A New Survey of the West-Indies
Chap. I How Rome Doth Yearly Visit the American and Asian Kingdoms
The policy, which for many yeares hath upheld the erring Church of Rome, hath clearly and manifestly been discovered by the many Errors which in severall times by sundry Synods or Generall Councells, (which commonly are but Apes of the Popes fancy, will, pleasure, and ambition) have been enacted into that Church. And for such purposes doth that man of Sinne, and Antichristian tyrant, keep constantly in Rome so many poor Pensionary Bishops as hounds at his table, smelling out his ambitious thoughts, with whom he fills the Synods, when he calls them, charging them never to leave off barking and wearying out the rest of the Prelates, untill they have them all as a prey unto his proud and ambitious designes; from which if any of them dare to start, not onely their Pensions shall be surely forfeited, but their souls shall bee cursed, and they as Hereticks Anathematized with a Censure of Excommunication latæ sententiæ. Hence sprung that Master-piece of Policy, decreeing that the Pope alone should be above the Generall Councell, lest otherwise one Mans pride might be curbed by many heads joyned together; And secondly, that Synodicall definition, that the Pope cannot erre, that though the Councels power, wisdome and learning were all sifted into one mans brain, all points of faith straitned into one head and channell; yet the People should not stagger in any lawfull doubts, nor the learned sort follow any more the light of reason, or the sunshine of the Gospel, but all yeelding to blind Obedience, and their most holy Fathers infallibility, in the foggie and Cimmerian mist of ignorance, might secure their souls from erring, or deviating to the Scylla or Charybdis of Schism and Heresie. What judicious eye, that will not be blinded with the napkin of ignorance, doth not easily see that Policy only hath been the chief Actor of those damnable Opinions of Purgatory, Transubstantiation, Sacrifice though unbloody (as they term it) of the Mass, Invocation of Saints, their Canonization or installing of Saints into the kingdom of heaven, Indulgences, auricular Confession, with satisfactory Penance, and many such like: All which doubtles have been commanded as points of Faith, not so much to save those wretched souls, as to advance that crackt-brain head in the conceits of his Europæan wonderers, who long agoe were espyed out by the Spirit of John wondring after the Beast, worshipping him for his power, and saying, Who is like unto the Beast, who is able to make warre with him? Revel. 13. 3, 4. Thus can Policy invent a Purgatory, that a Pope may be sought from all parts of Europe, nay now from East and West India’s, to deliver souls from that imaginary Fire which never God created, but he himself hath fancyed, that so much glory may be ascribed to him, and his power wondered at, who can plunge into torments, condemn to burning, and when he list, deliver out of fire. Much more would he be admired, and his goodnesse extolled, if he would deliver at once all those his Purgatory Prisoners without that Simoniacall receipt of money. But policy can afford an infinite price and value of a sacrifice of the Masse, to delude the ignorant people, that though they leave their whole estates to enrich Cloysters, and fat proud Prelates and Abbots; yet this is nothing, and comes farre short (being finite) to that infinite Sacrifice, which onely can and must deliver their scorching, nay broyling souls: And if this infinite Sacrifice be not enough, (which will not be enough, whereas Christs infinit satisfaction was not enough in the opinion in that erroneous Church) Policy will give yet power to a Pope si divitiæ affluant, if money and rich bribes abound, to grant such plenary Indulgences, which may upon one Saints day, or at such a Saints Altar, work that soul out, which lyeth lurking and frying in the deepest pit of Purgatory. O who is like unto the Beast? But will those that wonder at him, bee also wondred at as workers of wonders and miracles? Policy will give power to a Pope to canonize such, and set them at Gods right hand, fit to be prayed unto, and called upon as Judges of our necessities, and Auditors of our wants: But this honor must be given, after that the whole Colledge of Cardinalls have been clothed with new Purple Robes, and Loads of money brought to the Court of Rome; Witness those many thousand pounds, which the City of Barcelona, and the whole Country of Catalonia spent in the Canonizing of Raimundus de Pennafort, a Dominican Fryer: Witnesse at least ten Millions, which I have been credibly informed, that the Jesuites spent for the canonization of their two Twins, Ignatius Loiola, and Franciscus Xavier, whom they call the East India Apostle. And it is not seven years ago yet that it was my chance to travail from Frankford in Germany as far as Millan in company of one Fryer John Baptist a Franciscan, who told me, That was the fourth time of his going to Rome from Valencia in the Kingdome of Arragon in Spain about the Canonization of one John Capistrano of the same Order; and that besides the great Almes which he had begged over many Countreys, (and in that journey went purposely to Inspurg to the Prince Leopoldo for his Almes and Letters of commendation to the Pope and Cardinals) he had spent of the City of Valencia onely five thousand Duckets, and yet was not his Saint enthroned, as he desired, in heaven; But still money was wanting, and more demanded for the dignifying with a Saints title him, who had lived a Mendicant and begging Frier. Thus are those blinded Nations brought by Policy to run to Rome with rich treasures, and thus doe they strive who shall have most Saints of their Countrey or Nation, though impoverishing themselves; whilst at Rome ambition and Policy say not, It is enough, fit mates for the Horsleech his two daughters, crying, Give, give, Prov. 30. 15. Give, say they, and the rigid Penance justly to be imposed upon thee for thy sinnes most hainous, shall be extenuated and made easie for thee. Give, say they, and thou shalt be dispensed with to marry thy nearest Kinswoman or Kinsman. It would be a long story to insert here how the Popes Policy sucks out of England our gold and silver for the authorizing of our Papists private Chambers and Altars for the gaining of Indulgences in them, and delivering of souls out of Purgatory, when Masses are said and heard at them. Thus hath Romes policy blinded and deceived many of the European Kingdomes; and with the same greedinesse gapes at Asia and America. Who would not admire to see that at this day in America onely, the Popes authority and usurped power is extended to as many Countreys as all Europe containes, wherein no Religion but meer blinde Obedience and subjection to that Man of Sin is known? And daily may it more and more encrease, whereas the King of Spain gloryeth to have received from the Pope power over those Kingdomes farr greater than any other Princes of Europe have enjoyed from him. But the pity is, that what power these Princes have, they must acknowledge it from Rome, having given their own power and strength unto the Beast, Revel. 17. 13. suffering themselves to be divested of any Ecclesiasticall power over the Clergy, and unabled to tender any Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance to their own and naturall subjects, onely so farre as his Holinesse shall give them power. Which, Policy since the first Conquest of the West India’s, and ambition to advance the Popes name, hath granted to the Kings of Spain, by a speciall title, naming those Kingdomes, El Patrimonio Real, The Royall Patrimony; upon this Condition, that the King of Spain must maintain there the preaching of the Gospel, Fryers, Priests and Jesuites to preach it with all the erroneous Popish doctrines, which tend to the advancement of the Popes glory, power, and authority. So that what power hee hath divested himself of, and invested the Pope with; what power other Princes are divested of, and the King of Spain in his Kingdomes of Europe, from medling in Ecclesiasticall affaires, or with Ecclesiasticall men; Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Preists, Jesuites, Monkes and Fryers; that same power by way of Royall Patrimony is conferred upon him in the India’s only. And this only politickly to maintain there Popery; else never would it have so much increased there; for poor Preists and mendicant Fryers would never have had means enough to be at the charges of sending yeerly Flockes and Sholes of Fryers thither, neither to keep and maintain them there; neither would the covetousnesse of the Popes themselves have afforded out of their full and rich treasures, means sufficient for the maintaning of so many thousand Preachers as at this day are preaching there, more Rome and Antichrists name, then the name of Christ and the truth of the Gospel. And policy having thus opened way to those American parts, the charges thus being laid upon the Crown of Spain, and the honour of a Royall Patrimony, with power over the Clergy thus conferred upon the Kings of Spain, how doth the Pope yeerly charge the Catholike King with troopes of Jesuites and Fryers to be conveyed thither? Now the Jesuites (the best scholars of Romes policy) seeing this to bee thus setled between the Pope and the King of Spain, for the increasing of their Order, and to suppresse the increase of other Religions there, have thought first of a way of challenging all the India’s to themselves, alleadging that Francis Xavierius companion of Ignatius Loiola was the first Preacher that ever preached in the East India’s, and so by right that they being of his profession ought only to be sent thither. But this their way being stopped by the opposition of all other Religious orders, especially by the solicitation of one Fryer Diego Colliado, a Dominican, as hereafter I will shew more largely: Now, secondly, their policy is to leane more to the Popes of Rome, then any other of those Orders, by a speciall Vow which they make above the three Vowes of other orders, Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience to their superiors; to wit, to be alwaies ready to go to preach when or whither soever the Pope shall send them, and to advance his name, defend his power in what parts soever, maugre whatsoever danger, or opposition. Thus though the remotenesse of America may discourage other Orders from going thither to preach, and their freewill which is left unto them to make choice of so long and tedious a journey may retard their readinesse, and the dangers of the Barbarians unwillingnesse to submit to a Popes power, and admit of a new Religion as superstitious as their own, may affright them from hazarding their lives among a barbarous, rude, and idolatrous people; yet if all others faile, the Pope, and the Jesuites being thus agreed, and the King of Spain bound by the new Royall Patrimony, Preachers have nor, nor shall ever be wanting in those parts: And in stead of the old Jesuites and Preachers grown in age, yeerly are sent thither Missions (as they call them) either of Voluntiers, Fryers mendicants, Preists or Monkes, or else of forced Jesuites: All which entring once into the List and Bond of Missionaries, must abide there, and be maintained by the King of Spain ten yeers. And whosoever before the ten yeers expired, shall desire to see Spain again, or runagate-like shall return, may be constrained (if taken in Spain) to return again to the India’s, as it happened whilst I lived in those parts, to one Fryer Peter de Balcazar a Dominican, who privily flying back to Spain, was the year after shipped, and restored again to his forced service under the Pope of Rome. And thus doth policy open the wayes to those remote and forain parts of America. Thus hath policy wrought upon the Kings of Spain; and Jesuiticall policy meeting with Antichrists policy and Ambition, doth Rome yeerly visit her new nursed Children, greeting that Infantile Church of Asia and America with troopes of messengers one after another, like Jobs messengers, bringing under pretence of salvation, damnation and misery to their poor and wretched souls.