ieſuits,) a generation that loues no cruelty, nor ſeekes to ſhed no blood (as moſt nations of the world can wel beare witneſſe**Witneſſe in England the Powder treaſon: In France the laſt Kings death: the preſent warres in Sweden and broyles in Poland, &c.) theſe ſweet and gratious fathers being poſſeſſed with a better ſpirit, are weary of blood and do rather chooſe and deſire milke to quench the ſpiriuall thirſt of their ſoules.

If they would vtter what their prophane hearts thinke, or diſcouer openly what they mutter amongſt themſelues, we ſhould heare them publiſh euen ſuch diuinity as this is: a taſte whereof beſides the preſent poems, you ſhall read anon.

But now for his concluſion, this blaſpheming Ieſuit dare proceed and turne his ſpeech to God, and not fearing the commaundement that forbids him to take Gods name in vaine, vnderunder paine of ſtanding guilty, at the barre of Gods iuſtice, he dare offer to abuſe the name of God, with ſuch a prayer as this.

p. 97O Lord thou muſt pardon me though I cry aloud, for it is not blood wil ſerue my ſoule, I long for milke, and am ſo a thirſt, that I may not keepe ſilence: and why Lord ſhouldeſt thou ſo long keepe me a Petitioner in this caſe? I am better then the nayles, yet they had blood inough: I am not ſo vilde as cloutes, yet they wanted neither milke nor blood.

Wat kinde of men are theſe Ieſuits, or what a God is their God, to whome they dare preſent ſuch a prayer as this? ſurely they thinke as baſely of him as they doe highly of thēſelues, or elſe they neuer durſt thus inſult ouer him, & thus abuſe him, as after he hath told him plainely that his blood is drinke indeede, and commaunded them that are athirſt, to come and drinke of that well of water of life, to come and tell him to his face that their ſoules thirſt for milke, and they muſt hauehave it? belike theſe crawling frogs thinke that they hauehave ſuch a God as they may leape and play vponupon at their pleaſure: But O thou that dwelleſt in heauen laugh thē to ſcorne, hauehave them and their wickednes in deriſion: and either work them to repentance and viſible conuerſion, or bring them to vengeance and iuſt confuſion.

The Ieſuit concludes with a compariſon of himſelf to the nailes and launce that pierced Chriſts bleſſed body, and the cloathes that toucht him in his infancy and death: & indeed the firſt compariſon is not much vnequall, for the Ieſuits are moſt like to nailes & launces in Chriſts body; for ſeeing the holy Ghoſt tells vsus p. 98that wicked men by their ſinnes did and do pierce Chriſt: then the Ieſuits who by their Atheiſmes, cruelties, periuries, equiuocations, treaſons, hauehave beene ſharper nailes and launces in Chriſts body, and greater diſhonourers of his religion, then any other ſort of men, (if the voyce of all Chriſtendome, & the teſtimony of their owne bretheren be true) then the Ieſuits I ſay are not vnfitly reſembled to nayles and launces: and indeed they that are thornes in the eyes, and pricks in the ſide of all princes and ſtates where they come: leſſe maruell though they be like the nailes and ſpeare in Chriſts body! therefore let the Ieſuit pleaſe himſelfe in this compariſon, as long as he will, we enuy it not.

But for the ſecond, that he is better then the clothes that were about thoſe two bleſſed bodies, I ſay but this: that either the Ieſuits are farre more holy then the Prophet Eſay, or els he farre more humble in his owne eyes then they: for he profeſſeth in his own & the churches name, that they were no better thē the filthieſt cloute that euer was, euen a menſtruous cloth. But ſaith the Ieſuit, I am better then the beſt cloth that euer was, for though we holde that God hath giuen laſting vertue to his word and ſacraments, but none that we know to rags, or clouts: yet we acknowledge that as farre as clothes may one excell another, thoſe that touched the bodies of our Lord & his mother, are the moſt pretious, and if we could be ſure we had them, we would eſteeme them aboue cloth of gold: we therefore wonder how a man comming before p. 99the Lord his God, dare in his prayer make himſelf better then thoſe clothes, eſpecially hearing the Prophet cry before him, O Lord al our righteouſnes is like a menſtruouſe clout. If our beſt be ſo filthy, what is our nature, what is our ſin? if he anſwer that this is but a cauill, for he meanes that being a man he is therfore capable of grace & ſaluation, which the clothes are not, I thinke ſo alſo: But then why doth he enuy that milke and blood ſhould touch them? If he meane the materiall and reall milke and blood that were in the bodies of Chriſt and his mother, then he is more then mad, to enuy the nayles, the launce, the cloutes, for they did touch them, and yet he cannot, and if he complaine that he may not, we aske him why then did not the Apoſtles take more carefull order to gather vp and preſerue that milke and blood, or if they did not, at leaſt why did they not complaine of the want of them, as he doth heere? ſurely either they had too little deuotion, or the Ieſuits too much ſuperſtition.

But if he meane the vertue, merite and efficacy of the blood & milkë, then let him anſwer vsus two ſhort queſtions: Firſt, what ſpiritual vertue and power had that milke, what did it worke in our ſaluation, (more then the milke of another woman coulde) what did it merit for vsus? what the blood did we knowe and moſt willingly acknowledge: but what the milke did or can doe, if the Ieſuites can tell and teache vsus, we will not refuſe to learne: But ſuppoſing that it had much vertue as the blood (as the Ieſuite affirmes, but farre be it from vsus once ſo to thinke) then ſecondly wee aske p. 100him doth he thinke the nayles, launce, & cloutes were partakers of the vertue and merrit of that blood, if he doe, let him ſhew where he receiued ſuch diuinity: if not, then to what end complaines he to God in ſuch a faſhion.

Lord I am better then the nayles and cloutes, and yet they had blood and milke inough, but I dye for thirſt.

If this be not to take Gods name in vaine, and that in a high meaſure, we appeale to all Chriſtian men of reaſonable iudgement.

And thus at laſt are we come to an end of this Ieſuiticall Goſpell, the impiety whereof I now remit to the cenſure of the Chriſtian world:

And for my concluſion, leaſt any ſhould ſay that this is but one priuate Ieſuits deede, and therfore may not preiudice the whole ſociety of Ieſuits, and much leſſe the religion of Popery.

To theſe I anſwere, the booke is allowed and hath bene twiſe printed, and ſtands approued by Poſſeuine, amongſt good and catholike authors. 2. Shew what Ieſuit or other popiſh doctor hath reproued, or what Inquiſitor or other popiſh magiſtrate hath cenſured this wickedneſſe. 3. Which is worſt of all, It is no more in effect then others of them hauehave taught or approued, though not in ſo open & apparant a faſhion: But let any Chriſtian man iudge what diuinity is laide downe in theſe points that follow.

1. The Papiſts hauehave a booke called the Mariale, It hath p. 101bene obiected vntounto them that in that booke it is thus ſaid: Salomon ſaith, the name of the Lord is a ſtrong tower, This hath bene long agoe laid to their charge in Catalogo, teſtium veritati… edit toais 1…08Prou 18.10. But Salomon knew little of the Virgin Mary let vsus therfore ſay, the name of our lady is a ſtrong tower, let the ſinner flye vntounto her, and he ſhall be ſaued: and againe: thou art a ſinner, flye then to the name of Mary, that alone ſhall ſerue to heale thee: and againe,

The Lord was with Mary, and Mary with the Lord in the ſame labour and ſame work of our redemption for the Mother of mercy helped the father of mercy, in the worke of our ſaluation: and therevpon was it ſpoken of the firſt woman, It is not good for man to be alone, let vsus make him a helper: But why then ſaith God, Eſay 63 I hauehave troden the wine preſſe alone, and of all people, there was no man with me: the booke anſwereth, It is true Lord that thou ſayeſt, there was no man with thee: but there was a woman with thee, which bore all the wounds in her heart, that thou didſt beare in thy body.

Loe heere a peece of rare diuinity! Salomon is blamed for ignorance, that he knew but little of the Virgin, & in a ſort is rebuked for ſaying the name of our Lord, and not rather the name of our Lady is a ſtrong tower: and though no man did, yet a woman (namely Mary) did helpe Chriſt to tread the winepreſſe of Gods wrath, and was fellow worker with God, in the worke of our redemption.

This booke ſtands vnconfuted, vncondemned, vnreproued, by the Ieſuits or the Romiſh Church, till this day, for ought that I can yet find, yet hath it bene p. 102many yeares laid to their charge.

2. Againe, the Papiſts hauehave a booke, they call our Ladies pſalter,Vide Pſalte…ium beate Virgin…s Mariae: …mpreſsum cum Pſalterio Cutercienfi, Par. …rca an. 1520 Extat etiam idem Pſalteriū, …d verbum. apud Chemnitium, in Examine concil Trident: in parte …. pag. 149. editi onts franco furt. 1596. printed at Paris in the yeare 1520. or thereabouts, wherein eueryevery one of the 150. pſalmes are in whole or in part turned from Dominus to Domina, that is from God or Chriſt, to our Lady, as In the firſt pſalme.

Bleſſed is the man that loueth thy name O Virgin Mary, &c.

In the 19 Pſalme.

The heauens declare thy glory O Virgin Mary &c.

In the 29 Pſalme,

Bring vntounto our Lady O you mighty, bring vntounto our Lady worſhip and honour &c.

In the 51. Pſalme,

HaueHave mercy vponupon me O Lady, thou that art called the Mother of mercy, and according to the bowels of thy mercyes, cleanſe me from all my ſinnes, poure out thy grace vponupon me, and take not thy wonted mercy from me, &c.

In the 57 pſalme.

HaueHave mercy vponupon me O Lady, hauehave mercy vponupon me, for my heart is ready to ſearch out thy will, and in the ſhadow of thy wings will I reſt &c.

In the 68. pſalme.

Let our Lady ariſe and her enemies ſhall be ſcattered, &c.

In the 72 Pſalme.

Lord giuegive thy iudgement to the King, and thy mercy to our Lady his mother.

p. 103In the 94 Pſalme.

God is the God of reuenge, but thou O Lady the mother of mercy, doſt bowe him to take pitty &c.

In the 96 Pſalme.

O ſing vntounto our Lady a new ſong for ſhe hath done maruailous thinges, &c.

In the 110 Pſalme.

The Lord ſaid vntounto our Lady, Sit thou mother at my right hand &c.

Thus I might goe ouer all the Pſalmes, but as he began he ends in the laſt words of the laſt Pſalme.

Let eueryevery thing that hath breath praiſe our Lady.

Now this booke ſtands not onelyonly vncontrolled,Gregor. de Va… in vol, de reb… fidei controuerſis, ſect. 5. lib. … Idolotria cap. 10. Bernardinus de Buſtis, in Marials part 3. ſer. 3. but rather euen defended by the Ieſuits, and thoſe of the principall.

3 Againe, a famous Fryer & well approued amongſt them, preacht this doctrine in the pulpit (amongſt many other, little better.)

A man may appeale from God himſelfe to the Virgin Mary, If any Man feele himſelfe agrieued at the iuſtice of God, ſeeing God hath deuided his kingdome with her, for whereas God hath Iuſtice and mercy, he hath reſerued Iuſtice to himſelfe, to be exerciſed in this world as it pleaſeth him: but Mercy he hath committed to his mother: If therefore any man finde himſelfe agrieued in the Court of Gods Iuſtice, let him appeale to the Court of mercy, of his mother.

p. 104This diuinity was ſo well reliſht in the Romiſh Church, that after he had preacht it, he publiſht it vnderunder the Popes owne Patronage: and the booke was againe printed within theſe three yeares: but what ſay the Ieſuits to it, they teſtifie that this booke is a learned and godly booke, full of goodneſſe and piety.

Fourthly, Horatius Turſellinus himſelfe, a Ieſuit of good eſteeme amongſt them,Horatius Turellinus: in Hi…toria virg. lau…tanae in prefat writes thus,

Almighty God hath made the Virgin his mother, as farre as he may lawfully, partaker of his diuine power and Maieſty.

Now ſurely if God hauehave made her fellow with him of his diuine maieſty, leſſe maruel if Chriſt hauehave made her fellow in the worke of redemption.Poſseuinus in …it H. And this booke written by a Ieſuit, hath publike allowance, and is dedicated to Cardinall Aldobrandino.

Fiftly, a great Spaniſh Doctor, and profeſſor of diuinity of his order, writes thus.

Iohn. Chri…oſtomus a viſi…atione, de vertis domine to 2 …ib. 2 cap. 2.We hauehave often ſeene and heard of very many, who in their extreame dangers hauehave called vponupon Mary, and preſently were deliuered: for oft times ſafety is ſooner obtained by calling vponupon the name of Mary, then by calling vpō the name of Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God.

Poſſe…inus … apparatu …icro lit. lAnd this booke is both dedicated to Pope Clement the 8. & receiues publike allowāce by the Ieſuits: his name is Chriſoſtome, as tho he were a golden mouthed ſpeaker: but if this be his doctrine, that her mediation is as powerfull, or rather more then is her ſonnes, it is pitty but he ſhould be calld and accounted a leaden p. 105mouthed wretch:

By all theſe & many more that (as the learned know) might eaſily be produced, it may appere that this blaſpheming Ieſuit Bonarſcius, in this his deteſtable compariſon, of her milk with Chriſts blood, ſaith no more in effect then others both of his religion & perticular ſect, and therefore it may be iuſtly concluded, this is the doctrine and diuinity not of him alone, but of the Ieſuits, and of the popiſh Church it ſelfe, as long as it ſtands approued or vncondemned by them: Now then if this be the diuinity of the Romiſh Church.

1. That a Creatures milke may be mingled with Chriſts blood in the matter & merit of our ſaluation.

2. That it helpes and heales ſpirituall ſores of the ſoule as well as the blood.

3. That though no man did, yet a woman did help God in the worke of our ſaluation.

4. That the Pſalmes may be turned from Lord to Lady.

5. That a man may appeale from God to the Virgin Mary.

6. That God hath deuided his kingdome with her, keeping Iuſtice to himſelfe, and ſurrendring Mercy to her.

p. 1067. That God hath made her pertaker with himſelfe of his diuine power and Maieſty.

8. That a mans prayers are often heard, rather by and through her, then Chriſt Ieſus.

If theſe I ſay be the doctrines of the preſent Church of Rome, then let the Chriſtian world be pleaſed to obſerue,

1. How farre the preſent Romiſh Church, is degenerate from the antient.

2. How great cauſe we and al Churches of God hauehave to ſeperate from ſuch a ſinagogue.

3. How iuſtly they may be pronounced Antichriſtian, who thus hainouſly diſparage the perſon and office of the Mediator.

4. How vntrue it is that by many is ſuggeſted that the preſent religion of Rome is much reformed & refined at this day: for it is moſt certaine, in the former times theſe would hauehave beene condemned as blaſphemies euen in the Romiſh Church it ſelfe.

And laſtly you of this moſt Honorable and reuerend aſſembly of the church & Cōmon-wealth of England may here ſee what cauſe there is to pronounce the true Papiſts Hereticks, conſidering the preſent p. 107Church holds not onelyonly theſe but many other fundamentall errors, both for matter of faith, and of gouernement, which are perticularized in my Epiſtle.

And conſidering that all meanes hauehave beene vſed, to reclaime and reforme her, but all is in vaine, (for ſhe is that Babilon that will not be healed: wherefore it is our duty to forſake her and leaue her to the iuſt hand of God.

Thus ſhall we follow the counſell of the Prophet in the like caſe, who ſaith: we would hauehave healed Babylon but ſhe vvould not be healed: let vsus forſake her and goe eueryevery man to his owne Countrey, for her Iudgement is come vp to heauen and lifted vp to the cloudes.

End of the text · William Crashaw, The Jesuits Gospel (1610)