So irrefragable, in the mean time, that what they have once said, they must and will maintain, in whole Tomes, duplications, triplications, never yield to death, so self-conceited, say what you can. As Bernard (erroniously some say) speaks of P. Aliardus, omnes patres sic, atque ego sic. Though all the Fathers, Councels, the whole World contradict it, they care not, they are all one:

and as Gregory well notes of such as are vertiginous, they think all turns round and moves, all err; when as the error is wholly in their own brains.

Magallianus the Jesuite in his Comment on the first of Timothy cap. 16. vers. 20. and Alphonsus de Castro lib. 1. adversus hæreses, gives two more eminent notes, or probable conjectures to know such men by, (they might have taken themselves by the noses when they said it) First, they affect novelties and toyes, and prefer falsehood before truth; Secondly, they care not what they say, that which rashness and folly hath brought out, pride afterward, peevishness and contumacy shall maintain to the last gasp.

Peculiar symptomes are prodigious paradoxes, new doctrines, vain phantasies, which are many and divers as they themselves. Nicholaites of old would have wives in common; Montanists will not marry at all, nor Tatians, forbidding all flesh, Severians wine; Adamians go naked, because Adam did so in Paradise;

and some barefoot all their lives, because God, Exod. 3. and Josua 5. bid Moses so to do; and Isay 20. was bid put of his shooes: Manichees hold that Pythagorian transmigration of souls from men to beasts;

the Circumcellions in Africk, with a mad cruelty made away themselves, some by fire, water, breaking their necks, and seduced others to do the like, threatning some if they did not, with a thousand such; as you may read in Austin, (for there were fourscore and eleven heresies in his times, besides schismes and smaller factions) Epiphanius, Alphonsus de Castro, Danæus, Gab. Prateolus, &c.

Of Prophets, Enthusians and Impostors, our Ecclesiastical stories afford many examples; of Elias and Christs, as our Eudo de stellis, a Brittain in King Stephens time, that went invisible, translated himself from one to another in a moment, fed thousands with good chear in the wilderness, and many such; nothing so common as miracles, visions, revelations, prophesies.

Now what these brain-sick Hereticks once broach, and Impostors set on foot, be it never so absurd, false, and prodigious, the common people will follow and believe. It will run along like Murrain in cattel, scab in sheep. Nulla scabies, as he said, superstitione scabiosior: as he that is bitten with a mad dogg, bites others, and all in the end become mad. For either out of affection of novelty, simplicity, blinde zeal, hope and fear, the giddy-headed multitude will embrace it, and without farther examination approve it.

Sed vetera querimur, these are old, hæc prius fuere. In our dayes we have a new scene of superstitious impostors and hereticks, a new company of Actors, of Antichrists, that great Antichrist himself: A rope of Popes, that by their greatness and authority bear down all before them:

who from that time they proclaimed themselves universal Bishops, to establish their own kingdom, soveraignty, greatness, and to enrich themselves, brought in such a company of humane traditions, Purgatory, Limbus Patrum, Infantum, and all that subterranean Geography, Mass, adoration of Saints, almes, fastings, buls, indulgences, orders, Friers, Images, Shrines, musty Reliques, Excommunications, confessions, satisfactions, blinde obediences, vowes, pilgrimages, peregrinations,

with many such curious toyes, intricate subtleties, gross errors, obscure questions, to vindicate the better and set a gloss upon them, that the light of the Gospel was quite eclipsed, darkness over all, the Scriptures concealed, legends brought in, religion banished, hypocritical superstition exalted, and the Church it self obscured and persecuted:

Christ and his members crucified more, saith Benzo, by a few Necromantical, Atheisticall Popes, than ever it was by Julian the Apostate, Porphyrius the Platonist, Celsus the Physician, Libanius the Sophister; by those heathen Emperors, Hunnes, Gothes, and Vandals.

What each of them did, by what means, at what times, quibus auxiliis, superstition climbed to this height, traditions increased, and Antichrist himself came to his estate, let Magdeburgenses, Kemnitius, Osiander, Bale, Mornay, Fox, Usher, and many others relate.

In the mean time he that shall but see their prophane rites and foolish customes, how superstitiously kept, how strictly observed, their multitude of Saints, Images, that rabble of Romish Deities, for trades, professions, diseases, persons, offices, countries, places; St. George for England; St. Denis for France; Patrick, Ireland; Andrew, Scotland; Iago, Spain; &c.

Gregory for Students; Luke for Painters; Cosmus and Damian for Philosophers; Crispine, Shooemakers; Katherine, Spinners; &c. Anthony for Piggs; Gallus, Geese; Wenceslaus, Sheep; Pelagius, Oxen; Sebastian the plague; Valentine falling sickness; Apollonia tooth-ach; Petronella for agues; and the Virgin Mary for sea and land, for all parties, offices:

he that shall observe these things, their Shrines, Images, Oblations, Pendants, Adorations, Pilgrimages they make to them, what creeping to Crosses, our Lady of Lauretta’s rich gownes, her donaries, the cost bestowed on Images, and number of suters; S. Nicholas Burge in France; our S. Thomas Shrine of old at Canterbury; those Reliques at Rome, Jerusalem, Genua, Lions, Pratum, S. Denis;

and how many thousands come yearly to offer to them, with what cost, trouble, anxiety, superstition, (for forty several Masses are daily said in some of their Churches, and they rise at all houres of the night to Mass, come bare-foot, &c.) how they spend themselves, times, goods, lives, fortunes, in such ridiculous observations; their tales and figments, false miracles, buying and selling of pardons, indulgences for 40000. years to come,

their processions on set dayes, their strict fastings, Monks, Anchorites, Frier Mendicants, Franciscans, Carthusians, &c. Their Vigils and fasts, their ceremonies at Christmas, Shrovetide, Candlemas, Palme-sunday, Blase, S. Martin, S. Nicholas day; their adorations, exorcismes, &c. will think all those Grecian, Pagan, Mahometan superstitions, gods, idols, and ceremonies, the name, time and place, habit onely altered, to have degenerated into Christians.

Whilst they prefer traditions before Scriptures, those Evangelical Councels, poverty, obedience, vowes, almes, fasting, supererogations, before Gods Commandments; their own ordinances in stead of his precepts, and keep them in ignorance, blindness,

they have brought the common people into such a case by their cunning conveiances, strict discipline and servile education, that upon pain of damnation they dare not break the least ceremony, tradition, edict: hold it a greater sin to eat a bit of meat in Lent, than kill a man: their consciences are so terrified, that they are ready to despair if a small ceremony be omitted;

and will accuse their own father, mother, brother, sister, nearest and dearest friends of heresie, if they do not as they do, will be their chief executioners, and help first to bring a fagot to burn them.

What mulct, what penance soever is enjoyned, they dare not but do it, tumble with S. Francis in the mire amongst hogs, if they be appointed, go woolward, whip themselves, build Hospitals, Abbies, &c. go to the East or West Indies, kill a King, or run upon a swords point: they performe all, without any muttering or hesitation, believe all.

Ut pueri infantes credunt signa omnia ahena Vivere, & esse homines; & sic isti omnia ficta Vera putant, credunt signis cor inesse ahenis.

As children think their babies live to be, Do they these brazen Images they see.

And whilst the ruder sort are so carried headlong with blind zeal, are so gulled and tortured by their superstitions, their own too credulous simplicity and ignorance, their Epicurean Popes, and Hypocritical Cardinals laugh in their sleeves, and are merry in their chambers with their Punkes, they do indulgere genio, and make much of themselves.