will and pleasure of his Holinesse The Prelats enformed hereof made answer that in this case they would neuer yeeld obedience to the Excommunication of the said Bishops because it was contrarie to the authority and aduise of the auncient Canons After these times Pope Nicholas 1. depriued King Lotharius of communion for in those times not a word of deposing to make him repudiate or quit Valdrada and to resume or take again Thetberga his former wife The articles framed by the French vpon this point are to be found in the writings of Hincmarus Archbishop of Reims and are of this purport that in the iudgement of men both learned and wise it is an ouerruled case that as the King whatsoeuer he shall doe ought not by his own Bishops to be excommunicated euen so no forraine Bishop hath power to sit for his Iudge because the King is to be subiect onely vnto God and his Imperiall authoritie who alone had the al-sufficient power to settle him in his Kingdome Moreouer the Clergie addressed letters of answer vnto the same Pope full of stinging and bitter tearms with speaches of great scorne and contempt as they are set downe by Auentine in his Annals of Bauaria not forbearing to call him theife wolfe and tyrant When Pope Hadrian tooke vpon him like a Lord to commaund Charles the Bald vpon paine of interdiction that hee should suffer the Kingdome of Lotharius to be fully and entirely conueied and conferred vpon Lewis his sonne the same Hinemarus a man of great authoritie and estimation in that age sent his letters containing sundrie remonstrances touching that subiect Among other matters thus he writeth The Ecclesiastics and Seculars of the Kingdom assembled at Reims haue affirmed and now do affirme by way of reproach vpbrading exprobation that neuer was the like mandate sent before from the See of Rome to any of our predecessors And a little after The cheife Bishops of the Apostolike See or any other Bishops of the greatest authoritie and holinesse neuer withdrew themselues from the presence from the reuerend salutation or from the conference of Emperours and Kings whether hereticks or schismiticks and Tyrants As Constantius the Arrian Julianus the Apostata and Maxmius the tyrant And yet a little after Wherefore if the Apostolicke Lord be minded to seeke peace let him seeke it so that hee stirre no brawles and breed no quarrels For we are no such babes to beleeue that wee can or euer shall attaine to Gods Kingdome vnlesse we receiue him for our King in earth whom God himselfe recommendeth to vs from heauen It is added by Hincmarus in the same place that by the said Bishops and Lords Temporall such threatning words were blowne forth as he is afraid once to speake and vtter As for the King himselfe what reckoning he made of the Popes mandates it appeareth by the Kings owne letters addressed to Pope Hadrianus as we may reade euery where in the Epistles of Hincmarus For there after King Charles hath taxed and challenged the Pope of pride and hit him in the teeth with a spirit of vsurpation he breaketh out into these words What hell hath cast vp this lawe so crosse and preposterous what infernall gulph hath disgorged this law out of the darkest and obscurest dennes a law quite contrarie and altogether repugnant vnto the beaten way shewed vs in the holy Scriptures c. Yea he flatly and peremptorily forbids the Pope except he meane or desire to be recompenced with dishonour and contempt to send any more the like mandates either to himselfe or to his Bishops Vnder the raigne of Hugo Capetus and Robert his sonne a Council now extant in all mens hands was held and celebrated at Reims by the Kings authority There Arnulphus Bishop of Orleans then Prolocutor and Speaker of the Council calls the Pope Antichrist and lets not also to paint him forth like a monster as well for the deformed and vgly vices of that vnholy See which then were in their exaltation as also because the Pope then won with presents and namely with certaine goodly horses then presented to his Holinesse tooke part against the King with Arnulphus Bishop of Reims then dispossed of his Pastorall charge When Philip 1. had repudiated his wife Bertha daughter to the Earle of Holland and in her place had also taken to wife Bertrade the wife of Fulco Earle of Aniou yet being aliue he was excommunicated and his Kingdom interdicted by Vrbanus then Pope though he was then bearded with an Antipope as the L. Cardinal here giueth vs to vnderstand But his Lordship hath skipt ouer two principall points recorded in the historie The first is that Philip was not deposed by the Pope whereupon it is to be inferred that in this passage there is nothing materiall to make for the Popes power against a Kings Throne and Scepter The other point is that by the censures of the Pope the course of obedience due to the King before was not interrupted nor the King disauowed refused or disclaimed but on the contrary that Iuo of Chartres taking Pope Vrbanus part was punished for his presumption dispoyled of his estate and kept in prison whereof hee makes complaint himselfe in his 19. and 20. Epistles The L. Cardinal besides in my vnderstanding for his Masters honour should haue made no words of interdicting the whole Kingdome For when the Pope to giue a King chastisement doth interdict his Kingdome he makes the people to beare the punishment of the Kings offence For during the time of interdiction the Church doores through the whole Kingdome are kept continually shut and lockt vp publike seruice is intermitted in all places bels euery where silent Sacraments not administred to the people bodies of the dead so prostituted and abandoned that none dares burie the said bodies in holy ground More it is beleeued that a man dying vnder the curse of the interdict without some speciall indulgence or priuiledge is for euer damned and adiudged to eternall punishments as one that dyeth out of the communion of the Church Put case then the interdict holdeth and continueth for many yeares together alas how many millions of poore soules are damned and goe to hell for an others offence For what can or what may the faltlesse and innocent people doe withall if the King will repudiate his wife and she yet liuing ioyne himselfe in matrimonie to an other The Lord Cardinall after Philip the 1. produceth Philippus Augustus who hauing renounced his wife Ingeberga daughter to the King of Denmarke and marrying with Agnes daughter to the Duke of Morauia was by Pope Innocent the third interdicted himselfe and his whole Kingdome But his Lordshippe was not pleased to insert withall what is auerred in the Chronicle of Saint Denis that Pope Celestinus 3. sent forth two Legats at once vpon this errand Who being come into to the assemblie and generall Council of all the French Prelats became like dumbe dogs that can not
it maketh mention of disobedience to the Pope For I suppose he will not deny that whosoeuer shall stand out in heresie contrary to the Popes monitorie proceedings hee shall shewe but poore and simple obedience to the Pope Moreouer the case is cleare by the former examples that no Pope will suffer his power to cast downe Kings to bee restrained vnto the cause of heresie and infidelitie In the heate of the last warres raised by that holy-prophane League admonitory Buls were sent by Pope Gregory 14. from Rome Anno 1591. By these Bulls King Henry 4. as an heretike and relaps was declared incapable of the Crowne of France and his Kingdome was exposed to hauock and spoile The Court of Parliament beeing assembled at Tours the 5. of August decreed the said admonitorie Bulls to bee cancelled torne in peices and cast into a great fire by the hand of the publike executioner The Arrest it selfe or Decree is of this tenor The Court duely pondering and approouing the concluding and vnanswearable reasons of the Kings Atturney General hath declared and by these present doth declare the admonitorie Bulls giuen at Rome the 1. of March 1591. to be of no validitie abusiue seditious damnable full of impietie and impostures contrarie to the holie decrees rights franchises and liberties of the French Church doth ordaine the Copies of the said Bulls sealed with the seale of Marsilius Landrianus and signed Septilius Lamprius to be rent in peices by the publike executioner and by him to be burnt in a great fire to be made for such purpose before the great gates of the common Hall or Palace c. Then euen then the L. of Perron was firme for the better part and stood for his King against Gregorie the Pope notwithstanding the crime of heresie pretended against Henrie his Lord. All the former examples by vs alleadged are drawne out of the times after Schooles of Diuinitie were established in France For I thought good to bound my selfe within those dooles and limits of time which the L. Card. himselfe hath set Who goeth not sincerely to worke and in good earnest where he telleth vs there bee three instances as if we had no more obiected against Papall power to remooue Kings out of their chaires of State by name the example of Philip the Faire of Lewis XII and of Tanquerellus For in very truth all the former examples by vs produced are no lesse pregnant and euident howsoeuer the L. Cardinal hath beene pleased to conceale them all for feare of hurting his cause Nay France euen in the dayes of her sorest seruitude was neuer vnfurnished of great Diuines by whom this vsurped pow-of the Pope ouer the Temporalties and Crownes of Kings hath been vtterly misliked and condemned Robert Earle of Flanders was commanded by Pope Paschall 2. to persecute with fire and sword the Clergie of Leige who then adhered and stood to the cause of the Emperour Henry 4. whom the Pope had ignominiously deposed Robert by the Popes order and command was to handle the Clergie of Leige in like sort as before he had serued the Clergy of Cambray who by the said Earle had beene cruelly stript both of goods and life The Pope promised the said Earle and his army pardon of their sinnes for the said execution The Clergie of Leige addressed answer to the Pope at large They cried out vpon the Church of Rome and called her Babylon Told the Pope home that God hath commanded to giue vnto Cesar that which is Cesars that euery soule must be subiect vnto the superiour powers that no man is exempted out of this precept and that euery oath of allegiance is to be kept inuiolable yea that hereof they themselues are not ignorant in as much as they by a new schism and newe traditions making a separation and rent of the priesthood from the Kingdome doe promise to absolue of periurie such as haue perfidiously forsworne themselues against their King And whereas by way of despight and in opprobrious manner they were excommunicated by the Pope they gaue his Holines to vnderstand that Dauids heart had vttered a good matter but Paschals heart had spewed vp sordid and railing words like old baudes and spinsters or websters of linnen when they scold and brawle one with an other Finally they reiected his Papall excommunication as a sentence giuen without discretion This was the voice and free speech of that Clergie in the life time of their noble Emperour But after he was thrust out of the Empire by the rebellion of his owne sonne instigated and stirred vp thereunto by the Popes perswasion and practise and was brought vnto a miserable death it is no matter of wonder that for the safegard of their life the said Clergie were driuen to sue vnto the Pope for their pardon Hildebert Bishop of Caenomanum vpon the riuer of Sartre liuing vnder the raigne of King Philip the first affirmeth in his Epistles 40. and 75. that Kings are to be admonished and instructed rather then punished to be dealt with by counsell rather then by commaund by doctrine and instruction rather then by correction For no such sword belongeth to the Church because the sword of the Church is Ecclesiasticall discipline and nothing else Bernard writeth to Pope Eugenius after this manner Whosoeuer they be that are of this mind and opinion shal neuer be able to make proofe that any one of the Apostles did euer sit in qualitie of Iudge or Diuider of lands I reade where they haue stood to be iudged but neuer where they sate downe to giue iudgement Againe Your authoritie stretcheth vnto crimes not vnto possessions because you haue receiued the keies of the kingdome of heauen not in regard of possessions but of crimes to keepe all that pleade by couin or collusion and not lawfull possessors out of the heauenly kingdome A little after These base things of the earth are iudged by the Kings and Princes of this world wherefore doe you thrust your sickle into an others haruest wherefore doe you incraach and intrude vpon an others limits Elsewhere The Apostles are directly forbid to make themselues Lords and rulers Goe thou then and beeing a Lord vsurpe Apostleship or beeing an Apostle vsurpe Lordship If thou needes wilt haue both doubtlesse thou shalt haue neither Iohannes Maior Doctor of Paris The Soueraigne Bishop hath no temporall authoritie ouer Kings The reason Because it followes the contrarie being once granted that Kings are the Popes vassals Now let other men iudge whether hee that hath power to dipossesse Kings of all their Temporalties hath not likewise authoritie ouer their Temporalties The same Author The Pope hath no manner of title ouer the French or Spanish Kings in temporall matters Where it is further added That Pope Innocent 3. hath beene pleased to testifie that Kings of France in Temporall causes doe acknowledge no superiour For so the Pope excused himselfe to a certaine Lord of Montpellier
sit faster on their heads then to be stirred by any Papal power whatsoeuer and yet saith withall the Pope winketh at the French by his toleration to hold this dogmatical point for problematicall And by this meanes the Martyrdome that he affecteth in this cause will prooue but a problematicall Martyrdome whereof question might growe very well whether it were to be mustered with grieuous crimes or with phreneticall passions of the braine or with deserued punishments Fiftly hee denounceth Anathema dischargeth maledictions like haile-shot against parricides of Kings and yet elsewhere he layes himselfe open to speake of Kings onely so long as they stand Kings But who doth not know that a King deposed is no longer King And so that limme of Satan which murthered Henrie III. then vn-king'd by the Pope did not stabbe a King to death Sixtly he doth not allowe a King to be made away by murder and yet hee thinkes it not much out of the way to take away all meanes whereby hee might be able to stand in defence of his life Seuenthly he abhorreth killing of Kings by apposted throat-cutting for feare least bodie and soule should perish in the same instant and yet he doth not mislike their killing in a pitcht field and to haue them slaughtered in a set battaile For he presupposeth no doubt out of his charitable mind that by this meanes the soule of a poore King so dispatched out of the way shall instantly flie vp to heauen Eightly hee saith a King deposed retaineth still a certaine internall habitude and politike impression by vertue and efficacie whereof hee may being once reformed and become a new man be restored to the lawfull vse and practise of Regality Whereby hee would beare vs in hand that when a forraine Prince hath inuaded and rauenously seised the Kingdome into his hands he will not onely take pitty of his predecessor to saue his life but will also prooue so kind-hearted vpon sight of his repentance to restore his kingdome without fraude or guile Ninthly he saith euery where in his Discourse that he dealeth not in the cause otherwise then as a problematicall discourser and without any resolution one way or other and yet with might and maine he contends for the opinion that leaues the States and Crownes of Kings controulable by the Pope refutes obiections propounds the authoritie of Popes and Councils by name the Lateran Councill vnder Innocent III. as also the consent of the Church And to crosse the Churches iudgment is in his opinion to bring in schisme and to leaue the world without a Church for many hundred yeares together which to my vnderstanding is to speake with resolution and without all hesitation Tenthly he acknowledgeth none other cause of sufficient validitie for the deposing of a King besides heresie apostasie and infidelitie neuertheles that Popes haue power to displace Kings for heresie and apostasie he prooueth by examples of Kings whom the Pope hath curbed with deposition not for heresie but for matrimoniall causes for ciuill pretences and for lacke of capacitie Eleuenthly he alledgeth euerie where passages as well of holy Scripture as of the Fathers and moderne histories but so impertinent and with so little truth as hereafter we shall cause to appeare that for a man of his deepe learning and knowledge it seemeth not possible so to speake out of his iudgement Lastly whereas all this hath beene hudled and heaped together into one masse to currie with the Pope yet he suffereth diuerse points to fall from his lips which may well distast his Holinesse in the highest degree As by name where he prefers the authoritie of the Councill before that of the Pope and makes his iudgement inferiour to the iudgement of the French as in fit place hereafter shall be shewed Againe where he representeth to his hearers the decrees of Popes and Councils alreadie passed concerning this noble subiect and yet affirmes that he doth not debate the question but as a Questionist and without resolution As if a Cardinall should be afraid to be positiue and to speake in peremptory straines after Popes and Councils haue once decided the Question Or as if a man should perorate vpon hazard in a cause for the honour whereof he would make no difficulty to suffer Martyrdome Adde hereunto that his Lordshippe hath alwaies taken the contrary part heretofore and this totall must needs arise that before the third Estate his lippes looked one way and his conscience another All these points by the discourse which is to followe and by the ripping vp of his Oration which by Gods assistance J will vndertake tending to the reproach of Kings and the subuersion of Kingdomes I confidently speake it shall be made manifest Yet doe I not conceiue it can any way make for my honour to enter the lists against a Cardinall For J am not ignorant how far a Cardinals Hat commeth vnder the Crowne Scepter of a King For wel I wot vnto what sublimity the Scripture hath exalted Kings when it styles them Gods Whereas the dignitie of a Cardinall is but a late vpstart inuention of man as I haue elswhere prooued But I haue imbarqued my selfe in this action mooued thereunto first by the common interest of Kings in the cause it selfe Then by the L. Cardinal who speaketh not in this Oration as a priuate person but as one representing the body of the Clergie and Nobilitie by whom the cause hath beene wonne and the garland borne away from the third Estate Againe by mine owne particular because he is pleased to take me vp for a sower of dissention and a persecutor vnder whom the Church is hardly able to fetch her breath yea for one by whome the Catholikes of my Kingdome are compelled to endure all sorts of punishment and withall he tearmes this Article of the third Estate a monster with a fishes tayle that came swimming out of England Last of all by the present state of France because Fraunce beeing nowe reduced to so miserable tearmes that it is nowe become a crime for a Frenchman to stand for his King it is a necessary duty of her neighbours to speake in her cause and to make triall whether they can put life into the truth now dying and readie to bee buried by the power of violence that it may resound and ring againe from remote regions I haue no purpose once to touch many prettie toyes which the ridges of his whole booke are sowed withall Such are his allegations of Pericles Agesilaus Aristotle Minos the Druides the French Ladies Hannibal Pindarus and Poeticall fables All resembling the red and blew flowers that pester the corne when it standeth in the fields where they are more noysome to the growing croppe then beautifull to the beholding eye Such pettie matters nothing at all beseemed the dignity of the Assembly and of the maine subiect or of the Orator himselfe For it was no Decorum to enter the Stage with a Pericles in his mouth but with
Kings and Prelates whatsoeuer to infringe or diminish the said priuiledges in whole or in part His formall and expresse words be these If any King Prelate Iudge or any other secular person informed of this our constitution shall presume to go or do contrary thereunto let him be cast downe from his power and dignitie I answer the Lord Cardinal here wrongs himselfe very much in taking imprecations for Decrees Might not euen the meanest of the people vse the same tenour of words and say If any shall touch the life or the most sacred Maiestie of our Kings be he Emperour or be hee Pope let him be accursed let him fall from his eminent place of authoritie let him lose his dignity let him tumble into beggarie diseases and all kinds of calamities I forbeare to shewe how easie a matter it is for Monkes to forge titles after their owne humour and to their owne liking for the vpholding and maintaining of their priuiledges As for the purpose the same Gregorie citeth in the end of his Epistles an other priuiledge of the like stuffe and stamp to the former granted to the Abbey of S. Medard at Soissons It is fenced with a like clause to the other But of how great vntruth and of how little weight it is the very date that it beareth makes manifest proofe For it runnes Dated the yeare of our Lords Incarnation 593. the 11. Indiction whereas the 10. Indiction agreeth to the yeare 593. Besides it was not Gregories manner to date his Epistles according to the yeare of the Lord. Againe the said priuiledge was signed by the Bishops of Alexandria and Carthage who neuer knew as may wel be thought whether any such Abbey of S. Medard or citie of Soissons was euer built in the world Moreouer they signed in the thickest of a crowde as it were of Italian Bishops Lastly he that shall read in this Gregories Epistles with what spirit of reuerence and humilitie hee speaketh of Emperours will hardly beleeue that euer he armed himselfe with authoritie to giue or to take away Kingdomes He styles himselfe the Emperours vnworthie seruant presuming to speake vnto his Lord when hee knowes himselfe to bee but dust and a very worme Hee professeth subiection vnto the Emperours commaunds euen to the publishing of a certaine Law of the Emperours which in his iudgement somewhat iarred and iustled with Gods Lawe as elsewhere I haue spoken more at large The L. Cardinall next bringeth vpon the stage Iustinian 2. He beeing in some choller with Sergius Bishop of Rome because he would not fauour the erroneous Synode of Canstantinople would haue caused the Bishop to bee apprehended by his Constable Zacharias But by the Romane Militia that is the troupes which the Emperour then had in Italie Zacharias was repulsed and hindered from his designe euen with opprobrious reproachfull tearmes His Lordship must haue my shallownes excused if I reach not his intent by this allegation wherein I see not one word of deposing from the Empire or of any sentence pronounced by the Pope Here are now 712. yeares expired after the birth of Iesus Christ in all which long tract of time the L. Cardinal hath not light vpon any instance which might make for his purpose with neuer so little shew For the example of the Emperour Philippicus by the Cardinal alledged next in sequence belongeth to the yeare 713. And thus lies the historie This Emperour Philippicus Bardanes was a professed enemie to the worshipping of Images and commanded them to be broken in peices In that verie time the Romane Empire was ouerthrown in the West and sore shaken by the Saracens in the East Beside those miseries the Emperour was also incumbred with a ciuil and intestine warre The greatest part of Italie was then seized by the Lombards and the Emperour in Italie had nothing left saue onely the Exarchat of Rauenna and the Dutchie of Rome then halfe abandoned by reason of the Emperours want of forces Pope Constantine gripes this occasion whereon to ground his greatnesse and to shake off the yoke of the Emperour his Lord Vndertakes against Philippicus the cause of Images By a Council declares the Emperour heretique Prohibites his rescripts or coine to be receiued and to goe currant in Rome Forbids his Imperiall statue to bee set vp in the Temple according to auncient custome The tumult groweth to a height The Pope is principall promoter of the tumult In the heate of the tumult the Exarche of Rauenna looseth his life Here see now the mutinie of a subiect against his Prince to pull from him by force and violence a citie of his Empire But who seeth in all this any sentence of deposition from the Imperial dignity Nay the Pope then missed the cushion and was disappointed vtterly of his purpose The cittie of Rome stood firme and continued still in their obedience to the Emperour About some 12. yeeres after the Emperour Leo Isauricus whome the Lord of Perron calleth Iconoclast falles to fight it out at sharpe and to prosecute worshippers of Images with all extremitie Vpon this occasion Pope Gregorie 2. then treading in the steps of his predecessor when he perceiued the citie of Rome to be but weakly prouided of men or munition and the Emperour to haue his hands full in other places found such meanes to make the citie rise in rebellious armes against the Emperour that he made himselfe in short time master thereof Thus far the L. Card. wherunto my answer for satisfaction is that degrading an Emperour from his Imperiall dignitie and reducing a citie to reuolt against her Master that a man at last may carrie the peice himselfe and make himselfe Lord thereof are two seuerall actions of speciall difference If the free-hold of the citie had beene conueied to some other by the Pope depriuing the Emperour as proprietarie thereof this example might haue challenged some credit at least in shew but so to inuade the citie to his owne vse and so to seize on the right and authority of another what is it but open rebellion and notorious ambition For it is farre from Ecclesiasticall censure when the spirituall Pastor of soules forsooth pulles the cloake of a poore sinner from his backe by violence or cuts his purse and thereby appropriates an other mans goods to his priuate vse It is to be obserued withall that when the Emperours were not of sufficient strength and Popes had power to beard and to braue Emperours then these Papall practises were first set on foot This Emperour notwithstanding turned head and peckt againe his Lieutenant entred Rome and Gregorie 3. successor to this Gregorie 2. was glad to honour the same Emperour with style and title of his Lord witnes two seueral Epistles of the said Gregory 3. written to Boniface and subscribed in this forme Dated the tenth Calends of December In the raigne of our most pious and religious Lord Angustus Leo crowned of God the great
man who by attempting an act which neuer any man had the heart or face to attempt before hath condemned all his predecessors of cowardise or at least of ignorance what is it else but euen to send vs to the schoole of mighty robbers and to seeke to correct and reforme ancient vertues by late vices Which Otho Frisingensis calling into his owne priuate consideration he durst freely professe that he had not reade of any Emperour before this Henrie the 4. excommunicated or driuen out of his Imperiall Throne and Kingdome by the cheife Bishop of Rome But if this quarrell may bee tryed and fought out with weapons of examples I leaue any indifferent reader to iudge what examples ought in the cause to be of cheifest authoritie and weight whether late examples of Kings deposed by Popes for the most part neuer taking the intended effect or auncient examples of Popes actually and effectually thrust out of their thrones by Emperous and Kings The Emperour Constantius expelled Liberius Bishop of Rome out of the citie banished him as farre as Beroe and placed Foelix in his roome Indeed Constantius was an Arrian and therein vsed no lesse impious then vniust proceeding Neuertheles the auncient Fathers of the Church do not blame Constantius for his hard and sharpe dealing with a cheife Bishop ouer whom he had no lawfull power but onely as an enemie to the Orthodoxe faith and one that raged with extreame rigor of persecution against innocent beleeuers In the raigne of Valentinian the 1. and yeare of the Lord 367. the contention between Damasus and Vrsicinus competitors for the Bishoppricke filled the cittie of Rome with a bloody sedition in which were wickedly and cruelly murdered 137. persons To meete with such turbulent actions Honorius made a law extant in the Decretalls the words whereof be these If it shall happen henceforth by the temeritie of competitors that any two Bishops be elected to the See wee straitly charge and command that neither of both shall sit in the said See By vertue of this Law the same Honorius in the yere 420. expelled Bonifacius and Eulalius competitors and Antipopes out of Rome though not long after he reuoked Bonifacius and settled him in the Papall See Theodoric the Goth King of Italie sent Iohn Bishop of Rome Embassador to the Emperour Iustinian called him home againe and clapt him vp in the close prison where hee starued to death By the same King Peter Bishop of Altine was dispatched to Rome to heare the cause and examine the processe of Pope Symmachus then indited and accused of sundry crimes King Theodatus about the yeare 537. had the seruice of Pope Agapetus as his Embassadour to the Emperour Iustinian vpon a treatie of peace Agapetus dying in the time of that seruicc Syluerius is made Bishop by Theodatus Not long after Syluerius is driuen out by Belisarius the Emperour his Lieutenant and sent into banishment After Syluerius next succeedeth Vigilius who with currant coine purchased the Popedome of Belisarius The Emperour Iustinian sends for Vigilius to Constantinople and receiues him there with great honour Soone after the Emperour takes offence at his freenesse in speaking his mind commands him to be beaten with stripes in manner to death and with a roape about his necke to be drawne through the city like a theife as Platina relates the historie Nicephorus in his 26. booke and 17. chapter comes very neere the same relation The Emperour Constantius in the yere 654. caused Pope Martin to be bound with chains banished him into Chersonesus where he ended his life The Popes in that age writing to the Emperors vsed none but submissiue tearmes by way of most humble supplications made profession of bowing the knee before their sacred Maiesties and of executing their commaunds with entire obedience payed to the Emperours twenty pound weight of gold for their Inuestiture which tribute was afterward released and remitted by Constantine the Bearded to Pope Agatho in the yere 679. as I haue obserued in an other place Nay further euen when the power and riches of the Popes was growne to great height by the most profuse and immense munificence of Charlemayne and Lewis his sonne the Emperours of the West did not relinquish and giue ouer the making and vnmaking of Popes as they saw cause Pope ' Adrian 1. willingly submitted his necke to this yoke and made this Law to be passed in a Council that in Charlemain should rest all right and power for the Popes election and for the gouernement of the Papall See This Constitution is inserted in the Decretals Dist 63. Can. Hadrianus and was confirmed by the practise of many yeeres In the yeare of the L. 963. the Emperour Otho tooke away the Popedom from Iohn 13. and placed Leo 8. in his roome In like manner Iohn 14. Gregorie 5. and Siluester 2. were seated in the Papal Throne by the Othos The Emperour Henrie 2. in the yeere 1007. deposed three Popes namely Benedict 9. Siluester 3. and Gregorie 6. whom Platina doth not sticke to call three most detestable and vile monsters This custome continued this practise stood in force for diuers ages euen vntill the times of Gregorie 7. by whome the whole West was tossed and turmoiled with lamentable warres which plagued the world and the Empire by name with intolerable troubles and mischiefes For after the said Gregorian wars the Empire fell from bad to worse and so went on to decay till Emperours at last were driuen to begge and receiue the Imperiall Crowne of the Pope The Kingdome of France met not with so rude entreatie but was dealt withall by courses of a milder temper Gregorie 4. about the yere of the Lord 832. was the first Pope that perswaded himselfe to vse the censure of Excommunication against a King of France This Pope hauing a hand in the troublesome factions of the Realme was nothing backward to side with the sonnes of Lewis surnamed the Courteous by wicked conspiracy entring into a desperate course and complot against Lewis their owne Father as witnesseth Sigebert in these words Pope Gregorie comming into France ioyned himselfe to the sonnes against the Emperour their Father But Annals of the verie same times and he that furbushed Aimonius a religious of S. Benedicts order do testifie that all the Bishops of France fell vpon this resolution by no meanes to rest in the Popes pleasure or to giue any place vnto his designe and contrariwise In case the Pope should proceed to excommunication of their King he should returne out of Fraunce to Rome an excommunicate person himself The Chronicle of S. Denis hath words in this forme The Lord Apostolicall returned answer that he was not come into Fraunce for any other purpose but onely to excommunicate the King and his Bishops if they would be in any sort opposite vnto the sonnes of Lewis or disobedient vnto the
who in stead of suing to the King had petitioned to the Pope for a dispensation for his bastard But perhaps as be speaketh it will be alledged out of the glosse that he acknowledgeth no superiour by fact and yet ought by right But I tell you the glosse is an Aurelian glosse which marres the text Amongst other arguments Maior brings this for one This opinion ministreth matter vnto Popes to take away an others Empire by force and violence which the Pope shall neuer bring to passe as we reade of Boniface 8. against Philip the Faire Saith besides That from hence proceede warres in time of which many outragious mischeifes are done and that Gerson calls them egregious flatterers by whom such opinion is maintained In the same place Maior denies that Childeric was deposed by Pope Zacharie The word He deposed saith Maior is not so to be vnderstood as it is taken at the first blush or sight but he deposed is thus expounded in the glosse Hee gaue his consent vnto those by whom he was deposed Iohn of Paris Were it graunted that Christ was armed with Temporall power yet he committed no such power to Peter A little after The power of Kings is the highest power vpon earth in Temporall causes it hath no superiour power aboue it selfe no more then the Pope hath in spirituall matters This author saith indeede the Pope hath power to excommunicate the King but he speaketh not of any power in the Pope to put down the King from his regall dignity and authority He onely saith When a Prince is once excommunicated he may accidentally or by occasion be deposed because his precedent excommunication incites the people to disarme him of all secular dignity power The same Iohn on the other side holdeth opinion that in the Emperour there is inuested a power to depose the Pope in case the Pope shall abuse his power Almainus Doctor of the Sorbonic schoole Jt is essentiall in the Laye-power to inflict ciuill punishment as death banishment and priuation or losse of goods But according to diuine institution the power Ecclesiasticall can lay no such punishment vpon delinquents nay more not lay in prison as to some Doctors it seemeth probable but stretcheth and reacheth onely to spirituall punishment as namely to excommunication all other punishments inflicted by the spirituall power are meerely by the Lawe positiue If then Ecclesiasticall power by Gods Lawe hath no authoritie to depriue any priuate man of his goods how dares the Pope and his flatterers build their power to depriue Kings of their scepters vpon the word of God The same author in an other place Be it graunted that Constantine had power to giue the Empire vnto the Pope yet is it not hereupon to be inferred that Popes haue authority ouer the Kingdome of France because that Kingdom was neuer subiect vnto Constantine For the King of Fraunce neuer had any superiour in Temporall matters A little after It is not in any place to be found that God hath giuen the Pope power to make and vnmake Temporall Kings He maintaineth elsewhere that Zacharie did not depose Childeric but onely consented to his deposing and so deposed him not as by authoritie In the same booke taking vp the words of Occam whome hee styles the Doctor The Emperour is the Popes Lord in things Temporall and the Pope calls him Lord as it is witnessed in the body of the Text. The Lord Cardinall hath dissembled and concealed these words of Doctor Almainus with many like places and hath been pleased to alledge Almainus reciting Occams authoritie in stead of quoting Almainus himselfe in those passages where hee speaketh as out of his owne opinion and in his owne words A notable peice of slie and cunning conueiance For what heresie may not be fathered and fastened vpon S. Augustine or S. Hierome if they should bee deemed to approoue all the passages which they alledge out of other authors And that is the reason wherfore the L. Cardinal doth not alledge his testimonies whole and perfect as they are couched in their proper texts but clipt and curtaild Thus he dealeth euen in the first passage or testimonie of Almainus he brings it in mangled and pared hee hides and conceales the words added by Almainus to contradict crosse the words going before For Almainus makes this addition and supply Howsoeuer some other Doctors doe stand for the negatiue and teach the Pope hath power onely to declare that Kings and Princes are to bee deposed And so much appeareth by this reason because this ample and Soueraigne power of the Pope might giue him occasion to bee puft vp with great pride and the same fulnesse of power might prooue extreamely hurtfull to the subiects c. The same Almainus brings in Occams opinion in expresse tearmes deciding the question and there ioynes his owne opinion with Occams The Doctors opinion saith Almainus doth simply carrie the most probabilitie that a Pope hath no power neither by excommunication nor by any other meanes to dedepose a Prince from his Imperiall and Royall dignitie And a little before hauing maintained the Greeke Empire was neuer transported by the Pope to the Germaines and that when the Pope crownes the Emperour he doth not giue him the Empire no more then the Archbishop of Reims when he crownes the King of France doth giue him the Kingdome he drawes this conclusion according to Occams opinion I denie that an Emperour is bound by oath to promise the Pope allegiance On the other side if the Pope hold any Temporall possessions hee is bound to sweare allegiance vnto the Emperour and to pay him tribute The said Occam alledged by Almainus doth further auerre that Iustinian was acknowledged by the Pope for his superiour in Temporall causes for as much as diuerse lawes which the Pope is bound to keep and obserue were enacted by Iustinian as by name the law of prescription for an hundred yeeres which law standeth yet in force against the Bishop of Rome And to the ende that all men may cleerely see how great distance there is betweene Occams opinion and the L. Cardinals who towards the ende of his Oration exhorts his hearers at no hand to dissent from the Pope take you here a viewe of Occams owne words as they are alleadged by Almainus The Doctor assoyles the arguments of Pope Jnnocent by which the Pope would prooue out of these words of Christ Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind c. that fulnes of power in Temporall matters belongeth to the Soueraigne Bishop For Innocent saith Whatsoeuer excepteth nothing But Occam assoyles Innocents authoritie as not onely false but also hereticall and saith withal that many things are spoken by Jnnocent which by his leaue sauour and smell of heresie c. The L. Cardinal with lesse fidelitie alledgeth two places out of Thomas his Summe The first in the Second of his Second Quest 10. Art 10. in
by the Lord Cardinall He likewise produceth two Christian Emperours Constantine and Valentinian by name the first refusing to meddle with iudgement in Episcopall causes the other forbearing to iudge of subtile Questions in Diuinity with protestation that Hee would neuer be so curious to diue into the streames or sound the bottome of so deepe matters But who doth not knowe that working and prouiding for the Kings indemnity and safetie is neither Episcopall cause nor matter of curious and subtile inquisition The same answer meets with all the rest of the places produced by the L. Cardinal out of the Fathers And that one for example out of Gregory Nazianzenus is not cited by the Cardinall with faire dealing For Gregorie doth not boord the Emperour himselfe but his Deputie or L. President on this manner For we also are in authoritie and place of a Ruler we haue command aswell as your selfe whereas the L. Cardinal with fowle play turnes the place in these termes We also are Emperours Which words can beare no such interpretation as well because he to whom the Bishop then spake was not of Imperiall dignitie as also because if the Bishop himselfe a Bishop of so small a citie as Nazianzum had qualified himselfe Emperour he should haue passed all the bounds of modestie and had shewed himselfe arrogant aboue measure For as touching subiection due to Christian Emperours hee freely acknowledgeth a little before that himselfe and his people are subiect vnto the superiour powers yea bound to pay them tribute The history of the same Gregories life doth testifie that he was drawne by the Arrians before the Consuls iudgement seate and from thence returned acquitted without either stripes or any other kind of contumelious entreatie and vse yet now at last vp starts a Prelate who dares make this good Father vaunt himselfe to bee an Emperour It is willingly granted that Emperours neuer challenged neuer arrogated to be Soueraigne Iudges in controuersies of doctrine and faith neuertheles it is clearer then the Sunnes light at high noone that for moderation at Synods for determinations and orders established in Councils and for the discipline of the Church they haue made a good and a full vse of their Imperiall authoritie The 1. Council held at Constantinople beares this title or inscription The dedication of the holy Synode to the most religious Emperour Theodosius the Great to whose will and pleasure they haue submitted these Canons by them addressed and established in Council And there they also beseech the Emperour to confirme and approoue the said Canons The like hath bin done by the Councill of Trullo by whome the Canons of the fift and sixt Councils were put forth and published This was not done because Emperours tooke vpon them to bee infallible Iudges of doctrine but onely that Emperours might see and iudge whether Bishops who feele the pricke of ambition as other men doe did propound nothing in their Conuocations and Consultations but most of all in their Determinations to vndermine the Emperours authoritie to disturbe the tranquilitie of the Commonwealth and to crosse the determinations of precedent Councils Now to take the cognizance of such matters out of the Kings hand or power what is it but euen to transforme the King into a standing image to wring and wrest him out of all care of himselfe and his Kingly charge yea to bring him downe to this basest condition to become onely an executioner and which I scorne to speake the vnhappie hangman of the Clergies will without any further cognizance not so much as of matters which most neerely touch himselfe and his Royall estate I graunt it is for Diuinitie Schooles to iudge how farre the power of the Keyes doth stretch I graunt againe that Clerics both may and ought also to display the colours and ensignes of their censures against Princes who violating their publike and solemne oath do raise and make open war against Iesus Christ I graunt yet againe that in this case they need not admit Laics to be of their counsell nor allowe them any scope or libertie of iudgement Yet all this makes no barre to Clerics for extending the power of their keies many times a whole degree further then they ought and when they are pleased to make vse of their said power to depriue the people of their goods or the Prince of his Crowne all this doth not hinder Prince or people from taking care for the preseruation of their owne rights and estates nor from requiring Clerics to shewe their cards and produce their Charts and to make demonstration by Scripture that such power as they assume and challenge is giuen them from God For to leaue the Pope absolute Iudge in the same cause wherein hee is a party and which is the strongest rampier and bulwarke yea the most glorious and eminent point of his domination to arme him with power to vnhorse Kings out of their feates what is it else but euen to draw them into a state of despaire for euery winning the day or preuailing in their honourable and rightfull cause It is moreouer graunted if a King shall commaund any thing directly contrary to Gods word and tending to the subuerting of the Church that Clerics in this case ought not onely to dispense with subiects for their obedience but also expressely to forbid their obedience For it is alwaies better to obey God then man Howbeit in all other matters whereby the glory and maiesty of God is not impeached or impaired it is the duty of Clerics to plie the people with wholesome exhortation to constant obedience and to auert by earnest disswasions the said people from tumultuous reuolt and seditious insurrection This practise vnder the Pagan Emperours was held and followed by the auncient Christians by whose godly zeale and patience in bearing the yoke the Church in times past grew and flourished in her happy and plentifull encrease farre greater then Poperie shall euer purchase and attaine vnto by all her cunning deuises and sleights as namely by degrading of Kings by interdicting of Kingdomes by apposted murders and by Diabolicall traines of Gunne-powder-mines The places of Scripture alledged in order by the Cardinall in fauour of those that stand for the Popes claime of power and authoritie to depose Kings are cited with no more sinceritie then the former They alleadge these are his words that Samuel deposed King Saul or declared him to bee deposed because hee had violated the lawes of the Iewes religion His Lordship auoucheth elsewhere that Saul was deposed because hee had sought prophanely to vsurpe the holy Priesthood Both false and contrary to the tenor of truth in the sacred historie For Saul was neuer deposed according to the sense of the word I meane depose in the present question to wit as deposing is taken for despoyling the King of his Royall dignity and reducing the King to the condition of a priuate person But Saul held the title
Christians in those times were bound to performe such fidelity allegiance for as much as the Church the Cardinal for shame durst not say the Pope then had not absolued them of their oath No doubt a pleasant dreame or a merry conceit rather to imagine the Bishop of Rome was armed with power to take away the Empire of the world from Nero or Claudius or Domitianus to whom it was not knowne whether the citie of Rome had any Bishop at all Is it not a master-iest of a straine most ridiculous to presuppose the Grand-masters and absolute Lords of the whole world had a sent so dull that they were not able to smel out and to nose things vnder their owne noses that they saw so little with other mens eies and their owne that within their capitall citie they could not spie that Soueraigne armed with ordinary and lawfull authority to degrade and to turne them out of their renowned Empire Doubtlesse the said Emperours vassals belike of the Popes Empire are to be held excused for not acknowledging and honouring the Pope in quality of their Lord as became his vassals because they did not know there was any such power in the world as after-times haue magnified and adored vnder the qualitie of Pope For the Bishops of Rome in those times were of no greater authoritie power and meanes then some of the Bishops are in these daies within my Kingdomes But certes those Popes of that primitiue age thought it not expedient in the said times to drawe their swords they exercised their power in a more mild and soft kind of cariage toward those miserable Emperours for three seuerall reasons alledged by the L. Cardinall The first because the Bishops then durst not by their censures whet and prouoke those Emperous for feare of plunging the Church in a Sea of persecutions But if I be not cleane voide of common sense this reason serueth to charge not only the Bishops of Rome but all the auncient professors of Christ besides with deepe dissimulation and hypocrisie For it is all one as if he had professed that all their obedience to their Soueraignes was but counterfeit and extorted or wrung out of them by force that all the submissiue supplications of the auncient Fathers the assured testimonies and pledges of their allegiance humilitie and patience were but certaine formes of disguised speech proceeding not freely from the suggestions of fidelity but faintly and fainedly or at least from the strong twitches violent convulsions of feare Wherupon it followes that all their torments and punishments euen to the death are wrongfully honoured with the title and crowned with the crowne of Martyrdome because their patience proceeded not from their owne free choice and election but was taught by the force of necessitie as by compulsion and whereas they had not mutinously and rebelliously risen in arms to asswage the scorching heat and burning flames of tyrannicall persecuters it was not for want of will but for lacke of power Which false and forged imputation the Fathers haue cleared themselues of in their writings Tertullian in his Apologet All places are full of Christians the cities isles castles burroughs armies c. If we that are so infinite a power and multitude of men had broken from you into some remote nooke or corner of the world the cities no doubt had become naked and solitarie there had beene a dreadfull and horrible silence ouer the face of the whole Empire the great Emperours had beene driuen to seeke out newe cities and to discouer newe nations ouer whom to beare Soueraigne sway and rule there had remained more enemies to the State then subiects and friends Cyprian also against Demetrianus None of vs all howsoeuer wee are a people mighty and without number haue made resistance against any of your vniust and wrongfull actions executed with all violence neither haue sought by rebellious armes or by any other sinister practises to crie quittance with you at any time for the righting of our selues Certain it is that vnder Iulianus the whole Empire in a manner professed the Christian Religion yea that his Leiftenants and great Commanders as Iovinianus and Valentinianus by name professed Christ Which two Princes not long after attained to the Imperiall dignitie but might haue solicited the Pope sooner to degrade Iulianus from the Imperiall Throne For say that Iulians whole army had renounced the Christian Religion as the L. Cardinall against all shew and appearance of truth would beare vs in hand and contrary to the generall voice of the said whole army making this profession with one consent when Iulian was dead Wee are all Christians yet Italie then persisting in the faith of Christ and the army of Iulian then lying quartered in Persia the vtmost limit of the Empire to the East the Bishop of Rome had fit opportunity to drawe the sword of his authority if he had then any such sword hanging at his Pontificall side to make Iulian feele the sharpe edge of his weapon and thereby to pull him downe from the stately pearch of the Romane Empire I say moreouer that by this generall and suddaine profession of the whole Caesarian army We are all Christians it is clearely testified that if his army or souldiers were then addicted to Paganisme it was wrought by compulsion and cleane contrary to their setled perswasion before and then it followes that with greater patience they would haue borne the deposing of Iulian then if hee had suffered them to vse the libertie of their conscience To bee short in the matter S. Augustine makes all whole and by his testimonie doth euince that Iulians army perseuered in the faith of Christ The souldiers of Christ serued a heathen Emperour But when the cause of Christ was called in question they acknowledged none but Christ in heauen When the Emperour would haue them to serue and to perfume his idols with frankincense they gaue obedience to God rather then to the Emperour After which words the very same words alledged by the L. Cardinall against himselfe doe followe They did then distinguish betweene the Lord eternall and the Lord temporall neuerthelesse they were subiect vnto the Lord temporall for the Lord eternall It was therefore to pay God his duty of obedience and not for feare to incense the Emperour or to drawe persecution vpon the Church as the L. Cardinall would make vs beleeue that Christians of the Primitiue Church and Bishops by their censures durst not anger and prouoke their Emperours But his Lordship by his coloured pretences doth manifestly prouoke and stirre vp the people to rebellion so soone as they knowe their owne strength to beare out a rebellious practise Whereupon it followes that in case their conspiracie shall take no good effect all the blame and fault must lie not in their disloyalty and treason but in the badde choice of their times for the best aduantage and in the want of taking a
true sight of their owne weakenesse Let stirring spirits be trained vp in such practicall precepts let desperate wits be seasoned with such rules of discipline and what need we or how can we wonder they contriue powder conspiracies and practise the damnable art of parricides After Iulian his Lordship falles vpon Valentinian the younger who maintaining Arrianisme with great and open violence might haue beene deposed by the Christians from his Empire and yet say we they neuer dream'd of any such practise Here the L. Cardinal maketh answer The Christians mooued with respect vnto the fresh memory both of the brother and father as also vnto the weake estate of the sonnes young yeeres abstained from all counsels and courses of sharper effect and operation To which answer I reply these are but friuolous coniectures deuised and framed to tickle his owne fancie For had Valentinianus the younger beene the sonne of an Arrian and had then also attained to threescore yeeres of age they would neuer haue borne themselues in other fashion then they did towards their Emperour Then the Cardinal goeth on The people would not abandon the factious and seditious party but were so firme or obstinate rather for the faction that Valentinian for feare of the tumultuous vproares was constrained to giue way and was threatened by the souldiers that except hee would adhere vnto the Catholikes they would yeeld him no assistance nor stand for his partie Now this answer of the L. Cardinall makes nothing to the purpose concerning the Popes power to pull downe Kings from their stately nest Let vs take notice of his proper consequence Valentinian was afraid of the popular tumult at Milan the Pope therefore hath power to curbe hereticall Kings by deposition Now marke what distance is betweene Rome and Milan what difference betweene the people of Milan and the Bishop of Rome betweene a popular tumult and a iudicatory sentence between fact and right things done by the people or souldiers of Milan and things to bee done according to right and law by the Bishop of Rome the same distance the same difference if not farre greater is betweene the L. Cardinals antecedent and his consequent betweene his reason and the maine cause or argument which we haue in hand The madde commotion of the people was not here so much to be regarded as the sad instruction of the Pastor of their good and godly Pastor S. Ambrose so far from heartning the people of Milan to rebell that being Bishop of Milan he offered himselfe to suffer Martyrdome If the Emperour abuse his Imperiall authoritie for so Theodoret hath recited his words to tyrannize thereby here am I ready to suffer death And what resistance he made against his L. Emperour was only by way of supplication in these tearmes We beseech thee O Augustus as humble suppliants we offer no resistance we are not in feare but we flie to supplication Againe If my patrimony be your marke enter vpon my patrimonie if my bodie I will goe and meet my torments Shall I bee drag'd to prison or to death I will take delight in both Item in his Oration to Auxentius J can afflict my soule with sorrowe I can lament J can send forth grieuous groanes My weapons against either of both souldiers or Goths are teares A Priest hath none other weapons of defence I neither can resist nor ought in any other manner to make resistance Iustinian Emperour in his old age fell into the heresie of the Aphthartodocites Against Iustinian though fewe they were that fauoured him in that heresie the Bishop of Rome neuer darted with violence any sentence of Excommunication interdiction or deposition The Ostrogot Kings in Italy the Visigot in Spaine the Vandal in Africa were all addicted to the Arrian impietie and some of them cruelly persecuted the true professors The Visigot and Vandall were no neighbours to Italie The Pope thereby had the lesse cause to feare the stings of those waspes if they had been angred The Pope for all that neuer had the humour to wrastle or iustle with any of the said Kings in the cause of deposing them from their Thrones But especially the times when the Vandals in Affricke and the Goths in Italy by Belisarius and Narses professors of the Orthodoxe faith were tyred with long warres and at last were vtterly defeated in bloodie battels are to be considered Then were the times or neuer for the Pope to vnsheath his weapons and to vn-case his arrowes of deposition then were the times to drawe them out of his quiuer and to shoote at all such Arrian Heads then were the times by dispensations to release their subiects of their oathes by that peremptory meanes to aide and strengthen the Catholike cause But in that age the said weapons were not knowne to haue been hammered in the Pontificall forge Gregory I. made his boasts that he was able to ruine the Lombards for many yeeres together sworne enemies to the Bishops of Rome their state present and the hope of all their future prosperity But hee telleth vs that by the feare of God before his eyes and in his heart he was bridled and restrained from any such intent as elswhere we haue obserued If J would haue medled with practising and procuring the death of the Lombards the whole nation of the Lombards at this day had been robbed of their Kings Dukes Earles they had beene reduced to the tearmes of extreame confusion Hee might at least haue deposed their King if the credit of the L. Cardinals iudgement bee currant without polluting or stayning his owne conscience What can we tearm this assertion of the L. Cardinall but open charging the most auncient Bishops of Rome with crueltie when they would not succour the Church of Christ oppressed by tyrants whose oppression they had power to represse by deposing the oppressors Is it credible that Iesus Christ hath giuen a Commission to S. Peter and his successors for so many ages without any power to execute their Commission or to make any vse thereof by practise Is it credible that he hath giuen them a sword to be kept in the scabbard without drawing once in a thousand yeeres Is it credible that in the times when Popes were most deboshed abandoning themselues to all sorts of corrupt and vitious courses as it testified by their own flaterers and best affected seruants is it credible that in those times they beganne to vnderstand the vertue and strength of their Commission For if either feare or lacke of power was the cause of holding their hands and voluntarie binding of themselues to the peace or good behauiour wherefore is not some one Pope at least produced who hath complained that he was hindered from executing the power that Christ had conferred vpon his Pontificall See Wherefore is not some one of the auncient and holy Fathers alledged by whom the Pope hath bin aduised and exhorted to take courage to stand vpon the vigor and
haue made their owne For some of them haue been so open-hearted and so tongue-free to pronounce that Popes themselues the key-bearers of Heauen and hel cannot be saued Two Popes reckoned among the best of the whole bunch or pack namely Adrian IV. and Marcelline II. haue both sung one and the same note that in their vnderstanding they could not conceiue any reason why or any meanes how those that sway the Popedome can be partakers of saluation But for my particular grounding my faith vpon the promises of God contained in the Gospell I doe confidently and assuredly beleeue that repenting mee of my sinnes and reposing my whole trust in the merits of Iesus Christ I shall obtaine forgiuenesse of my sinnes thorough his Name Nor doe I feare that I am now or shall be hereafter cast out of the Churches lap and bosome that I now haue or hereafter shall haue no right to the Church as a putrified member thereof so long as I do or shall cleaue to Christ Iesus the Head of the Church the appellation and name whereof serueth in this corrupt age as a cloake to couer a thousand newe inuentions and now no longer signifies the assembly of the faithfull or such as beleeue in Iesus Christ according to his word but a certaine glorious ostentation and Temporall Monarchy whereof the Pope forsooth is the supreame head But if the L. Cardinall by assured and certaine knowledge as perhaps he may by common fame did vnderstand the horrible conspiracies that haue been plotted and contriued not against my person and life alone but also against my whole stocke if he rightly knew and were inly perswaded of how many fowle periuries and wicked treasons diuerse Ecclesiasticall persons haue been lawfully conuicted in stead of charging me with false imputations that I suffer not my Catholikes to fetch a sigh or to draw their breath and that I thrust my Catholikes vpon the sharpe edge of punishment in euery kind he would and might well rather wonder how I my selfe after so many dangers run after so many proditorious snares escaped doe yet fetch my owne breath and yet practise Princely clemency towards the said Catholiks notorious transgressors of diuine and humane laws If the French King in the heart of his Kingdome should nourish and foster such a nest of stinging hornets and busie waspes I meane such a pack of subiects denying his absolute Soueraignty as many Romane Catholikes of my Kingdome do mine it may well bee doubted whether the L. Cardinall would aduise his King still to feather the nest of the said Catholiks still to keep them warm still to beare them with an easie and a gentle hand It may well be doubted whether his Lordship would extoll their constancie that would haue the courage to sheath vp their swords in his Kings bowels or blow vp his King with gun-powder into the neather station of the lowest region It may well be doubted whether hee would indure that Orator who like as himselfe hath done should stirre vp others to suffer Martyrdome after such examples and to imitate parricides and traitors in their constancy The scope then of the L. Cardinal in striking the sweet strings and sounding the pleasant notes of prayses which faine he would fill mine eares withall is onely by his excellent skil in the musicke of Oratorie to bewitch the hearts of my subiects to infatuate their minds to settle them in a resolution to depriue me of my life The reason Because the plotters and practisers against my life are honoured and rewarded with a glorious name of Martyrs their constancie what els is admired when they suffer death for treason Whereas hitherto during the time of my whole raigne to this day I speake it in the word of a King and truth it selfe shal make good the Kings word no man hath lost his life no man hath endured the Racke no man hath suffered corporall punishment in other kinds meerely or simply or in any degree of respect for his conscience in matter of religion but for wicked conspiring against my life or Estate or Royall dignitie or els for some notorious crime or some obstinate and wilfull disobedience Of which traiterous and viperous brood I commanded one to be hanged by the necke of late in Scotland a Iesuite of intolerable impudencie who at his arraignment and publike triall stiffely maintained that I haue robbed the Pope of his right and haue no manner of right in the possession of my Kingdome His Lordship therefore in offering himselfe to Martyrdome after the rare example of Catholiks as he saith suffering all sort of punishment in my Kingdome doth plainely professe himselfe a follower of traytors and parricides These be the Worthies these the heroicall spirits these the honourable Captaines and Coronels whose vertuous parts neuer sufficiently magnified and praysed his Lordship propoundeth for imitation to the French Bishops O the name of Martyrs in olde times a sacred name how is it now derided and scoffed how is it in these daies filthily prophaned O you the whole quire and holy company of Apostles who haue sealed the truth with your dearest blood how much are you disparaged how vnfitly are you paragoned and matched when traytors bloody butchers and King-killers are made your assistants and of the same Quorum or to speake in milder tearmes when you are coupled with Martyrs that suffer for maintaining the Temporall rites of the Popes Empire with Bishops that offer themselues to a Problematicall Martyrdome for a point decided neither by the authorities of your Spirit-inspired pens nor by the auncient and venerable testimonie of the Primitiue Church for a point which they dare not vndertake to teach otherwise then by a doubtfull cold fearefull way of discourse and altogether without resolution In good sooth I take the Cardinall for a personage of a quicker spirit and clearer sight let his Lordship hold me excused then to perswade my selfe that in these matters his tongue and his heart his pen and his inward iudgement haue any concord or correspondence one with another For beeing very much against his minde as he doth confesse thrust into the office of an Aduocate to pleade this cause he suffered himselfe to be carried after his engagement with some heat to vtter some things against his conscience murmuring and grumbling the contrary within and to affirme some other things with confidence whereof he had not been otherwise informed then onely by vaine and lying report Of which ranke is that bold assertion of his Lordship That many Catholiks in England rather then they would subscribe to the oath of allegiance in the form thereof haue vndergone all sorts of punishment For in England as we haue truely giuen the whole Christian world to vnderstand in our Preface to the Apologie there is but one forme or kind of punishment ordained for all sorts of traytors Hath not his Lordship now graced me with goodly testimonialls of prayse and commendation Am I not by his