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
not decided by the Scripture nor by the auncient Church but within the compasse of certaine ages past by the authority of Popes and Councils Then he goes on well and inferres with good reason that in case the point of the Popes power be weakned then the other two points must needs bee shaken and easily ouerthrowne So that he doth confesse the monstrous birth of the breaden-God and the blind Sacrament or vaine phantasie of auricular confession are no more conueyed into the Church by pipes from the springs of sacred Scripture or from the riuers of the auncient Church then that other point of the Popes power ouer Kings and their Crownes Very good For were they indeede deriued from either of those two heads that is to say were they grounded vpon the foundation of the first or second authoritie then they could neuer be shaken by the downefall of the Popes power to depose Kings I am well assured that for vsing so good a reason the world will hold his Lordshippe in suspicion that he still hath some smacke of his fathers discipline and instruction who in times past had the honour to be a Minister of the holy Gospel Howbeit he playeth not faire nor vseth sincere dealing in his proceeding against such as he calls heretikes when he casts in their dish and beares them in hand they frowardly wrangle for the inuisibilitie of the Church in earth For indeed the matter is nothing so They freely acknowledge a visible Church For howsoeuer the assembly of Gods elect doth make a bodie not discernable by mans eye yet we assuredly beleeue and gladly professe there neuer wanted a visible Church in the world yet onely visible to such as make a part of the same All that are without see no more but men they doe not see the said men to be the true Church We beleeue moreouer of the vniuersall Church visible that it is composed of many particular Churches whereof some are better fined and more cleane from lees and dregs then other and withall we deny the purest Churches to be alwaies the greatest and most visible The fourth and last Inconuenience examined THE Lord Cardinall before he looketh into the last Inconuenience vseth a certaine preamble of his owne life past and seruices done to the Kings Henry the III. and IIII. Touching the latter of which two Kings his Lordship saith in a straine of boasting after this manner I by the grace of God or the grace of God by me rather reduced him to the Catholike religion I obtained at Rome his absolution of Pope Clement 8. I reconciled him to the holy See Touching the first of these points I say the time the occasions and the foresaid Kings necessary affaires doe sufficiently testifie that he was induced to change his mind and to alter his religion vpon the strength of other manner of arguments then Theologicall schooles or the perswasions of the L. Cardinals fluent Rhetoricke do vsually afford or could possibly suggest Moreouer who doth not know that in affaires of so high nature and consequence resolutions once taken Princes are to proceede with instructions by a formall course As for the Kings absolution pretended to bee purchased of Clement 8. by the L. Cardinals good seruice it had beene the part of so great a Cardinall for the honour of his King of the Realme and of his owne place to haue buried that peice of his notable seruice in perpetuall silence and in the darke night of eternall obliuion For in this matter of reconcilement it is not vnknowne to the world how shamefully and basely he prostituted the inuiolable dignity of his King when his Lordship representing the person of his King and couching on the ground by way of sufficient penance was glad as I haue noted in the Preface to my Apologie to haue his venerable shoulders gracefully saluted with stripes and reuerently worshipped with bastonados of a Pontificiall cudgell Which gracefull or disgracefull blemish rather it pleased Pope Clement of his rare clemencie to grace yet with a higher degre of spirituall graces in giuing the L. Cardinall then Bishop of Eureux a certaine quantity of holy graines crosses and medals or little plates of siluer or some other mettall to hang about the necke or to be born about against some euil Which treasures of the Popes grace whosoeuer should graciously and reuerently kisse they should without faile purchase vnto themselues a pardon for one hundred yeeres These feate and prety gugawes for children were no doubt a speciall comfort vnto the good Kings heart after his Maiestie had been handsomely basted vpon the L. Bishops backe But with what face can his Lordship brag that he preuailed with Pope Clement for the Kings absolution The late Duke of Neuers not long before had solicited his Holines with all earnest and humble instance to the same purpose howsoeuer the Kings affaires then seeming desperate in the Popes eye hee was licensed to depart for France without any due and gracious respect vnto his errand But so soone as the Pope receiued intelligence of the Kings fortunes growing to the full and the affaires of the League to be in the wane and the principall cities the strongest places of garrison through all France to strike tops and tops gallant and to hale the King then the holy Ghost in good time inspired the holy Father with a holy desire and tender affection to receiue this poore wandring sheep againe into the flocke of Christ and bosome of holy Church His Holinesse had reason For he feared by his obstinate seuerity to prouoke the patience of the French and to driue that Nation as they had many times threatned before then to put in execution their auncient designe which was to shake off the Pope and to set vp some of their owne tribes or kinreds for Patriarch ouer the French Church But let his Lordshippe vouchsafe to search the secret of his owne bosome and no doubt he will not sticke to acknowledge that before hee stirred one foote out of France he had good assurance of the good successe and issue of his honourable embassage Now the hearers thus prepared by his Preface the L. Cardinall proceedeth in his purpose namely to make proofe how this Article of the third Estate wherein doubtfull and questionable matters are mingled and confounded with certaine and indubitable principles doth so debilitate and weaken the sinewes and vertue of any remedy intended for the danger of Kings as it maketh all remedies and receipts prescribed for that purpose to become altogether vnprofitable and without effect He yeelds this reason take it forsooth vpon my warrant a reason full of pith and substance The onely remedie against parricides is to thunder the solemne curses of the Church and the punishments to bee inflicted after death which points if they be not grounded vpon infallible authoritie wil neuer be setled in mens perswasions with any certaine assurance Now in the solemne curses of the Church no man can
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
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
of leprosie and an heretike hath some affinitie with a leper But may not his Quoniam be as fitly applyed to any contagious inueterate vice of the minde beside heresie His warning-peice therefore is discharged to purpose whereby he notifies that hee pretendeth to handle nothing with resolution For indeed vpon so weake arguments a resolution is but ill-fauouredly and weakely grounded His bulwarks thus beaten downe let vs now viewe the strength of our owne First hee makes vs to fortifie on this manner They that are for the negatiue doe alleadge the authoritie of S. Paul Let euery soule bee subiect vnto the higher powers For whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God And likewise that of S. Peter Submit your selues whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superiour or vnto gouernours c. Vpon these passages and the like they inferre that obedience is due to Kings by the Lawe of God and not dispensable by any spirituall or temporall authoritie Thus he brings vs in with our first weapon But here the very cheife sinew and strength of our argument he doth wittingly balke and of purpose conceale To wit That all the Emperours of whom the said holy Apostles haue made any mention in their diuine Epistles were professed enemies to Christ Pagans Infidels fearefull and bloody Tyrants to whom notwithstanding euery soule and therefore the Bishop of Rome for one is commaunded to submit himselfe and to professe subiection Thus much Chrysostome hath expressely taught in his Hom. 23. vpon the Epistle to the Romanes The Apostle giues this commandement vnto all euen to Priests also and cloistered Monkes not onely to secular be thou an Apostle an Euangelist a Prophet c. Besides it is here worthy to be noted that howsoeuer the Apostles rule is generall and therefore bindeth all the faithfull in equal bands yet is it particularly directly and of purpose addressed to the Church of Rome by S. Paul as by one who in the spirit of an Apostle did foresee that rebellion against Princes was to rise and spring from the city of Rome Now in case the Head of that Church by warrant of any priuiledge contained in the most holy Register of Gods holy word is exempted from the binding power of this generall precept or rule did it not become his Lordship to shew by the booke that it is a booke case and to lay it forth before that honourable assembly who no doubt expected waited to heare when it might fal from his learned lips But in stead of any such authenticall and canonicall confirmation hee flyeth to a sleight shift and with a cauill is bold to affirme the foundation laid by those of our side doth no way touch the knot of the controuersie Let vs heare him speake Jt is not in controuersie whether obedience bee due to Kings by Gods Lawe so long as they are Kings or acknowledged for Kings but our point controuerted is whether by Gods Lawe it bee required that hee who hath beene once recognised and receiued for King by the bodie of Estates can at any time bee taken and reputed as no King that is to say can doe no manner of act whereby hee may loose his right and so cease to be saluted King This answer of the L. Cardinal is the rare deuise euasion and starting hole of the Iesuites In whose eares of delicate and tender touch King-killing soundeth very harsh but forsooth to vn-king a King first and then to giue him the stabbe that is a point of iust and true descant For to kill a King once vn-king'd by deposition is not killing of a King For the present I haue one of that Iesuiticall Order in prison who hath face enough to speak this language of Ashdod and to maintaine this doctrine of the Iesuites Colledges The L. Cardinal harps vpon the same string He can like subiection and obedience to the King whilest hee sitteth King but his Holinesse must haue all power and giue order withall to hoyst him out of his Royall seate I therefore now answer that in very deed the former passages of S. Paul and S. Peter should come nothing neere the question if the state of the question were such as he brings it made and forged in his owne shop But certes the state of the question is not whether a King may doe some act by reason whereof hee may fall from his right or may not any longer be acknowledged for King For all our contention is concerning the Popes power to vn-authorize Princes whereas in the question framed and fitted by the L. Card. not a word of the Pope For were it graunted and agreed on both sides that a King by election might fall from his Kingdome yet still the knot of the question would hold whether he can bee dispossessed of his Regall authority by any power in the Pope and whether the Pope hath such fulnesse of power to strip a King of those Royall robes rights and reuenues of the Crowne which were neuer giuen him by the Pope as also by what authority of holy Scripture the Pope is able to beare out himselfe in this power and to make it good But here the L. Cardinal stoutly saith in his owne defence by way of reioynder As one text hath Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers in like manner an other text hath Obey your Prelates and be subiect vnto your Pastors for they watch ouer your soules as men that shall giue an accompt for your soules This reason is void of reason and makes against himselfe For may not Prelates be obeyed and honoured without Kings be deposed If Prelates preach the doctrine of the Gospell will they in the pulpit stirre vp subiects to rebell against Kings Moreouer whereas the vniuersal Church in these daies is diuided into so many discrepant parts that now Prelates neither do nor can draw all one way is it not exceeding hard keeping our obedience towards God to honour them all at once with due obedience Nay is not here offered vnto me a dart out of the L. Cardinals armorie to cast at himselfe For as God chargeth all men with obedience to Kings and yet from that commaundement of God the Lord Cardinal would not haue it inferred that Kings haue power to degrade Ecclesiasticall Prelates euen so God giueth charge to obey Prelates yet doth it not followe from hence that Prelates haue power to depose Kings These two degrees of obedience agree well together and are each of them bounded with peculiar and proper limits But for so much as in this point we haue on our side the whole auncient Church which albeit she liued and groned for many ages together vnder heathen Emperours heretikes and persecuters did neuer so much as whisper a word about rebelling and falling from their Soueraigne Lords and was neuer by any mortall creature freed from the oath of allegiance to the Emperour the Cardinal is not vnwilling to graunt that ancient
paying tribute vnto Caesar and the Pope making Caesar to pay him tribute Iesus Christ perswading the Iewes to pay tribute vnto an heathen Emperour and the Pope dispensing with subiects for their obedience to Christian Emperours Iesus Christ refusing to arbitrate a controuersie of inheritance partable betweene two priuate parties and the Pope thrusting in himselfe without warrant or Commission to be absolute Iudge in the deposing of Kings Iesus Christ professing that his Kingdome is not of this world and the Pope establishing himselfe in a terrene Empire In like manner the Apostles forsaking all their goods to followe Christ and the Pope robbing Christians of their goods the Apostles persecuted by Pagan Emperours and the Pope now setting his foote on the very throate of Christian Emperours then proudly treading Imperiall Crownes vnder his feete By this comparison the L. Cardinals allegation of Scripture in fauour of his Master the Pope is but a kind of puppet-play to make Iesus Christ a mocking stocke rather then to satisfie his auditors with any sound precepts and wholesome instructions Hereof hee seemeth to giue some inckling himselfe For after he hath beene plentifull in citing authorities of Scripture and of newe Doctors which make for the Popes power to depose Kings at last he comes in with a faire and open confession that neither by diuine Oracles nor by honourable antiquitie this controuersie hath beene yet determined and so pulls downe in a word with one hand the frame of worke that he had built and set vp before with an other discouering withal the reluctation and priuie checkes of his owne conscience There yet remaineth one obiection the knot whereof the L. Cardinall in a manner sweateth to vntie His words be these The champions for the negatiue flie to the analogie of other proceedings and practises in the Chruch They affirme that priuate persons masters or owners of goods and possessions among the common people are not depriued of their goods for heresie and consequently that Princes much more should not for the same crime bee depriued of their estates For answer to this reason he brings in the defendants of deposition speaking after this manner In the Kingdom of France the strict execution of lawes decreed in Court against heretickes is fauourably suspended and stopped for the preseruation of peace and publike tranquilitie He saith elsewhere Conniuence is vsed towards these heretikes in regard of their multitude because a notable part of the French Nation and State is made all of heretikes I suppose that out of speciall charitie hee would haue those heretikes of his own making forewarned what courteous vse and intreaty they are to expect when hee affirmeth that execution of the lawes is but suspended For indeed suspensions hold but for a time But in a cause of that nature and importance I dare promise my selfe that my most honoured Brother the King of France will make vse of other counsell will rather seek the amitie of his neighbour Princes and the peace of his Kingdom will beare in minde the great and faithfull seruice of those who in matter of religion dissent from his Maiestie as of the onely men that haue preserued and saued the Crowne for the King his Father of most glorious memorie I am perswaded my Brother of France will beleeue that his liege people pretended by the L. Cardinall to be heretikes are not halfe so bad as my Romane Catholike subiects who by secret practises vnder-mine my life serue a forraine Soueraigne are discharged by his Bulls of their obedience due to me their naturall Soueraigne are bound by the maximes and rules published and maintained in fauour of the Pope before this full and famous assembly of the Estate at Paris if the said maximes be of any weight and authoritie to hold me for no lawfull King are there taught and instructed that Pauls commandement concerning subiection vnto the higher powers aduerse to their professed religion is onely a prouisionall precept framed to the times and watching for the opportunitie to shake off the yoake All which notwithstanding I deale with such Romane-Catholiks by the rules and waies of Princely clemencie their hainous and pernicious error in effect no lesse then the capitall crime of high treason I vse to call some disease or distemper of the mind Last of all I beleeue my said Brother of France will set downe in his tables as in record how little he standeth ingaged to the Lord Cardinal in this behalfe For those of the reformed Religion professe and proclaim that next vnder God they owe their preseruation and safetie to the wisedome and benignity of their Kings But now comes the Cardinall and hee seekes to steale this perswasion out of their hearts Hee tells them in open Parliament and without any going about bushes that all their welfare and securitie standeth in their multitude and in the feare which others conceiue to trouble the State by the strict execution of lawes against heretikes He addeth moreouer that Jn case a third sect should peepe out and growe vp in France the professors thereof should suffer confiscation of their goods with losse of life it selfe as hath been practised at Geneua against Seruetus and in England against Arrians My answer is this That punishments for heretikes duely and according to law conuicted are set downe by decrees of the ciuil Magistrate bearing rule in the countrey where the said heretikes inhabite and not by any ordinances of the Pope I say withall the L. Cardinal hath no reason to match and parallell the Reformed Churches with Seruetus and the Arrians For those heretikes were powerfully conuicted by Gods word and lawfully condemned by the auncient Generall Councils where they were permitted and admitted to plead their owne cause in person But as for the truth professed by me and those of the reformed religion it was neuer yet hissed out of the Schooles nor cast out of any Councill like some Parliament bills where both sides haue been heard with like indifferencie Yea what Councill soeuer hath beene offered vnto vs in these latter times it hath been proposed with certaine presuppositions as That his Holinesse beeing a partie in the cause and consequently to come vnder iudgement as it were to the barre vpon his triall shall be the Iudge of Assize with Commission of oyer and determiner it shall be celebrated in a citie of no safe accesse without safe conduct or conuoy to come or goe at pleasure and without danger it shall be assembled of such persons with free suffrage and voice as vphold this rule which they haue alreadie put in practise against Iohn Hus and Hierom of Prage that faith giuen and oath taken to an heretike must not be obserued Now then to resume our former matter If the Pope hitherto hath neuer presumed for pretended heresie to confiscate by sentence either the lands or the goods of priuate persons or common people of the French Nation wherfore should he dare to dispossesse Kings of
to put vp his Catholike Sonnes proceeding to the Cardinalls disgrace neuer opened his mouth against the King neuer declared or noted the King to bee schismaticall Hee waits perhaps for some fitter opportunitie when the Kingdome of Spaine groaning vnder the burthens of intestine dissentions and troubles he may without any danger to himselfe giue the Catholike King a Bishops mate Yea the L. Cardinall himselfe is better seen in the humors and inclinations of the Christian world then to be grossely perswaded that in the Kingdome of Spaine and in the very heart of Rome it selfe there be not many which either make it but a ieast or else take it in fowle scorne to heare the Popes power ouer the Crownes of Kings once named especially since the Venetian Republike hath put his Holinesse to the worse in the same cause and cast him in Lawe What needed the L. Cardinall then by casting vp such mounts and trenches by heaping one amplification vpon an other to make schisme looke with such a terrible and hideous aspect Who knowes not how great an offence how heinous a crime it is to quarter not Iesus Christs coat but his body which is the Church And what needed such terrifying of the Church with vglinesse of schisme whereof there is neither colourable shew nor possibility The next vgly monster after schisme shaped by the L. Cardinall in the third supposed and pretended inconuenience is heresie His Lordship saith for the purpose By this Article we are cast headlong into a manifest heresie as binding vs to confesse that for many ages past the Catholike Church hath been banished out of the whole world For if the champions of the doctrine contrary to this Article doe hold an impious and a detestable opinion repugnant vnto Gods word then doubtlesse the Pope for so many hundred yeers expired hath not been the head of the Church but an heretike and the Antechrist He addeth moreouer That the Church long agoe hath lost her name of Catholike and that in France there hath no Church flourished nor so much as appeared these many and more then many yeeres for as much as all the French Doctors for many yeeres together haue stood for the contrary opinion We can erect and set vp no trophey more honourable for heretikes in token of their victorie then to avowe that Christs visible Kingdome is perished from the face of the earth and that for so many hundred yeeres there hath not beene any Temple of God nor any spouse of Christ but euery where and all the world ouer the Kingdome of Antechrist the Synagogue of Satan the spouse of the Deuill hath mightily preuailed and borne all the sway Lastly what stronger engines can these heretikes wish or desire for the battering and the demolishing of transubstantiation of auricular confession and other like towers of our Catholike religion then if it should bee graunted the Church hath decided the said points without any authoritie c. Me thinkes the Lord Cardinall in the whole draught and course of these words doth seeke not a little to blemish the honour of his Church and to marke his religion with a blacke coale For the whole frame of his mother-Church is very easie to be shaken if by the establishing of this Article she shall come to finall ruine and shall become the Synagoue of Satan Likewise Kings are brought into a very miserable state and condition if their Soueraigntie shall not stand if they shall not be without danger of deposition but by the totall ruine of the Church and by holding the Pope whome they serue to be Antechrist The L. Cardinall himselfe let him be well sifted herein doth not credit his owne words For doth not his Lordship tell vs plaine that neither by diuine testimonie nor by any sentence of the ancient Church the knot of this controuersie hath been vntyed againe that some of the French by the Popes fauourable indulgence are licensed or tolerated to say their mind to deliuer their opinion of this question though contrarie to the iudgement of his Holines prouided they hold it onely as problematicall and not as necessary What Can there be any assurance for the Pope that he is not Antechrist for the Church of Rome that she is not a Synagogue of Satan when a mans assurance is grounded vpon wauering and wild vncertanties without Canon of Scrpture without consent or countenance of antiquity and in a cause which the Pope with good leaue suffereth some to tosse with winds of problematicall opinion It hath beene shewed before that by Gods word whereof small reckoning perhaps is made by venerable antiquity and by the French Church in those times when the Popes power was mounted aloft the doctrine which teaches deposing of Kings by the Pope hath been checked and countermaunded What did the French in those dayes beleeue the Church was then swallowed vp and no where visible or extant in the world No verily Those that make the Pope of Soueraigne authoritie for matters of faith are not perswaded that in this cause they are bound absolutely to beleeue and credit his doctrine Why so Because they take it not for any decree or determination of faith but for a point pertaining to the mysteries of State and a pillar of the Popes Temporal Monarchy who hath not receiued any promise from God that in causes of this nature hee shall not erre For they hold that errour by no meanes can crawle or scramble vp to the Papall See so highly mounted but graunt ambition can scale the highest walls and climbe the loftiest pinnacles of the same See They hold withall that in a case of so speciall aduantage to the Pope whereby he is made King of Kings and as it were the pay-master or distributer of Crownes it is against all reason that hee should sit as Iudge to carue out Kingdoms for his own share To be short let his Lordship be assured that he meets with notorious blocke-heads more blunt witted then a whetstone when they are drawne to beleeue by his perswasion that whosoeuer beleeues the Pope hath no right nor power to put Kings beside their Thrones to giue and take away Crownes are all excluded and barred out of the heauenly Kingdome But now followes a worse matter For they whome the Cardinall reproachfully calls heretikes haue wrought and wonne his Lordship as to me seemeth to plead their cause at the barre and to betray his owne cause to these heretikes For what is it in his Lordship but plaine playing the Praeuaricator when he cryeth so loud that by admitting and establishing of this Article the doctrine of cake-incarnation and priuy Confession to a Priest is vtterly subuerted Let vs heare his reason and willingly accept of the truth from his lips The Articles as his Lordshippe graunteth of Transubstantiation auricular Confession and the Popes power to depose Kings are all grounded alike vpon the same authoritie Now he hath acknowledged the Article of the Popes power to depose Kings is
by their decrees the safetie of Kings was not confirmed but weakned not augmented but diminished for as much as they inhibited priuate persons to kill a subiect attempting by wicked counsells and practises to make away his King But be it graunted the Council of Constance is flat and altogether direct against King-killers For I am not vnwilling to be perswaded that had the question then touched the murdering of Soueraign Princes the said Council would haue passed a sound and holy decree But I say this graunted what sheild of defence is hereby reached to Kings to ward or beat off the thrusts of a murderers weapon and to saue or secure their life seeing the L. Cardinal building vpon the subtile deuise and shift of the Iesuites hath taught vs out of their Schooles that by Kings are vnderstood Kings in esse not yet fallen from the supreame degree of Soueraigne Royalty For beeing once deposed by the Pope say the Iesuites they are no longer Kings but are fallen from the rights of Soueraigne dignity and consequently to make strip and wast of their blood is not forsooth to make strip and wast of Royall blood These Iesuiticall masters in the file of their words are so supple and so limber that by leauing still in their speech some starting hole or other they are able by the same as by a posterne or back-doore to make an escape Meane while the Readers are here to note for well they may a tricke of monstrous and most wicked cunning The L. Cardinall contends for the bridling and hampering of King-killers by the Lawes Ecclesiasticall Now it might be presumed that so reuerend and learned a Cardinal intending to make vse of Ecclesiasticall laws by vertue whereof the life of Kings may be secured would fill his mouth and garnish the point with diuine Oracles that wee might the more gladly and willingly giue him the hearing when he speakes as one furnished with sufficient weight and authoritie of sacred Scripture But behold in stead of the authenticall and most auncient word he propounds the decree of a late-borne Councill at Constance neither for the Popes tooth nor any way comming neere the point in controuersie And suppose it were pertinent vnto the purpose the L. Cardinall beareth in his hand a forke of distinction with two tines or teeth to beare off nay to shift off and to avoide the matter with meere dalliance The shortest and neerest way in some sort of respects to establish a false opinion is to charge or set vpon it with false and with ridiculous reasons The like way to worke the ouerthrow of true doctrine is to rest or ground it vpon friuolous reasons or authorities of stubble-weight For example if wee should thus argue for the immortality of the soule with Plato The swan singeth before her death ergo the soule is immortall Or thus with certain seduced Christians The Pope hath ordained the word of God to be authenticall ergo all credit must be giuen to diuine Scripture Vpon the spurkies or hookes of such ridiculous arguments and friuolous reasons the L. Cardinall hangs the life and safetie of Kings With like artificiall deuises he pretendeth to haue the infamous murders and apposted cutting of Kings throats in extreame detestation and yet by deposing them from their Princely dignities by degrading them from their supreme and Soueraigne authorities he brings their sacred heads to the butchers blocke For a King deposed by the Pope let no man doubt will not leaue any stone vnremooued nor any meanes and wayes vnattempted nor any forces or powers of men vnleuied or vnhired to defend himselfe and his Regall dignitie to represse and bring vnder his rebellious people by the Pope discharged of their allegiance In this perplexitie of the publike affaires in these tempestuous perturbations of the State with what perills is the King not besieged and assaulted His head is exposed to the chances of warre his life a faire marke to the insidious practises of a thousand traytors his Royall person obuious to the dreadfull storme of angry fortune to the deadly malice to the fatall and mortall weapons of his enemies The reason He is presupposed to be lawfully and orderly stripped of his Kingdome Wil he yet hold the sterne of his Royall estate Then is he necessarily taken for a Tyrant reputed an vsurper and his life is exposed to the spoyle For the publike lawes make it lawfull and free for any priuate person to enterprise against an vsurper of the Kingdome Euery man saith Tertullian is a souldier to beare armes against all Traytors and publike enemies Take from a King the title of lawful King you take from him the warrant of his life and the weapons whereby he is maintained in greater security then by his Royall Guard armed with swords and halbards through whose wards and rankes a desperate villaine will make himselfe an easie passage beeing master of an other mans life because he is prodigall and carelesse of his owne Such therefore as pretend so much pittie towards Kings to abhorre the bloody opening of their liuer-veine and yet withall to approoue their hoysting out of the Royall dignity are iust in the vaine and humour of those that say Let vs not kill the King but let vs disarme the King that he may die a violent death let vs not depriue him of life but of the meanes to defend his life let vs not strangle the King and stoppe his vitall breath so long as he remaineth King O that were impious O that were horrible and abhominable but let him bee deposed and then whosoeuer shall runne him through the body with a weapon vp to the very hilts shall not beare the guilt of a King-killer All this must be vnderstood to be spoken of Kings who after they are despoyled of Regalitie by sentence of deposition giuen by the Pope are able to arme themselues and by valiant armes doe defend their Soueraigne rights But in case the King blasted with Romane lightning and stricken with Papall thunder shall actually and speedily bee smitten downe from his high Throne of Regality with present losse of his Kingdome I beleeue it is almost impossible for him to warrant his owne life who was not able to warrant his own Kingdome Let a cat be throwne from a high roofe to the bottome of a cellour or vault she lighteth on her feete and runneth away without taking any harme A King is not like a cat howsoeuer a cat may looke vpon a King he cannot fall from the loftie pinnacle of Royaltie to light on his feet vpon the hard pauement of a priuate state without crushing all his bones in peices It hath been the lot of very few Emperours and Kings to outliue their Empire For men ascend to the lofty Throne of Kings with a soft and easie pace by certaine steps and degrees there be no stately staires to come downe they tumble head and heeles together when they fall He that hath once griped anothers
if he shal make his owne coffers to swell with an others reuenewes if he shall decke and array his owne backe in the spoyles of a sinner with whom in absolution he maketh peace and taketh truce what can this be else but running into further degrees of wickednesse and mischiefe what can this be else but heaping of robbery vpon fraud and impiety vpon robbery For by such deceitfull crafty and cunning practises the nature of the Pontificiall Sea meerely spirituall is changed into the Kings-bench-Court meerely temporall the Bishops chaire is changed into a Monarchs Throne And not onely so but besides the sinners repentance is changed into a snare or pit-fall of cousening deceit and Saint Peters net is changed into a casting-net or a flew to fish for all the wealth of most flourishing Kingdomes Moreouer the King a hard case is driuen by such wyles and subtilties to worke impossibilities to act more then is lawfull or within the compasse of his power to practise For the King neither may in right nor can by power trans-nature his Crowne impaire the Maiestie of his Kingdome or leaue his Royall dignitie lesse free to his heire apparant or next successor then he receiued the same of his predecessor Much lesse by any dishonourable capitulations by any vnworthy contracts degrade his posteritie bring his people vnder the grieuous burden of tributes and taxes to a forraine Prince Least of all make them tributary to a Priest vnto whom it no way appertaineth to haue any hand in the ciuill affaires of Kings or to distaine vnhallow their Crownes And therefore when the Pope dispatched his Nuntio to Philippus Augustus requesting the King to avert Lewis his sonne from laying any claime to the Kingdom of England Philip answered the Legat as we haue it in Math. Paris No King no Prince can abienate or giue away his Kingdome but by consent of his Barons bound by Knights seruice to defend the said Kingdom and in case the Pope shall stand for the contrary error his Holinesse shall giue to Kingdomes a most pernicious example By the same Authorit is testified that King Iohn became odious to his subiects for such dishonorable and vnworthie inthralling of his Crowne and Kingdome Therefore the Popes right pretended to the Crowne of England which is nothing else but a ridiculous vsurpation hath long agoe vanished into smoake and required not so much as the drawing of one sword to snatch and pull it by violence out of his hands For the Popes power lying altogether in a certaine wild and wandring conceit or opinion of men and beeing onely an imaginary castle in the ayre built by pride and vnderpropped by superstition is very speedily dispersed vpon the first rising and appearing of the truth in her glorious brightnesse There is none so very a dolt or block-head to deny that in case this right of the Pope ouer England is grounded vpon Gods word then his Holinesse may challenge the like right ouer all other Kingdomes because all other Kingdomes Crownes and Scepters are subiect alike to Gods word For what priuiledge what charter what euidence can France fetch out of the Rolles or any other treasurie of her monuments or records to shew that she oweth lesse subiection to God then England Or was this yoke of bondage then brought vpon the English Nation was it a prerogatiue whereby they might more easily come to the libertie of the sonnes of God Or were the people of England perswaded that for all their substance wealth and life bestowed on the Pope his Holinesse by way of exchange returned them better weight and measure of spirituall graces It is ridiculous onely to conceiue these to yes in thought and yet with such ridiculous with such toyes in conceit his Lordship feedes and entertains his auditors From this point he falleth to an other bowt and fling at his heretikes with whom he played no faire play before There is not one Synode of ministers as he saith which would willingly subscribe to this Article whereunto we should be bound to sweare But herein his Lordship shooteth farre from the mark This Article is approued and preached by the Ministers of my Kingdome It is likewise preached by those of France and if neede be I assure my selfe will be signed by all the Ministers of the French Church The L. Cardinall proceedeth for hee meaneth not so soone to giue ouer these heretikes All their Consistories beleeue it as their Creede that if Catholike Princes at any time shall offer force vnto their conscience then they are dispensed withall for their oath of allegiance Hence are these modifications and restrictions tossed so much in their mouthes Prouided the King force vs not in our conscience Hence are these exceptions in the profession of their faith Prouided the Soueraigne power and authoritie of God be not in any sort violated or infringed I am not able to conceiue what engine can be framed of these materialls for the bearing of Kings out of their eminent seats by any lawfull authority or power in the Pope For say those of the Religion should be tainted with some like errour how can that be any shelter of excuse for those of the Romish Church to vndermine or to digge vp the Thrones of their Kings But in this allegation of the Lord Cardinal there is nothing at all which doth not iumpe iust and accord to a haire with the Article of the third Estate and with obedience due to the King For they doe not professe that in case the King shall commaund them to doe any act contrarie to their conscience they would flie at his throat would make any attempt against his life would refuse to pay their taxations or to defend him in the warres They make no profession of deposing the King or discharging the people from the oath of allegiance tendred to the King which is the very point or issue of the matter in controuersie and the maine mischeife against which the third Estate hath bin most worthily carefull to prouide a wholesome remedie by this Article There is a world of difference betweene the termes of disobedience and of deposition It is one thing to disobey the Kings commaund in matters prohibited by diuine lawes and yet in all other matters to performe full subiection vnto the King It is another thing of a farre higher degree or straine of disloyaltie to bare the King of his Royall robes throne and scepter and when he is thus farre disgraced to degrade him and to put him from his degree and place of a King If the holy Father should charge the L. Cardinal to doe some act repugnant in his owne knowledge to the Law of God I will religiously and according to the rule of charity presume that his Lordship in this case would stand out against his Holinesse and notwithstanding would still acknowledge him to be Pope His Lordship yet prosecutes and followes his former purpose Hence are those armes which they haue oftentimes
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
the bodie of the Article In which place let it be narrowly examined Thomas will easily be found to speake not of the subiection of beleeuing subiects vnder Infidel Kings as the Lord Cardinall pretendeth but of beleeuing seruants that liue vnder Masters whether Iewes or Infidels As when a Iew keepeth seruants which professe Iesus Christ or as when some of the faithfull kept in Caesars house who are not considered by Thomas as they were subiects of the Empire but as they were seruants of the family The other place is taken out of Quest 11. and 2. art in the body of the article where no such matter as the L. Cardinal alledgeth can be found With like fidelitie he taketh Gerson in hand who indeed in his booke of Ecclesiasticall power and 12. Consider doth affirme When the abuse of secular power redoundeth to manifest impugning of the faith and blaspheming of the Creator then shall it not bee amisse to haue recourse vnto the last branch of this 12. Consider where in such case as aforesaid a certain regitiue directiue regulatiue and ordinatiue authoritie is committed to the Ecclesiasticall power His very words which make no mention at all of deposing or of any compulsiue power ouer Soueraigne Princes For that forme of rule and gouernement whereof Gerson speaketh is exercised by Ecclesiasticall censures excommunications not by losse of goods of Kingdoms or of Empires This place then is wrested by the L. Cardinall to a contrary sense Neither should his Lordship haue omitted that Gerson in the question of Kings subiection in Temporall matters or of the dependance of their Crowns vpon the Popes power excepteth alwaies the King of France witnesse that which Gerson a little before the place alleadged by the Cardinal hath plainely affirmed Now since Peters time saith Gerson all Imperiall Regall and Secular power is not immediately to drawe vertue and strength from the Soueraigne Bishop as in this manner the most Christian King of France hath no Superiour nor acknowledgeth any such vpon the face of the earth Now here need no great sharpenes of wit for the searching out of this deepe mysterie that if the Pope hath power to giue or take away Crownes for any cause or any pretended occasion whatsoeuer the Crowne of France must needs depend vpon the Pope But for as much as we are now hitte in with Gerson we will examine the L. Cardinals allegations towards the ende of his Oration taken out of Gersons famous Oration made before Charles 6. for the Vniuersitie of Paris where he brings in Gerson to affirme That killing a Tyrant is a sacrifice acceptable to God But Gerson let it be diligently noted there speaketh not in his owne person hee there brings in sedition speaking the words Of which words vttered by sedition and other like speeches you shall now heare what iudgement Gerson himselfe hath giuen When sedition had spoken with such a furious voice I turned away my face as if I had beene smitten with death to shew that I was not able to endure her madnesse any longer And indeede when dissimulation on the one side and sedition on the other had suggested the deuises of two contrary extremes he brings forth Discretion as a Iudge keeping the meane betweene both extreames and vttering those words which the L. Cardinall alleadgeth against himselfe If the head saith Gerson or some other member of the ciuill body should grow to so desperate a passe that it would gulpe and swallowe downe the deadly poison of tyrannie euery member in his place with all power possible for him to raise by expedient meanes and such as might preuent a greater inconuenience should set himselfe against so madde a purpose and so deadly practise For if the head be grieued with some light paine it is not fit for the hand to smite the head no that were but a foolish and a madde part Nor is the hand forthwith to chop off or separate the head from the bodie but rather to cure the head with good speach and other meanes like a skilfull and wise Physitian Yea nothing would be more cruell or more voide of reason then to seeke to stoppe the strong and violent streame of tyranny by sedition These words me thinke doe make verie strongly and expressely against butchering euen of Tyrannicall Kings And whereas a little after the said passage he teacheth to expell Tyrannie he hath not a word of expelling the Tyrant but onely of breaking and shaking off the yoke of Tyranny Yet for all that hee would not haue the remedies for the repressing of Tyrannie to bee fetcht from the Pope who presumeth to degrade Kings but from Philosophers Lawyers Diuines and personages of good conuersation It appeareth now by all that hath been said before that whereas Gerson in the 7 Considerat against Flatterers doth affirme Whensoeuer the Prince doth manifestly pursue and prosecute his naturall subiects and shew himselfe obstinately bent with notorious iniustice to vexe them of set purpose and with full consent so farre as to the fact then this rule and law of Nature doth take place It is lawfull to resist and repell force by force and that sentence of Seneca There is no sacrifice more acceptable to God then a Tyrant offered in sacrifice the words Doth take place are so to be vnderstood as hee speaketh in an other passage to wit with or amongst seditious persons Or else the words doth take place doe onely signifie is put in practise And so Gerson there speaketh not as out of his owne iudgement His Lordshippe also should not haue balked and left out Sigebertus who with more reason might haue passed for French then Thomas and Occam whom he putteth vpon vs for French Sigebertus in his Chronicle vpon the yere 1088. speaking of the Emperours deposing by the Pope hath words of this tenor This heresie was not crept out of the shell in those dayes that his Priests who hath said to the King Apostata and maketh an hypocrite to rule for the sinnes of the people should teach the people they owe no subiection vnto wicked Kings nor any allegiance notwithstanding they haue taken the oath of allegiance Now after the L. Card. hath coursed in this manner through the histories of the last ages which in case they all made for his purpose doe lacke the weight of authority in stead of searching the will of God in the sacred Oracles of his word and standing vpon examples of the ancient Church at last leauing the troope of his owne allegations he betakes himselfe to the sharpening and rebating of the points of his aduersaries weapons For the purpose he brings in his aduersaries the champions of Kings Crownes and makes them to speake out of his owne mouth for his L. saith it will be obiected after this manner Jt may come to passe that Popes either carried with passion or misledde by sinister information may without iust cause fasten vpon Kings the imputation of heresie or apostasie
wherefore the man doth not require the Popes instructions But whether a King be deposed by that man the Pope or by that Pope the man is it not all one is he not deposed Others affirme the Pope may erre in a question of the fact but not in a question of the right An egregious gullery and imposture For if he may bee ignorant whether Iesus Christ died for our sinnes doubtles he may also be to seeke whether we should repose all our trust and assured confidence in the death of Christ Consider with me the Prophets of olde They were all inspired and taught of God to admonish and reprooue the Kings of Iudah and Israel they neither erred in matter of fact nor in point of right they were as farre from being blinded and fetcht ouer by deceitfull calumniations as from beeing seduced by the painted shew of corrupt and false doctrine As they neuer trode awry in matter of faith so they neuer whetted the edge of their tongue or style against the faultles Had it not beene a trimme deuice in their times to say that as Esay and as Daniel they might haue sunke into heresie but not as Prophets For doubtlesse in this case that Esay would haue taken counsell of the Prophet which was himselfe To bee short If Kings are onely so long to be taken for Kings vntill they shall be declared heretikes and shall be deposed by the Pope they continually stand in extreame danger to vndergoe a very heauy and vniust sentence Their safest way were to know nothing and to beleeue by proxie least if they should happen to talke of God or to thinke of religion they should be drawne for heretikes into the Popes Inquisition All the examples hitherto produced by the L. Cardinall on a rowe are of a latter date they lacke weight are drawne from the time of bondage and make the Popes themselues witnesses in their owne cause They descant not vpon the point of deposition but onely strike out and sound the notes of excommunication and interdiction which make nothing at all to the musicke of the question And therefore he telleth vs in kindnesse as I take it more oftentimes then once or twice that he speaketh onely of the fact as one that doth acknowledge himselfe to be out of the right Hee relates things done but neuer what should bee done which as the Iudicious know is to teach nothing The second Jnconuenience examined THE second Inconuenience like to growe as the Lord Cardinall seemeth to be halfe afraid if the Article of the third Estate might haue passed with approbation is couched in these words Lay-men shall by authoritie be strengthened with power to iudge in matters of Religion as also to determine the doctrine comprised in the said Article to haue requisite conformitie with Gods word yea they shall haue it in their hands to compell Ecclesiastics by necessitie to sweare preach and teach the opinion of the one side as also by Sermons and publike writings to impugne the other This inconuenience hee aggrauateth with swelling words and breaketh out into these vehement exclamations O reproach O scandall O gate set open to a world of heresies He therefore laboureth both by reasons by autorities of holy Scripture to make such vsurped power of Laics a fowle shamefull and odious practise In the whole his Lordship toyles himselfe in vaine and maketh suppositions of castles in the aire For in preferring this Article the third Estate haue born themselues not as iudges or vmpires but altogether as petitioners requesting the said Article might be receiued into the number of the Parliament bookes to bee presented vnto the King and his Counsell vnto whome in all humilitie they referred the iudgement of the said Article conceiuing all good hope the Clergie and Nobilitie would be pleased to ioyne for the furtherance of their humble petition They were not so ignorant of State-matters or so vnmindfull of their owne places and charges to beare themselues in hand that a petition put vp and preferred by the third Estate can carrie the force of a Lawe or Statute so long as the other two Orders withstand the same and so long as the King himselfe holds backe his Royall consent Besides the said Article was not propounded as a point of religious doctrine but for euer after to remaine and continue a fundamentall Lawe of the Commonwealth and State it selfe the due care whereof was put into their hands and committed to their trust If the King had ratified the said Article with Royall consent and had commanded the Clergie to put in execution the contents thereof it had beene their duty to see the Kings will and pleasure fulfilled as they are subiects bound to giue him aide in all things which may any way serue to procure the safetie of his life and the tranquility of his Kingdome Which if the Clergie had performed to the vttermost of their power they had not shewed obedience as vnderlings vnto the third Estate but vnto the King alone by whome such commaund had beene imposed vpon suggestion of his faithfull subiects made the more watchfull by the negligence of the Clergie whom they perceiue to be linked with stricter bands vnto the Pope then they are vnto their King Here then the Cardinall fights with meere shadowes and mooues a doubt whereof his aduersaries haue not so much as once thought in a dreame But yet according to his great dexteritie and nimblenesse of spirit by this deuice he cunningly takes vpon him to giue the King a lesson with more libertie making semblance to direct his masked Oration to the Deputies of the people when he shooteth in effect and pricketh at his King the Princes also and Lords of his Counsell whom the Cardinall compriseth vnder the name of Laics whose iudgment it is not vnlikely was apprehended much better by the Clergy then the iudgement of the third Estate Now these are the men whom he tearmeth intruders into other mens charges and such as open a gate for I wot not how many legions of heresies to rush into the Church For if it be proper to the Clergie and their Head to iudge in this cause of the Right of Kings then the King himselfe his Princes and Nobilitie are debarred and wiped of all iudgement in the same cause no lesse then the representatiue body of the people Well then the L Cardinall showres downe like haile sundry places and testimonies of Scripture where the people are commaunded to haue their Pastors in singular loue and to beare them all respects of due obseruance Be it so yet are the said passages of Scripture no barre to the people for their vigilant circumspection to preserue the life and Crown of their Prince against all the wicked enterprises of men stirred vp by the Clergie who haue their Head out of the Kingdom and hold themselues to be none of the Kings subiects a thing neuer spoken by the sacrificing Priests and Prelates mentioned in the passages alleadged
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
full of danger to Christians liuing vnder heretical or Pagan Princes For make it once knowne to the Emperour of Turkes let him once get neuer so little a smacke of this doctrine that Christians liuing vnder his Empire do take Gods commaundement for obedience to Princes whom they count Infidels to bee onely a prouisionall precept for a time and wait euery houre for all occasions to shake off the yoke of his bondage doubtlesse he will neuer spare with all speed to roote the whole stocke with all the armes and branches of Christians out of his dominions Adde hereunto the L. Cardinalls former determination that possession kept neuer so long by the Turk in his Conquests ouer Christians gaines him not by so long tract of time one inch of prescription and it wil appeare that his Lordship puts the Turkish Emperour in mind and by his instruction leades the said Emperour as it were by the hand to haue no manner of affiance in his Christian subiects and withall to afflict his poore Christians with all sorts of most grieuous and cruell torments In this regard the poore Christians of Graecia and Syria must needes be very little beholden to his Lordship As for my selfe and my Popish subiects to whome I am no lesse then an heretike forsooth am not I by this doctrine of the Cardinall pricked and whetted against my naturall inclination to turne clemencie into rigour seeing that by his doctrine my subiects are made to beleeue they owe me subiection onely by way of prouiso and with waiting the occasion to worke my vtter destruction and final ruine the rather because Turkes miscreants and heretikes are mashalled by the Cardinall in the same ranke and heretikes are counted worse yea more iustly deposeable then Turkes and Infidels as irreligious breakers and violaters of their oath Who seeth not here how great indignitie is offered to me a Christian King paralleld with Infidels reputed worse then a Turke taken for an vsurper of my Kingdomes reckoned a Prince to whom subiects owe a forced obedience by way of prouision vntill they shall haue meanes to shake off the yoke and to bare my temples of the Crowne which neuer can be pulled from the sacred Head but with losse of the head it selfe Touching the warres vndertaken by the French English and Germaines in their expedition for Ierusalem it appeares by the issue and euent of the said warres that God approoued them not for honourable That expedition was a deuise and inuention of the Pope whereby he might come to be infeoffed in the Kingdoms of Christian Princes For then al such of the French English or Germaines as vndertooke the Croisade became the Popes meere vassals Then all robbers by the high way side adulterers cut-throats and base bankerupts were exempted from the Secular and Ciuil power their causes were sped in Consistorian Courts so soone as they had gotten the Crosse on their cassocks or coat-armours and had vowed to serue in the expedition for the Leuant Then for the Popes pleasure and at his commaundement whole countryes were emptied of their Nobles and common souldiers Then they made long marches into the Leuant For what purpose Onely to die vpon the points of the Saracens pikes or by the edge of their barbarous courtelasses battle-axes fauchions and other weapons without any benefit and aduantage to themselues or others Then the Nobles were driuen to sell their goodly Mannors and auncient demaines to the Church-men at vnder prises and low rates the very roote from which a great part of the Church and Church-mens reuenewes hath sprung and growne to so great height Then to bee short his most bountifull Holinesse gaue to any of the riffe-raffe-ranke that would vndertake this expedition into the Holy land a free and full pardon for all his sinnes besides a degree of glory aboue the vulgar in the Celestiall Paradise Military vertue I confesse is commendable and honourable prouided it be employed for iustice and that generous noblenesse of valiant spirits be not vnder a colour and shadow of piety fetcht ouer with some casts or deuises of Italian cunning Now let vs obserue the wisedome of the L. Cardinall through this whole discourse His Lordship is pleased in his Oration to cite certaine few passages of Scripture culls and picks them out for the most gracefull in shewe leaues out of his list whole troupes of honourable witnesses vpon whose testimonie the Popes themselues and their principall adherents doe build his power to depose Kings and to giue order for all Temporall causes Take a sight of their best and most honourable witnesses Peter said to Christ See here two swords and Christ answered It is sufficient Christ said to Peter Put vp thy sword into thy sheath God said to Ieremie I haue established thee ouer Nations and Kingdomes Paul said to the Corinthians The spirituall man discerneth all things Christ said to his Apostles Whatsoeuer yee shall loose vpon earth by which words the Pope hath power forsooth to loose the oath of allegiance Moses said In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Vpon these passages Pope Boniface 8. grapling and tugging with Philip the Faire doth build his Temporall power Other Popes and Papists auouch the like authorities Christ said of himself All things are giuen to me of my Father and all power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth The Deuils said If thou cast vs out send vs into this herd of swine Christ said to his Disciples Yee shall finde the colt of an asse bound loose it and bring it vnto me By these places the aduersaries prooue that Christ disposed of Temporall matters and inferre thereupon why not Christs Vicar as well as Christ himselfe The places and testimonies now following are very expresse In stead of thy fathers shall be thy children thou shalt make them Princes through all the earth Item Iesus Christ not onely commaunded Peter to feed his lambs but said also to Peter Arise kill and eat the pleasant glosse the rare inuention of the L. Cardinall Baronius Christ said to the people If I were lift vp from the earth I wil draw all things vnto me Who lets what hinders this place from fitting the Pope Paul said to the Corinthians Know ye not that we shall iudge the Angels how much more then the things that pertaine vnto this life A little after Haue not wee power to eate These are the chiefe passages on which as vpon maine arches the roofe of Papall Monarchie concerning Temporall causes hath rested for three or foure ages past And yet his Lordship durst not repose any confidence in their firme standing to beare vp the said roofe of Temporall Monarchie for feare of making his auditors to burst with laughter A wise part without question if his Lordship had not defiled his lips before with a more ridiculous argument drawne from the leprosie and drie scab Let vs now by way of comparison behold Iesus Christ
King is a King deposed his repentance is euer fruitles euer vnprofitable Hath a priuate person a trayne of seruants He can not be depriued of any one without his priuity and consent Hath a King millions of subiects He may be depriued by the Pope of a third part when his Holinesse will haue them turne Clerics or enter cloisters without asking the King leaue so of subiects they may be made nonsubiects But I question yet further A King falling into heresie is deposed by the Pope his sonne stands pure Catholike The Regall seate is empty Who shall succeed in the deposed Kings place Shall a stranger be preferred by the Pope That were to do the innocent sonne egregious and notorious wrong Shall the sonne himselfe That were a more iniurious part in the sonne against his father For if the sonne be touched with any feare of God or mooued with any reuerence towards his Father he will diligently and seriously take heed that he put not his Father by the Kingdome by whose meanes he himselfe is borne to a Kingdome Nor will he tread in the steps of Henry V. Emperour who by the Popes instigation expelled and chased his aged father out of the Imperiall dignity Much lesse will he hearken to the voice aduise of Doctor Suares the Iesuite who in his booke written against my selfe a book applauded and approoued of many Doctors after he hath like a Doctor of the chaire pronounced That a King deposed by the Pope cannot bee lawfully expelled or killed but onely by such as the Pope hath charged with such execution falleth to adde a little after If the Pope shall declare a King to be an heretike and fallen from the Kingdome without making further declaration touching execution that is to say without giuing expresse charge vnto any to make away the King then the lawfull successor beeing a Catholike hath power to do the feate and if he shall refuse or if there shall bee none such then it appertaineth to the comminaltie or body of the Kingdome A most detestable sentence For in hereditarie Kingdoms who is the Kings lawfull successor but his sonne The sonne then by this doctrine shall imbrew his hands in his owne fathers blood so soone as he shall be deposed by the Pope A matter so much the neerer and more deepely to be apprehended because the said most outragious booke flyeth like a furious mastiffe directly at my throat and withal instilleth such precepts into the tender disposition of my sonne as if hereafter he shall become a Romane Catholike so soone as the Pope shall giue me the lift out of my Throne shall bind him forthwith to make effusion of his owne fathers blood Such is the religion of these Reuerend Fathers the pillars of the Pontificiall Monarchie In comparison of whose religion and holinesse all the impietie that euer was among the Infidels and all the barbarous cruelty that euer was among the Canibals may passe henceforth in the Christian world for pure clemencie and humanity These things ought his Lordship to haue pondered rather then to babble of habitudes and politike characters which to the common people are like the Bergamasque or the wild-Irish forme of speech and passe their vnderstanding All these things are nothng in a manner if we compare them with the last clause which is the closer and as it were the vpshot of his Lordships discourse For therein he laboureth to perswade concerning this Article framed to bridle the Popes tyrannicall power ouer Kings if it should receiue gratious entertainment and general approbation That it would breed great danger and worke effects of pernicious consequence vnto Kings The reason because it would prooue an introduction to schisme and schisme would stirre vp ciuill warres contempt of Kings distempered inclinations and motions to intrappe their life and which is worst of all the fierce wrath of God inflicting all sorts of calamities An admirable paradoxe and able to strike men stone-blind that his Holinesse must haue power to depose Kings for the better security and safegard of their life that when their Crownes are made subiect vnto an others will and pleasure then they are come to the highest altitude and eleuation of honour that for the onely warrant of their life their supreame and absolute greatnes must be depressed that for the longer keeping of their Crownes an other must plucke the Crowne from their heads As if it should be said Would they not be stript naked by an other the best way is for themselues to vntrusse for themselues to put off all and to goe naked of their owne accord Will they keepe their Soueraigntie in safetie for euer The best way is to let an other haue their Soueraigne authority and supreame Estate in his power But I haue been euer of this mind that when my goods are at no mans command or disposing but mine owne then they are truely and certainly mine owne It may be this error is growne vpon me and other Princes for lacke of braines whereupon it may be feared or at least coniectured the Pope meanes to shaue our crownes and thrust vs into some cloister there to hold ranke in the brotherhood of good King Childeric For as much then as my dull capacity doth not serue me to reach or comprehend the pith of this admirable reason I haue thought good to seeke and to vse the instruction of old and learned experience which teacheth no such matter by name that ciuill warres and fearefull perturbations of State in any nation of the world haue at any time growne from this faithfull credulity of subiects that Popes in right haue no power to wrest and lift Kings out of their dignities and possessions On the other side by establishing the contrary maximes to yoke and hamper the people with Pontificiall tyrannie what rebellious troubles and stirres what extreame desolations hath England been forced to feare and feele in the raigne of my Predecessors Henry II. Iohn and Henry III These be the maximes and principles which vnder the Emperour Henry IV. and Frederic the I. made all Europe flowe with channels and streames of blood like a riuer with water while the Saracens by their incursions and victories ouerflowed and in a manner drowned the honour of the Christian name in the East These bee the maximes and principles which made way for the warres of the last League into France by which the very bowels of that most famous and flourishing Kingdome were set on such a combustion that France herselfe was brought within two fingers breadth of bondage to an other Nation and the death of her two last Kings most villanously and trayterously accomplished The Lord Cardinall then giuing these diabolicall maximes for meanes to secure the life and estate of Kings speaketh as if he would giue men counsell to dry themselues in the riuer when they come as wet as a water spaniel out of a pond or to warme themselues by the light of the Moone when they