imes over, and God himself, his angels, and all his creatures, if it
were possible, though they endure a thousand hells for it." Such is their
malice towards us. Now for Papists, what in a common cause, for the
advancement of their religion they will endure, our traitors and
pseudo-Catholics will declare unto us; and how bitter on the other side to
their adversaries, how violently bent, let those Marian times record, as
those miserable slaughters at Merindol and Cabriers, the Spanish
inquisition, the Duke of Alva's tyranny in the Low Countries, the French
massacres and civil wars. [6487]_Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum_.
"Such wickedness did religion persuade." Not there only, but all over
Europe, we read of bloody battles, racks and wheels, seditions, factions,
oppositions.

[6488] ------"obvia signis
Signa, pares aquilas, et pila minantia pilis,"

Invectives and contentions. They had rather shake hands with a Jew, Turk,
or, as the Spaniards do, suffer Moors to live amongst them, and Jews, than
Protestants; "my name" (saith [6489]Luther) "is more odious to them than
any thief or murderer." So it is with all heretics and schismatics
whatsoever: and none so passionate, violent in their tenets, opinions,
obstinate, wilful, refractory, peevish, factious, singular and stiff in
defence of them; they do not only persecute and hate, but pity all other
religions, account them damned, blind, as if they alone were the true
church, they are the true heirs, have the fee-simple of heaven by a
peculiar donation, 'tis entailed on them and their posterities, their
doctrine sound, _per funem aureum de coelo delapsa doctrinci_, "let down
from, heaven by a golden rope," they alone are to be saved, The Jews at
this day are so incomprehensibly proud and churlish, saith [6490]Luther,
that _soli salvari, soli domini terrarum salutari volunt._ And as
[6491]Buxtorfius adds, "so ignorant and self-willed withal, that amongst
their most understanding Rabbins you shall find nought but gross dotage,
horrible hardness of heart, and stupendous obstinacy, in all their actions,
opinions, conversations: and yet so zealous with all, that no man living
can be more, and vindicate themselves for the elect people of GOD." 'Tis so
with all other superstitious sects, Mahometans, Gentiles in China, and
Tartary: our ignorant Papists, Anabaptists, Separatists, and peculiar
churches of Amsterdam, they alone, and none but they can be saved.
[6492]"Ze