Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

vincial, was the visitor. This book, in the year 1607, was by hin written, and dedicated to the protestant electors of Germany, as a discovery, beforehand, of those most damnable projects, which that society then had in agitation against the people of Germany. The title of this book was, De Studiis Jesuitarum abstrusioribus, concerning the more secret and reserved practices of the Jesuits: whereunto had those princes, to whom this book was dedicated, given such. timely ear and belief, as they might have done, they had, in all probability, prevented the greatest part of those unparalleled miseries, which, since the beginning of the wars there (and that was not till eleven years after the publication of this book) these incendiaries of Christendom have brought upon the German nation, to the astonishment of all the world. But we see what hath since been permitted to these fellows to do, and what the neglect of a timely taking heed, to a seasonable warning, hath brought upon those then flourishing princes and states.

That we, therefore, might learn, by other men's harms, to rectify our own particular, I have endeavoured the publication of this translation, under your honours 'protection; having taught this discoverer to speak our language, for the publick benefit of our English nation against them: I dare boldly say, even yourselves being my judges, when you shall have read this small tract, that the same course hath been taken, by these common incendiaries, for breeding a disturbance, and bringing all things into a confusion, both in our church and state, that was then projected, and, since then, acted upon Germany. Nor do I think, but it is sufficiently known to your honours, and grave wisdoms, that the same wheel of mischief, that wrought all the woes of Germany, since the year 1618, hath, for some years last past, been set also at work in England, Scotland, and Ireland; witness all the factions and fractions in church and state, the disturbances and discontents between the prince and people, the fearful divisions betwixt the clergy and clergy, betwixt the court and city, and betwixt the king and his commons, yea, even betwixt the two crowns of England and Scotland; all which have received. their birth and breeding from the devilish designs of those sons of division, the society of Jesuits, and been fomented, almost to a perfect flame, by their agents, and adherents, their deluded disciples of this nation; and had undoubtedly broke out, and produced, in short time, the like effects amongst us, that they have done in Germany, had not Almighty God, in mere mercy to this nation, and in his divine compassion to his poor church in England, thus ready to perish, stepped in to our rescue, by his blessed hand of providence stirring up the spirits of our noble peers, to represent to his sacred Majesty the im minent danger, and graciously inclining his royal heart to hearken thereto, and so that we may say with the psalmist, Ps. cxviii. 23, "This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.' And the same God, if it be his blessed will, in his own time, by his own means, perfect that good work of mercy, which he hath so graciously begun for us of this land and nation, by rooting out, from amongst us, that disloyal brood of Inigo Loyola, that our eyes may see it,

[ocr errors]

and we may say, the Lord hath been magnified upon the borders of England. For, assuredly, though the Roman factors may now justly say, as Edom did in the prophecy of Malachi, i. 4. We are impoverished, but we will return, and build up our desolate places': for they cannot but be sensible of their own counsels, defeated both by sea and land; by water, in the year 1588, by fire, 1605; and it is not to be doubted, that they apprehend a fear of the miscarriage of their great and long intended plot of wit, now begun to break out this year, 1641; all which, notwithstanding, they still retain a resolution to return, and build up their desolate places; yet I desire them to read, and take notice of the words following, in the place before cited, 'Yet, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, they shall build up, but I will destroy, and men shall call them the border of wickedness, and the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever.' And your eyes shall see it, and men shall say, the Lord's name hath been magnified upon the borders of England. And, to speak truly what I think, I must confess, that I have conceived an hope, of a long time, that this year, 1641, which compleateth the century, since that society had their bull from the pope, under protection whereof they have wrought so much mischief, would shew unto the world an apparent alteration in the body of that monster, the society of Jesuits. A point, which I am induced the rather to believe, because I have been certified as much, in effect, from a couple of their own men, of eminent note for learning; the one Paulus Florenius, an Italian, the other Christianus Franken, a German; the former whereof was divinity reader, the other philosophy reader, in the imperial college of Jesuits at Vienna; both which, above threescore years ago, upon just grounds, expressed in a book by them published, forsook that religion, and became protestants. That book also is to be seen, and, if it please this honourable house to command it, shall be published also in English, for I find it written in Latin. And, if their prediction fail not more in the conclusion, than it hath done in the progress hitherto, I am confident that this may prove a very fatal year to that society. But I fear I hold you too long from the book itself; humbly, therefore, commending you all to Almighty God, in my. due and daily prayers, I leave this discovery to your consideration, and rest

Yours, in all the duty of a minister of Christ's gospel,

W. F. X. B.

WHAT

WHAT Marcus Cato sometimes spoke, concerning the Roman soothsayers, that he wondered, how they could forbear to smile upon each other, so often as they met, may not unfitly be applied to the Jesuits. It is a wonder that one Jesuit, when he looketh upon another, doth not straightway burst forth into a laughing outright, they being, amongst themselves, privy to such impostures practised

upon the people. I speak not touching your simpler sorts of Jesuits from whom these more reserved and closer practices of the society are altogether concealed, either in respect they are not held wise enough, forsooth, to be acquainted with them, or that they are thought too devout to entertain them, or else in regard of their short continuance in that society; for all such are so kept short, through severity of discipline, that not one of them, except he be wonderous quick of scent, can ever smell out, in the least measure, what knavery is therein practised, under a shew of holiness. My discourse only toucheth the prime and principal fellows of that society, their regents, fathers, provincials, and generals; all which are so universally and jointly tainted with all manner of wickedness, but especially with whoredom, covetousness, and magick, that, indeed, any reasonable man may think it little less than a miracle, if a Jesuit, of this rank, meeting such another upon a sudden, and beholding, as it were, another picture, or lively representation of himself, should have power to abstain from laughing outright.

I therefore thought it not amiss, considering the premisses, to lay open unto the world some particular passages, and practices of that society, of the greatest part whereof myself have been an eye-witness, and some part whereof hath been related unto me by Jesuits, whom I am able to name, and will undoubtedly nominate, if they shall but dare, in the least manner, to lift up their tongues against me, or to contradict what I have written. And, howsoever, at this time, I pass over things briefly, and do only, as it were, give you a first draught thereof, I do purpose, in due time, God assisting me, to do it more largely and compleatly, with expression of all and singular circumstances thereunto appertaining.

First of all, then, at your entrance into any college of Jesuits, especially if it be situated in or near unto any large, and populous, and rich place. But, alas! why do I say, if it be built there (seeing they have no colleges in any poor, mean, or obscure place.) At your first entry, I say, into such a place or college, take principal notice of the porter of their gate, and him you shall find to look like unto the picture of a very Charon, or, rather, a Cerberus; for the most part, you shall observe him to be a man of very great years, or, if he be younger, he is a fellow of most approved trust and secrecy. And this is the man, if any such there be, who is well skilled in all the mysteries of the Jesuits Cabal, or reserved divinity.

In this fellow's keeping is great store of apparel, both of men and women, of every degree and calling; and, with this apparel, do the Jesuits habit themselves, according to the quality that every one findeth himself ablest to personate, and so practise wonderful impostures in the world. For, at some times, being habited like soldiers, very gallant, they walk in the streets and high-ways, whoring and swaggering in the publick stews. At other times, in the civil habits of citizens, professing themselves to be of the reformed religion, they pry up and down, and listen in inns, in play-houses, in taverns, upon the exchange, and in all places of publick meetings, wheresoever there is any frequent

resort, what the people speak up and down concerning them, what consultations are abroad, what matter of action is set on foot in any part. Another while, like doctors of physick, or of the civil law, with great rings on their fingers, avowing, and purposely professing themselves to be papists: wheresoever they know any of the common sort, that are wealthy, and have sons, they devise some cause of business with them, and insinuate themselves into their acquaintance by strange fetches, and, in conclusion, do advise them to bring up their sons in some school or college of Jesuits, affirming, that themselves have been educated by them, and that they have so profited under them, that, God be thanked, they never had cause to repent thereof. And sometimes, again, apparelled like noblemen, and compleatly attended, they cause coaches to be provided abroad, and frequent the courts of princes, as giving attendance upon ambassadors of foreign states, and serve, as intelligencers, to unlock the cabinets of great potentates.

Nay further, I have known them to make shew of being banished persons, and to crave collections amongst protestant divines, purposely to learn, under-hand, what such men write against them; yea, such were those men, for the most part, who so miserably deluded so many reverend men, in many places, by sinister ways, under that habit, furthering the designs of their society, and breeding disturbances in the reformed congregations; of whom, to the end that all honesthearted ministers may be more wary, I shall tell you, hereafter, what projects, at this day, the Jesuits have on foot to this purpose.

[ocr errors]

But in the mean while perhaps you will say unto me, whereto, I pray you, serveth so much women's apparel, or what is their end in depositing so much in the keeping of the porter of their gate? Attend, and I will tell you: no pander, that ever Terence or Plautus mentioned in their comedies, was so nimble at the trade of winning pretty wenches, as are the Jesuits at this day, but especially that porter of their gate, whom I mentioned but now.

For, that which the confessors themselves are not able to wring out of them by auricular confession in their churches and chapels, this fellow knoweth how to win from them by flattering speeches, with wonderful pleasing and delightful toys; especially if he meet with a poor widow, or any such silly woman, which sendeth her child to the college now and then for an alms; or with some laundress, or spinster; for, be she Lotrix, or Netrixt, he will make her a Meretrix. Whom, so soon as this base pander hath once but allured to come to his net, although her apparel be never so old and tattered, yet he hath gay gowns enough in store, with accoutrements suitable, wherewith he can make her both trick and trim, which when he hath done, he knoweth how to convey her through many secret passages and by-ways to his venerable masters, the fathers of the society: and yet he never doth this in the day-time, but near upon the shutting in of the evening, and then they make away the whole night in riot and luxury, with revelling and dancing, the younger sort and novices of the society being kept far enough from discovery thereof.

For they have for that purpose certain vaults framed like chambers and rooms, under-ground, as had the ancient Romans, who first

devised their stews in vaults, whose inclination to all carnal laciviousness was so great, and so brutish, that the senate of Rome, fearing the just anger of their Gods for the same, utterly suppressed those Lupanaria or public stews.

[ocr errors]

And thus much for the Jesuits porter of their gate: only I must not forget to tell you this one thing, that if any party, who by chance shall come to the sight of such and so great a wardrobe, do demand, with admiration, what is the end or use of it? answer is made unto them, that it is the wardrobe reserved purposely for acting of plays: But that is the least part of their intention, to my knowledge.

Moreover, when thou enterest into any of their churches, make account that thou walkest under an heaven of iron: Bloody Mars is over thine head, not that Prince of Peace; below thee is the very pit of hell, and a shop of tormenters.

I now do relate in good earnest what mine own eyes have seen: At Prague in Bohemia, upon the roofs of their churches, are thousands of iron bullets, whips, and fire-balls, such as the Bohemians use: Upon the sides are placed pieces of ordnance, with a great number of mus quets and harquebusses, with pikes and halberts: In the midst, where the arches meet, are great heaps of huge bullets of stone; and the like preparation have they also made at Cracovia. Nor do I make question, but that, upon due search, their colleges in other places would appear as well provided,

But some men may perhaps make question, to what end religious men should make such preparation, or what need there can be so to do? I confess the matter, at first sight, astonished me, and my best understanding was exceeding strange: But thus standeth the case.

The Jesuits know well enough, that the courses which they have taken formerly, and now every day do take, are so indirect and turbulent, as maketh them odious to all such as they live amongst; yea, to very papists themselves, at least to the wiser sort of them, in respect of many things which they have done both tumultuously and wickedly, wheresoever they have got footing in the least manner: For they have no regard of any, they spare not to root up the very Catholicks themselves, so that they may pleasure the pope's holiness therein, though it were with the betraying of their countries, and setting the whole Christian world in a combustion. And therefore, because they are in daily fear to be massacred by those among whom they live, they make this provident and timely prevention by warlike preparation.

For, indeed, they are afraid, as I myself have heard them confess, lest it might befall unto them as unto the knights templars, who, notwithstanding they were forward enough to serve the pope at all times, and as good Catholicks as could be wished in the matter of religion; yet, for their too much ambition and covetousness, whereby they became insupportable, they were, by consent of all Christian princes, and not without approbation from the pope himself, put to the sword all at an instant, and utterly rooted out almost in a moment; as sometimes were the Pythagoreans, those very Jesuits in effect, among the heathen, served throughout Italy, and the provinces adjoining.

Now the reason, wherefore they do make choice to lay up their arms

« PreviousContinue »