formed. This Opinion is not only as you write, favoured of many great Scholars in England, but is the common Opinion of all the best Divines of the Reformed Churches that are or have been in the World, as I fhewed in part of another Work, which as I remember you had a fight of. Wherein yet I fear you mistake the term, accidental, which doth not import that our differences are but flight and of fmall confideration, but that all thofe Opinions and Abufes which we reform and cut off, are not of the Faith, but fuperfluous and foreign, yea hurtful and noisome to it, as the Weeds are to the Corn, which overgrow and choak it. And to follow this fimilitude, the state of the Church under the Roman obedience, and that part which is reformed, is like a Field overgrown all with Weeds, Thif tlés, Tares, Cockle: Some part whereof is weeded and cleanfed, fome part remains as it was before; which makes fuch a difference to the view, as if it were not the fame corn. But being better confidered, it will be found all the difference is, from the Weeds, which remain there, and here are taken away. Yet neither here perfectly, nor all where alike, but according to the industry of our Weeders, or conveniency of the Work, with care of the fafety of the good corn. By this Parable you may fee what is to be hoped of your labour to reconcile most of our particular Controverfies. For although I doubt not but in fome it may be performed, where the difference is rather verbal than real; and in the manner of teach

ing,

ing, rather than in the fubftance of Doctrine. And if moderate Men had the matter in handling, the flame of contention in a great many more might be trodden down and flacked, fuppofe the fparks not all extinct; yet in fome other, it is as poffible to make the Weed and Corn Friends, as your and our Opinions; where there is none other remedy but that of our Saviour, Every plant that my heavenly ·Father hath not planted, fhall be rooted out. Neither doth this impoffibility arife more out of the nature of the things, than the affection of the perfons. For the Pope and the Court of Rome, which are thofe that domineer on that fide, do no lefs out of the fear of their own ruine, deadly deteft all Reformation, than.. the Reformed, out of their prefent view and former feeling, the tyranny of the Papacy, which they fee doth excommunicate, and put to cruel Death all that are of this way.. And which is a prodigious thing, where they toterate the blafphemous and profeffed enemies of Chrift, even with allowance of the publick exercise of their Religion, there do they burn Men profeffing Chrift's Religion, according to the ancient and common Rule thereof, with that uprightness of Confcience, that if they had as many Lives as there be Articles there of, they would give them all rather than renounce any of them.

As for the Proteftants making the Pope An tichrist, I know it is a point, that inrageth much at Rome. But if the Apoftle St. Paul, if St. John in the Revelation, defcribe Anti

chrift

Chrift fo, as they that do but look upon the Pope well, must be forced to fay as the people did of the blind Man in the Gofpel, fome, this is `be, others, he is very like him, if himself and his flatterers do, and speak fuch things, as if all others fhould hold their peace, do in a fort proclaim, I am be; what can the Proteftants do with the matter? I will take the liberty here to relate to you, what I saw while I was in Venice, the rather because it is not impertinent to our prefent purpose. And though perhaps you may have heard fome what of it, yet the particulars are I fuppofe unknown in those parts. And yet it doth more import they were known there than otherwhere, being occafioned by a fubject of the Crown, though of a name and Family whereto it is not much beholding.

In the Year 1608, F. Thomas Maria Carafa, of the Order of the Friers Preachers, Reader of Philofophy in Naples, printed a thoufand Thefes to be difputed thrice; once at Rome, in the Church of S. Mary fuper Mi nervam, twice in S. Dominick's at Naples. Of thefe, five hundred were in Logick, Natural Philofophy, Metaphyfick, and Mathematicks; five hundred more in Divinity, amongst which that was one. Solus Petrus & fuccef fores in totam Ecclefiam illimitatam jurifdictionem habent. These were all included in the form of a Tower, and dedicated with an Ele to the prefent Pope Paulus the Fifth, to e Arms alluding, he faith, Idem Draco qui utrumque polum amplexus imperid lefia pomarium tanquam ad amani fi

mos

mos Hefperidum hortos pervigil excubat, nullius Herculis vim metuens, turris etiam mea fit cuftos. On the top of this Tower, was this Representation curiously and largely cut. An Altar with two Columns, and their Ornaments, according to the Rules of Architecture. In the midft for the Altar-piece was the Pope's Picture, very lively portrayed to the Breaft. Over his Head was the Word, Vultu portendebat imperium. Above on the top of the Front, in three compartiments his Arms thus. On the one fide the Spread-Eagle alone, the Word, Ipfe mihi fert tela pater. On the other a Dragon, and by it, MeLiora fervo. In the midft both together in one Scutcheon with the Crofs Keys and triple Crown in the Creft. On either fide of these Columns were depending Crowns and Scepters, whereof fix were on the right hand after the Chriftian fashion. The Imperial above, other underneath, and lowest the Corno of the Duke of Venice, fo they call a certain Cap the Prince ufeth to wear being of Gold Embroidery, and fomewhat refembling a Horn. There were alfo Turkish Turbans, and Diadems of divers fafhions, as many on the left fide. By thefe on either fide of the Columns, were two of the four parts of the World. Europe and Africk, on the one, Afia and America on the other, in the Habit of Ladies, fitting upon their proper Beafts couchant, each offering unto him that was above the Altar of their Commodities, Corn, Fruits, Incense, c. On the bafe of the Column on the Chrif

1

A

tian and European fide, was the Word, Et erunt Reges nutritii tui. On the other, Vultu in terram demiffo pulverem pedum tuorum lingent, •Efai 49. Agreeable whereto there was made flying over their Heads two Angels, on each fide one with these Sentences in their Hands. That over Europe and Africk: Gens & Regnum quod non fervierit illi, in Gladio & in Fame, & in Pefte vifitabo fuper gentem illam, ait Dominus, Hier. 27. That over Afta and A'merica: Et dedit ei Dominus poteftatem & regnum, & omnes populi ipfi fervient: poteftas ejus poteftas aterna que non auferetur, & Regnum ejus quod non corrumpetur. Dan. 7. Now juft underneath the Picture of the Pope, on the forefide of the Altar, was this Infcription, PAULO V. VICE-DEO, CHRISTIANÆ REIP. MONARCHE INVICTISSIMO ET PONTIFICIA OMNIPOTENCIA CONSERVATORI A

CERRIMO.

The Copies of these Thefes were fent as Novels from Rome, and did the more amufe Men at Venice, because of the Controverfy that State had with the Pope a little before, and their feeing their Duke's Corno hanged up among his Trophies, under all other Princes Crowns. But moft of all. The new Title, Vice-Deo, and the addition of Omnipotency, gave matter of wonder. The next day it was noised about the City, that this was the Picture of Antichrift; for that the Infcription PAVLO V. VICE-DE O, contained exactly in the numeral Letters the number of the Beast in the Revelation 666. What anger and fhame this was to the Popish Faction, I leave

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