he commonalty, and spurred on this free
superstitious horse, that he runs himself blind, and is an ass to carry
burdens. They have so amplified Peter's patrimony, that from a poor bishop,
he is become _Rex Regum, Dominus dominantium_, a demigod, as his canonists
make him (Felinus and the rest), above God himself. And for his wealth and
[6417] temporalities, is not inferior to many kings: [6418]his cardinals,
princes' companions; and in every kingdom almost, abbots, priors, monks,
friars, &c., and his clergy, have engrossed a [6419]third part, half, in
some places all, into their hands. Three princes, electors in Germany,
bishops; besides Magdeburg, Spire, Saltsburg, Breme, Bamberg, &c. In
France, as Bodine _lib. de repub._ gives us to understand, their revenues
are 12,300,000 livres; and of twelve parts of the revenues in France, the
church possesseth seven. The Jesuits, a new sect, begun in this age, have,
as [6420]Middendorpius and [6421]Pelargus reckon up, three or four hundred
colleges in Europe, and more revenues than many princes. In France, as
Arnoldus proves, in thirty years they have got _bis centum librarum millia
annua_, 200,000_l_. I say nothing of the rest of their orders. We have had
in England, as Armachanus demonstrates, above 30,000 friars at once, and as
[6422]Speed collects out of Leland and others, almost 600 religious houses,
and near 200,000_l._ in revenues of the old rent belonging to them, besides
images of gold, silver, plate, furniture, goods and ornaments, as
[6423]Weever calculates, and esteems them at the dissolution of abbeys,
worth a million of gold. How many towns in every kingdom hath superstition
enriched? What a deal of money by musty relics, images, idolatry, have
their mass-priests engrossed, and what sums have they scraped by their
other tricks! Loretto in Italy, Walsingham in England, in those days. _Ubi
omnia auro nitent_, "where everything shines with gold," saith Erasmus, St.
Thomas's shrine, &c., may witness. [6424]Delphos so renowned of old in
Greece for Apollo's oracle, _Delos commune conciliabulum et emporium sola
religions manitum_; Dodona, whose fame and wealth were sustained by
religion, were not so rich, so famous. If they can get but a relic of some
saint, the Virgin Mary's picture, idols or the like, that city is for ever
made, it needs no other maintenance. Now if any of these their impostures
or juggling tricks be controverted, or called in question: if a magnanimous
or