pen of our sacred Soueraigne taxing the Cardinall for robbing the Scripture of authority by making Gods precepts temporary prouisoes laies downe an infallible rule That Apostolicall instructions which informe maners are not changeable but giue a standing and perpetuall rule permanent for all people and not fashionable to the quality of Times But the Romane Church which teach disloyalty and disobedience against Kings deposing Kings from their thrones and then authorizing subiects to take Armes against them had need accommodate Text to time whose obedience to Princes is temporary that is till they haue a fit season and place as a vault vnder a Parliament house and then as Aeneas Syluius said of the Monkes Non audet stygius Pluto tentare quod audet Effraenis Monachus Then they are without humanity vnnaturall impious cruell murderers as Lucifer Calaritanus to the Arrians and I may say to Iesuited Priests beeing bloudy minded and deceitfull men and therefore many of them doe not liue out halfe their daies dying bloudy deaths for acting or affecting bloudy deeds Let vs in the next place obserue how before these latter times I meane before Popery was Heldebrandized and Iesuited whether this point of Papall power to depose Emperors or Kings was eyther broached or belieued in the Church CHAP. X. IT should seeme not to be belieued or broached by their owne writers for Otho Frisingensis saith Rego relego c. I haue read ouer and ouer the Acts of Romane Kings and Emperors and I can finde none before Henry the fourth Emperor excommunicated by the Bishop of Rome or deposed which was first assayed by Gregory the seauenth called Heldebrand Anno Dom. 1066. And Vrspergensis saith That the Bishops that had taken armes with the said Gregory against the Emperor were cast out of their Bishoprickes by the Synode of Mentz where the Popes Legates were present And Sigebert saith This nouelty that I may not say heresie did not as yet appeare in the world that Priests should teach the people that they ought to shew no obedience to wicked Kings and though they haue taken an oath of Allegiance yet owe no fâ—alty neyther are to be called periured if they haue such mindes against Kings And Vincantius Lirinensis agrees with him in the same words Yea many eminent Romane Catholickes did vtterly dislike Gregories deposition of Henry the fourth and denied the authority of the Apostolike See to depose him or to absolue his subiects from their oath of obedience yea the Bishop of Mentz Gregories friend and fauourer writ to the said Pope to furnish him with those reasons wherewith hee was moued to depose the Emperor to prouide him with answers against all gaine sayers Yea the Bishops of Rome themselues in the purer times acknowledged all obedience to Emperors and Kings challenging no such prerogatiue to meddle with their Crownes or persons and for 300. yeares vntill Siluester they performed passiue obedience to Heathen Emperors and so before and after Boniface for 500. yeares they performed actiue obedience to Christian Emperors submitting themselues vnto them in all loyall subiection and acknowledging them as their owne Bishop Meltiades did to Constantine the Great to be supreame Head not onely in Temporall but also in Spirituall things as Eusebius records it lib. 1. c. 5. But peraduenture some Papist may reply and say that I doe not reckon aright in making Gregory the seauenth the first Pope that deposed an Emperor which yet is affirmed by their owne writers for Leo the third Emperor was excommunicated by Gregory the second and depriued of all his Temporalities hee held in Italy and the Greeke Emperors were remoued from the Empire by Leo the third Bishop of Rome and so of some others Which obiection is so frequently answered by our Diuines who haue written about this point of the Popes power in this kinde that for breuity I will passe it ouer in a worde That Gregory the second did not depriue Leo the third Emperor of his temporalities but onely was an agent or as the head of rebellion in the reuolt of the Italians from the Emperor not by his vniuersall authority now claimed but by a popular sedition then raised And to the second That the Greeke Empire was translated by Leo the third to the Germanes is much doubted for some historians write it was translated by a Decree of the people of Rome not by the Popes keyes yet probably he might haue his head hand and heart in it for as Pope Adrian the sixt said All mischiefe came from the chiefe Bishop of Rome into the whole Church and by his Legate Cleregatus promised reformation to the Germanes The Popes of Rome haue a long time laboured to rise to this primacy of pride by degrees first aboue Bishops as in Boniface the third after aboue Kings and Emperors specially in Gregory the seauenth and his successors yet those aspiring wings clipt by Councels Wormes Papia Brixis Mentz till at last two of the worst Councels the Laterane and Tridentine did lift vp the Pope to the top of the pinnacle not onely aboue Kings and Councels but aboue Gods counsels the sacred Scriptures Tantae molis erat Romanum surgere papam But let vs a little look vpon this question which yet is like a Spirit sooner raised then put downe of the papall power of Kings deposition A spiritual power in the Pope of primacy I know none temporall much lesse but this same pretended priuatiue power least of al for it is not in any place to be found that God hath giuen to the Pope yea to any man power to make or vnmake temporall King 〈◊〉 for hee that can depose a King must bee aboue a King but regall power is the highest power on earth post Deum secundus est solo Deo minor as Tertullian of Kings next after God and inferiour to none but God Super quem non est nisi solus Deus as Optatus Mileuitanus aboue whom there is none but God alone So King Dauid Tibi soli peccaui against thee onely haue I finned So that I may say with Iohn of Paris In the Emperour is inuested a power to depose the Pope as formerly many haue beene if he abuse his power because he is his superiour but not in the Pope for he is and ought to be his inferiour and with this Iohn Maior agree many other Almaine and Occam as Almaine alleadges Occams opinion and makes it his owne conclusion That the Pope hath no power eyther by excommunication or by any other meanes to depose a Prince ftom his royall dignity and further affirmes with Occam saying The Emperour is not bound to sweare allegiance to the Pope but the Pope if he hold any temporal possessions is bound to sweare allegiance to the Emperor and to pay him tribute But the Champions of the Popes power in this kinde alleadge some presidents of the Priests in
moue them to such cruelty One of the specials of them Percy a Pensioner in an honourable place the others with worship wealth in the Common-wealth no penall Lawes vrged vpon them with many other prouocations to peace and amity Quorum si singula duram Flectere non poterant potuissent omnia mentem If some of these could not yet all conioind Might well haue turnd to loue a Lyons mind But all could not for howsoeuer they made a shew of obedience it was counterfeit Ore tenus Honouring with lippes not hearts They surely had receiued the Present of their Pope long agoe sent to his deare Children here namely the fiue wounds of Christ with this poesie Fili da mihi car tuum sufficit My sonne giue me thy heart and it sufficeth Rome had their heart England their hate and wee might of them haue complained had not the Lord helped with the Prophet Dauid Thou hast made the Land to tremble and hast made it to gape heale the breaches thereof for it is shaken Thou hast made vs to drinke the wine of giddinesse Yet these could flatter with Iudas Auc Rabbi Haile Master or Master is it I Yet for all Syren-songs let vs looke to our selues for Viâ— fidus affectus quorum diuersa fides saith Chrysostome VVhose faith is different their fidelity is doubtfull Their words sweeter then hony yet Vnlpina cauda semper prominet rictus rugitus Leonem prodit The Foxe may be knowne by his taile the Lyon by his iawes clawes and roaring By their fruits ye shall know them Trust not their iugred speeches for they haue learned the language of the Low-Countries I meane of hell their art of equiuocation to speake one thing and meane another and you know by equiuocation Iudas and Iesuits may be taken for honest men And how can their fidelity be good I meane them of their Clergy for as euery popish Bishop is sworne obedience to the Pope and Sea of Rome and to defend to death Rogalia Sancti Petri The Regalities of Saint Peter so in the English Colledge of Rome it is a Statute-Law or papall constitution that whosoeuer doe enter into it hee is bound to sweare after certaine yeeres being perfectly Iesuited to returne into England for the defence of the Catholicke Faith and there publikely or priuately to preach the same Now their Faith which they call Catholicke granteth to their Roman Church power to free subiects from all duty of obedience as doth appeare in the foureteene section and seuenth Chapter of their late Councell of Trent from which fountaine flowes Tâ—… So that they will not submit themselues to any Protestant King in any loyall and faithfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as did in somelately appeare in refusing the Oath of Alleagiance wherein his Maiesty specially aimed Separare pretiosum à vâ—… As the Lord by Ieremy to separate the precious from the vile to discerne and distinguish the Pseudocatholickes of this Climate from others of his sound and faithfull subiects And how I pray you was this oath impugned by the Popes Briefes by Bellarmine and others accounting it vnlawfull prohibiting all Popish Sectaries to accept it which oath yet specially touched their alleagiance to the King against the Popes primacy pretended in temporall things and but little the supremacy in spirituall things so that they who are thus rooted and vnmoueably grounded in all the mysteries of the Church of Rome beleeuing the Pope the supreme Head of all hauing power to excommunicate Kings to depriue them to absolue subiects from alleagiance to giue authority to kill Kings and accounting such deeds done meritorious are Clancularij proditores Clancular Traytors Schoole-Traytors who though they liue Vespertilionum instar Like the night-birds in obscurity and neuer reduce their Theoricke into Practick yet are they Traytors in Esse though not in Actu But to leaue these and to returne againe to our Powder-men Traytors both in fore and fieri Claneular at first their Chamber was a Mine vnder the Earth but being discouered then they shewed themselues Damonesmeridiani Noone day Diuels and were Sagittae volantes in die Arrowes that flie by day for perceiuing their purpose discouered and treachery preuented and disappointed of their priuate blow and blast which should haue beene acted in secret now they resolue to runne a desperate race and practise a publicke rebellion And so gathering their Catholicke Company and pretending the quarrell of Religion which they thought had had the vertue of a snow ball to encrease their number by tumbling vp and downe and hauing gotten such prouision of Armor Horses and Powder as time would permit they ranged about as open and auowed Rebels The story whereof I omit to rehearse because it is vulgarly knowne and in a Booke at large rehearsed Well the Catholicke cause moued these to this cursed Treason in which impiety behold their policy for if their villany had succceded which God in his mercy preuented they had deuised to haue laid all the blame vpon the Puritans The poore Puritans must haue the shame of Papists impurities and impieties Here in they shewed themselues to be Neroes brats who when he had set fire on the City laied the fault vpon the Christians as Tacitus writes of him or as in old time in the dayes of the ten persecutions of the Primitiue Church if any thing had befallen the world euen by Gods hand as plague or famine c. all reproaches were put vpon the Christians and crying out Christianos ad Leones Cast the Christians to the lions A shamefull and shamelesse shift to translate the infamy of so odious a fact vpon the innocent but it verifies the Prouerbe Hoc calciamentum consuit Hystiam Aristagoras induit Hystaus hath sowen the shooe and Aristagoras puts it on but thankes be to God Inciderunt in foueam quam fecerunt The fact and fault was knowne to be their owne and brought these delinquents to a shamefull fall Another policy they had pretended appointing an hunting match against the time of this treacherous designe thinking with Esau to haue brought dainty Venison to their Father not Isaacke but Antichrist and to haue surprized the person of the Lady Elizabeth now the Princely wife to the County Palatine of Rheine Thus they shewed themselues right Nimrods who was a mighty hunter and in name also Nimrod-like who is by interpretation a Rebell rebellious hunters or rather Fowlers to lay such snares but yet all may say with the Psalmist The Lord hath deliuered vs from the snare of the hunter praised be his goodnesse for euer But to passe ouer their policy in this worke of impiety painted ouer vnder a pretence of restauration of religion Is murder and massacres the seed of Rome from which these seedes-men would fetch Religion will the darnell of death produce the seed of life For the publike good Gods seruants haue wished themselues to be
to be true seruants to their Sauiour or good subiects to their Souereigne I Hauing finished yet in great weakenesse our former worke wherein I doe humbly craue of all sorts a friendly and fauourable construction and acceptation and there still remaining a few pages vnwritten I thought it not labout lost if I did annexe some common yet courteous direction to the Lay-papists of the land to disswade them from the corrupt Doctrine of the Church of Rome vnto the which they are induced by the inchaunting allurements of Popish Priests men whose learning and wits are tempting baites yea bawdes Thamar-like prostitute themselues so that they may haue children they will deceiue their owne father Iudah as also by the ignorance of these Lay-disciples whose right eyes of knowledge they thrust out as Nahash the Ammonite would haue done to the men of Iabesh Gilead depriuing them of the word of knowledge the Scripture and saying It was the Deuills inuention to permit the people to reade the Bible as one of their fide writes and therfore the Church of Rome forbiddeth the reading of it among the people By which meanes oh wofull meanes and to cry with their owne Doctor to their Cleargy for it woe to our Parish Priests woe to our Bishops woe to our Prelates they haue brought in such a floud of prodigious ignorance as that many of them are as ignorant as that Knight was of whom Claudius Espâ—ncaem tells of who being demanded his beliefe touching the holy Ghost answered he knew not whether there was an holy Ghost or no. So that their followers being so blind not able to iudge of colours wanting the word of Truth the Scripture in the tongue they vnderstand which is the lapis Lydius the touchstone to try the truth from error diuina statera as Augustin calles it the diuine ballance to weigh truth from falsehood it is easie to winde such into selfe-losing labyrinthes and to driue them with their painted clothes like woodcockes into their nets and to goe with them with Domitius Chalderinus yet hee learned who when he should goe to the Masse accustomed to say Eamus ad communem errorem Let vs goe to the common error So these are content to goe to Masse the common or Catholicke mother of all Bastard errors The attractiue motiues which draw many to fancy and follow the religion of the Church of Rome may be reduced to three Heads 1. The Antiquitie 2. The Vniuersality 3. The Vnity of that Church which three if they could be found there were of powerfull consequence to mooue reuerence but neither of these can be found there for the moderne Romane Church which coines so often new Creedes and Articles of faith and is reuolted from herselfe in substance of doctrine is no more like herselfe in her primitiue State then Lais the Curtizan is an honest woman I could demonstrate this I say without controulement if I were purposed to write a common-place-booke of Controuersies in this point but it hath beene handled so largely and learnedly by other Diuines of our Church that I may at this time forbeare any long discourse I will but touch it and instance this I write how the moderne Church of Rome is swarued from herselfe not onely from the Truth which primitiue Rome embraced but also varied from herselfe declining into heresie innouating those Articles and dogmaticall points of faith as they count them which in the processe of her fall she professed it might be specified in most of the points of Doctrine she maintaines at this present time but I will rest with these few for I write but an Epitome 1 Example shall be in the Sacrament At the first the people receiued the cup as well as the bread for the space of a thousand yeeres yea afterward the Romance Church commanded the wine to be consecrated that the lay-people might fully communicate saith Micrologus most and the best Papists liked this well that the people should communicate in both kinds but afterward the Councell of Constance forbad it and after that the Councell of Basil released the decree of Constance to some and after that the Councell of Trent the mint of errors confirmed it againe and depriued the Laity of the Cup Sect. 21. c. 2. So that this point of Doctrine now maintained in the Church of Rome can pleade no antiquity being now so oft renewed put vp and put downe and their most ancient Liturgies shew how the people receiued the wine as well as the bread and this custome saith Caietan endured long in the Church and as one of their Church say It were better if this custome were renewed againe 2 Example in Transubstantiation Transubstantiation lately brought into the Church and made a matter of faith by a silly Pope Innocent the third in the Lateran Councell within these 400 yeeres and the Papists themselues say this opinion is very new and lately brought into the Church and beleeued onely vpon the authority of the Lateran Councell and speake so vncertainely and inconstantly in this point and doe so stagger enterfere in their opinion herein confessing that there is no Scripture to conuince it vnlesse ye bring the Church of Romes exposition so that hitherto we can see no great antiquity nor good vniuersality in their doctrine 3 Example in Popes supremacy The Councell of Constance and Basil decreed That a generall Councell was of greater authority then the Pope but long after that the Councels of Lateran and Trent decreed contrary The Councels of Chalcedon and Constantinople make the Bishop of Constantinople equall with the Bishop of Rome yet now he arrogates a supremacy aboue Bishops aboue Councels aboue Kings aboue all his title no lesse then vniuersall Bishop yet Gregory who was Pope of Rome saith I hat he dare confidently say He is the forerunner of Antichrist in his pride whosoeuer he be that calleth himselfe vniuersall Bishop but this smoaky pompe of pride the Pope now likes well enough and makes it an Article of Faith to sweaâ—e obedience to his primacy and he that denies this denies Fidem Catholicam The Catholicke Faith faith Bellarmine I might here produce other examples of Popish Doctrine crept in by degrees as their abhominable Image-worship brought in by the second Councell of Nice the first restraint of Priests marriage by Pope Siritius the doctrine of the merit of workes lately by the Schoolemen as Waldensis writes Their prayers to the dead Popes pardons Purgatory a Platonicall or poeticall fiction Auricular confession with other like triuiall trash which if they haue any colour of antiquity yet they haue no colour of verity And what is antiquity without verity Saint Cyprian tels vs Consuetudo sine veritate est vestustas erroris Continuance without truth is the antiquity of error And againe Non hom ines consuei â—dinem
King acceptable vnto the King of Kings in making harty and humble praiers for the protection and preseruation of his Maiestie let all the people in his Realme from high to low from great to small doe this comfortable and Christian seruice feâ—uently feelingly and faithfully vnto the Lord night and day crying and crauing God saue the King The Lord hath commaunded this duety to pray not onely for good Kings but euen for badde Kings When Paul gaue that Apostolicall counsell 1 Timothie z. 1. 2. to pray for Kings Caligula Claudius or Nero most bloudy Pagan Emperours then raigned Pray for the life of Nebuchadnezar King of Babilon and for the life of Balthasar his sonne that their daies might be on earth as the daies of heauen So the Lord commanded the Iewes to pray for the peace of the City of Babilon where Nebuchadnezar raigned If then the Lord charge and command to pray for such Gouernors as were Pagans Persecutors Idolaters Infidels how deuoutly deepely are all loyall subiects bound to pray and to praise God for the blessed gouernment of Zealous Christian Kings and to beseech God with prostrate soules to defend their Soueraignes from all the trecherous traynes and rebellious plots of forraine foes or homeborne parricides corner-creeping Iesuites and Iudasses and to implore the hand of Heauen to sentinell ouer them and to endue them from aboue with the gifts of knowledge prudence iustice temperance fortitude clemency with feruent zeale of Gods glory loue to the Gospell and neuer-ceasing care for the generall well-fare of their publike charge Let vs spend our spirits day and night in these prayers that a gracious blessing may be euermore vpon our Soueraigne and his Seed to prolong his daies with health and honour on earth and with immortall happinesse in Heauen Amen CHAP. V. THE second generall duety of all subiects is Obedience and that before God is better then sacrifice The enemy opposite to Obedience is rebellion compared by Samuel to the sin of Witchcraft the very Chaos of confusion containing nothing else but mischiefe and murder discord and desolation congestaque eodem Non bene iunctarum discordia semina rerum Ouid. As rebellion is most odious and detestable so is obedience commendable and acceptable and this is of three sorts 1. Obedire Deo per hominem 2. Obedire Deo homini 3. Obedire Deo potius quam homini First obey God by man 2. Obey God and man 3 Obey God rather then man Wee need not write how God is to be obeyed before all and aboue all nullius prohibitio diuinis valet obuiare praeceptis nullius iussio praeiudicare prohabitis Gods Precepts may not be couÌ„termanded by mans prohibitions nor Gods prohibitions preiudiced by mans precepts God is to be obeyed in euery thing simpliciter man is to be obeied secundum quid respectiuely so far as his commands be consonant to Gods Lawes St Austin giues al a good rule for obedience bonis in malo scienter noÌ„ obedias nec malis in bono coÌ„tradicas willingly wittingly obey not good men in the performance of ill nor disobey ill men commanding things good but God himselfe commands obedience to his breathing Images whom hee himselfe stileth Gods the mortall pictures of immortall God Dexteri digiti diuinae manus quae regit orbem the right fingers of that heauenly hand which ruleth all Reges sunt homines ante deum dei ante homines saith Lactantius Kings are men before God and Gods before men Astra Deo nihil maius habent nil Caesare terra Great is the glory of that God who makes these Gods Quantus Deus est qui Deos facit Austen Imperator omnibus maior est dum Deo solo minor est saith Tertullian The Emperor is greater in dignity then all mortall men onely inferiour to the immortall God and as Cyrillus writes to Theodosius the younger vestrae Serenitati nullus status est aequalis No mortall state equall to your Excellence or as Agapetus to the Emperour Iustinian Se non habere quenquam in terris altiorem None on the earth higher then himselfe for as Opiatus Super imperatorem non est nisi solus Deus qui fecit imperatorem Aboue the Emperor is none but onely God that made the Emperour or as St Chrysostome speaking of the Emperour Theodosius Non habet parem vllum super terram summitas caput omnium super terram hominum He hath no equall vpon earth the supreame head ouer all men on earth Lo now you Popes of Rome where were your triple Crownes your Miters if you had any then stooped to the Scepters then Pauls precept was in date with you Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers which since you haue reiected or neglected as Apocryphall then Gregories allegorie had beene a fond hyperbole Ad firmamentam coeli c. in the firmament of heauen that is in the vniuersall Church God made two great lights that is two great dignities Pontificall and Regall that which rules the day that is spirituall things is greater then that which rules the night that is carnall or temporall things as great a difference as is twixt the Sun and the Moone so great is there twixt Pope and Kings saith Gregory Indeed of latter times the Popes haue claimed a triple Crowne Celestiall Terrestriall Infernall intruding into the regall Chayre forgetting Bernards counsell to Pope Eugenius Your authority stretcheth vnto crimes not vnto possessions wherefore doe you thrust your sickle into anothers haruest or incroach vpon others limits now they vsurpe and arrogate a place of preheminence aboue Kings and Emperors Diuisum imperium cum Ioue Papa tenet Forgetting S. Peters rule though boasting of Peters right Submit your selues vnto all manner of ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superiour c. subijci domino temporali propter dominum aeternum as excellently Austen To submit themselues vnto Temporall Lords for the eternall Lords sake But leauing the fauourites and followers of that great whore which sits vpon many waters with whom haue committed fornication the Kings of the earth and which hath shaken off the yoke of obedience from the Kings of the earth Let vs looke vpon that place of S. Peter exhorting all to obedience Submit your selues c. propounding certaine arguments or reasons to enforce it 1. propter dominum for the Lords sake Vt honoremus Deum qui hanc obedientiam nobis praecipit that so we may honour God who hath commanded this obedience 2. vt euitemus poenas violatae iustitiae ciuilis that we may auoid the punishments of disobedience to the Magistrate sent ad vltionem maleficorum for the punishment of ill doers v. 14. 3. vt adipiscamur laudem ac protectionem contra iniustos that we may get praise
relogo saith he Romanorum regum imperatorum gesta nusquam inuenio quenquam eorum ante hunc à Romane Pontifice excommunicatum vel regno priuatum I reade ouer and ouer the Acts of Kings and Emperors and I find no where any of them before this excommunicated of the Pope or depriued of their Kingdome but this Popes enterprise had a sutable successe for by the Councell of Brixia hee was deiected out of the Popedome for it and being in extreamity calles one of his best beloued Cardinals to him and confessed to God Saint Peter and the whole Church that he had greatly offended in his Pastorall charge Et suadente Diabolo contra humanum genus iram odium concitasse By the Diuels perswasion he had raised vp wrath and hatred vpon Mankind Well this Heldebrand whose Orator was the Diuell was the first that attempted to depose Emperors and since that Prince of the Ayre who beares rule in the childrē of disobedience hath moued Peters false friends and Kings foes to follow the hellish steppes of proud Heldebrand seeking to depose Kings to dispose of their Crownes and depriue them of their liues to excommunicate them to free subiects from their allegiances to excite Armes against them to make Martyres of King-killers euery way labouring to disparage their sacred Persons diminish their Regall rights encroch vpon their Prerogatiues altogether contemning Peters Precepts yet arrogating Peters Place Honour the King How dishonourably and contemptibly that Milo who bare the Pope on his shoulders Cardinall Bellarmine writes of Kings That they are rather slaues then Lords De Laicis c. 7. Not onely subiects to Popes to Bishops to Priests but to Deacons Depontifice lib. 1. c. 7. That Kings haue not their authority immediatly from God nor his law but onely from the law of Nations De cleric c. 28. That Churchmen are as farre aboue Kings as the soule aboue the body De Laicis c. 18. That Kings may be deposed by their people for diuers respects De pontific lib. 5. c. 8 That obedience due to Kings is onely for certaine respects of order and pollicy De clericis cap. 28 His workes are full of such foule and false assertions base bald and blockish Paradoxes repugnant to al Scripture right and reason that he may say with the Poet Hoc equidem studeo bullatis vt mihi nugis Pagina turgescat Many of his propositions so dishonourable and iniurious to Kings that to confute them Non opus est verbis sed fustibus Armes not Arts should beat and breake in peeces such pernicious Paradoxes But to leaue these Machiauelismes of the Conclaue dethroning Kings to enthrone Popes let vs learne of God with what honourable titles and high prerogatiues in the Booke of God they stand possessed There they are called Gods and Children of the most High The Lords Annointed The Angels of God The Light of Israel Sitting in Gods Throne The Higher Powers the Ministers of God The Kings of Nations that beare rule euery where with variety of such high and stately Titles great Prerogatiues commanding euery soule to be subiect to them that he who should goe about to empaire their honour must first infringe the Booke of God Vnworthy is that Creature to breathe the Ayre which denies honour to the breathing Image of God his annointed Soueraign or with vnreuerent action or elocution enterprise to debase their sacred Soueraignety such tongues are worthy with Diues to be tormented or with Progne to be cut out or with Nicanors to be diuided in crummes for Birds that will not honour with tongues and honour with hearts their annointed and appointed Kings the earthly pictures of the King of Kings And not to trauel so farre as forraine Climates to teach them to honour Kings let our speech bee bounded within the circumference of his Highnesse Countries People aboue all other Nations bound to honour and obey our gracious Soueraigne We blessed with a King of incomparable wisdome Rex natus ad Regna natus descended of blood royall A blessednes to a Kingdome when a King is the Son of Nobles and much more of noble vertues prudent in a peaceable gouernement compleate in the perfection of Learning eares may ouercome eyes to hear the wisdome of our Salomon and which is most of all and best of all to be extolled sincerely and soundly religious labouring to make his Kingdomes by aduancing Euangelium Christi Regnum Euangelij A trusty defender of the true Faith Tam Marti quā Mercurio both by Pen and Pike ready to defend Religion against superstition often hath he entred into Theologicall disputes and foyled Romes most illustrious Cardinals Yea his Maiesties dinners like Salomons Table making Auditors say with Salomon A diuine sentence shall be in the lips of the King or with wisdome her selfe Heare for I wil speak of excellent things and the opening of my lippes shall teach things that are right A Patron of the Church and a Promoter of the Gospell as Hortensius raised vp eloquence to Heauen that he might goe vp with her so our dread Soueraigne aduances the Gospel the Iacobs ladder to climbe to Heauen by it Macte virtute sicitur ad astra I am vnable and vnfit to make the Map of our Kings perfections De ipso ipsiloquuntur Antipodes not any Zone habitable wherein his glory hath not habitation and they say We must praise a King as we honour God Sentiendo copiosius quam loquendo and herein such plenty of praise is offered that Inopem me copia fecit Xenophon might see that in our vertuous King Iames which he wished in his King Cyrus O fortunatos Anglos bona si sua norint Oh happy wee if wee be thankefull for our happinesse Nihil his bonis accedere potest nisi vt perpetua sint Nothing can augment our earthly ioyes but to make these lasting and thanks be to God our Soueraigne hath I thinke already out-lasted the Regency of a dozen Popes Hominum breuis regum breuior pontificum vita brenissima saith Petrarcha Of all men the Popes haue shortest liues but God grant our Soueraigne Nestors dayes wishing for him as Martial did for Traian Lib. 10. Epig. 34. Dij tibi dent quicquid Princeps Auguste mereris Et rata perpetuò quae tribuêre velint Long may this glorious Candle of Israel last who as vpon this day was proclaimed with infinite ioy receiued with peaceable entry enthroned with glorious inuestiture and hath hitherto gouerned with admired wisdome comfort and content of all good Subiects so still to continue in all Princely prosperity and to hold the Scepter of great Britanny with a tripled addition of yeeres to come for the yeeres past wishing in desire though it cannot be indeed His egonecmetas rerum nec temporapono Imperium sine fine dedi Adde to his dayes of the dayes of Heauen that he and his posterity may here sit
their royall Master and Soueraigne should say to them as Pharaoh to Ioseph Thou shalt be ouer my house and at thy word shall all my people be armed onely in the Kings throne will I be aboue thee yet that will not content them yea though they should be raised so high that as Seneca Nihil foelicitati eorum deest nisi moderatio eius Nothing is wanting to their happinesse but moderation and discretion to vse it yet still ambition eggs them with Dulce regnare O what a sweet thing it is to rule to be second to none to command all and therefore to obtaine this affected Soueraignety vse all desperate and diabolicall policies yea many giuing ouer themselues to Necromancy and to contract with the Deuill to haue his helpe to come to regall authority and at last like Lucifer are brought low Thy pompe is brought downe to the graue the worme is spred vnder thee and the wormes couer thee Quem vidit veniens dies superbum Hunc vidit fugiens Dies iacentem To day all knees bow and reuerence Haman and loe shortly Haman was hanged on the gallowes that he prepared for Mordecai neque enim lex iustior vlla est Quà m necis artifices arte perire sua A iuster Law there cannot be Then punish blood in like degree These ambitious climers seldome escape without a fall and then as well a Father Non est tanti gaudij excelsa tenere quanti moeroris est de excelsis corruere It is not so great a ioye to be exalted as to be againe deiected and especially by their owne action and ambition And therefore O ye noble and promoted Peeres beware of this bewitching Circe a false and vnfortunate Syren Ambition which would euer tempt and temper with you to aspire higher which infirmity is incident to greatnes as Tully Est in hoc genere hoc molestum quod in magnanimis munificis saepius incidit potentiae cupiditas In this kinde this is most troublesome that in great men valiant and liberall this desire of power rule is incident which aspiring fancy hath ouerthrowne many a noble family when as others content with their lot be it prope or procul a Ioue haue beene procul a fulmine accepting with thanks their roome and ranke allotted to them haue finished their race on earth in a comfortable peace with God and men And surely if men had eyes in the hinder part of their head as they haue before to obserue how many inferiours they haue who would be glad to be blessed with the tithe of their fortunes they would not be ambitious or haue enuious eyes to repine to haue a few superiours but would thankefully say with the Psalmist My lot is fallen vnto me in a good land I haue a goodly heritage and would neuer beat their braines or flatter their soules with ambitious dreames and charmes of pride like him who said I will exalt my throne aboue beside the starres of God I will ascend aboue the height of the clouds I will be like the most High or crooke in their nayles to keepe them sharpe for a day hoping by some commotion to come to promotion or enterprize to vndermine King and State by treachery hoping by some strange stratagem to intrude into Caesars chaire and though they should possesse it but an howre yet would aduenture all to sit one howre in a regall throne O caecas hominum mentes ô pectoracaeca But the shame of such treacherous and vaine glorious spirits haue euer exceeded their glory and their punishment greater then their aduancement In a word if you affect true honour enter the gate of humility and passe the gate of vertue and that is the right way to honor aspire by honourable and commendable meanes and let your merits make you exalted be not ambitious with proud Icarus to mount too neere the Sunne lest your wings bee scorched for pride goes before destruction and an high minde before the fall therefore let him that standeth take heed lest hee fall CHAP. VI. I Might in the next place propound Pride as chiefe mouer of Treason which as Hugo writes rides in a Coach drawen with foure horses Ambition Vaine-glory Contempt and Disobedience all ready to run the race of Treachery if the reynes be loose Or I might mention Enuy Discontentment of minde vpon some inward corruption or outward vexation or desire of reuenge misliking the punishment or disgrace of their most affected friends or some other sinister causes which some traitors may harbour in their hearts and if I had Momus wished window to looke into their breasts I might the better discouer and discourse of them But to pretermit these and many others which might be alleadged I will onely insist vpon one because I will be the larger in it the very radicall and efficient cause of cursed treachery in these latter dayes namely the seditious doctrine or rather heresie of Iesuiticall and moderne popery teaching that the Pope may depose Kings absolue subiects from Allegiance or to vse the words of their owne Carerius Papa habet potestatem remouendi reuocandi corrigendi puniendireges c Et hoc tenendum vera fide tanquam naturalis moralis diuina lex Dei The Pope hath power to remoue reuoake correct and punish Kings and this is to be holden with a true beleefe as the very Naturall Morall and Diuine Law of God and therefore the Iesuites haue made it an Article Doe you beleeue that the Pope can put the Queene from her authority Ans I doe beleeue it From the seed of this serpentine doctrine the Doctrine of Deuils it is That the Pope can excommunicate Kings depose them from their Thrones free Subiects from obedience and if they doe excidere fall from them the next is occidere to kill them for deponere a throno is exponere periculo to depose them from their throne is to expose them to deadly perill capitis diminutio to depriue them of their kingdome is as much as capitis obtruncatio to cut their throats Si Paparegem deponat ab illis tantum poterit expelli vel interfici quibus ipse id commiserit saith the Iesuite Suarez If the Pope depose a King of them onely hee is to be expelled or killed to whom the Pope shall commit that businesse and addes after That if the Pope shall declare a King to be an heretike and fallen from his kingdome without further declaration touching the execution then the lawfull successor beeing a Catholicke hath power to doe the feate or if he refuse it it appertaineth to the body of the kingdome The cruell Cannibals may become prentises to these Iesuites the Masters to teach rules to murther Kings the ring leaders of rebellion and trumpeters of treason telling and teaching the people That Subiects are released from the oath of Allegiance giuen to Princes
the olde law who as they say by vertue of their Priesthood haue deposed and depriued Kings from their seates which power they labour to deriue and appropriate to the Popes office I will name but two of them in two examples 1 Cardinall Allen alleadgeth Azarias the high Priest who with â—o other Priests put downe Ozias smitten with leprosie by force out of the Temple and depriued him of his regall authority Ergo say they it is lawfull for the high Priest that is the Pope to driue hereticall Kings that is spirituall Leapers out of the Temple of Gods Church and Territories of their kingdome by excommunication which is a separation and then by deposition which is a finall depriuation of them and deputation of some other Regent as Azarias committed the kingdome to be then gouerned by Iotham his sonne Wee answere as some of our Church haue answered That Azarias did not depriue Ozias of his regall power for he held it to his dying day onely his sonne Iotham as a kinde of Viceroye was surrogated because the immediate hand of God had smitten him with leprosie for his leprosie he was punished to liue apart a priuate life not to be depriued of his inheritance Ambition couetousnesse yea all sinne is a leprosie hath not the Pope such a contagion why then he may as well be depriued of his Miter being a grand sinner and so a great leaper as any other Indeed Ozias or Vzziah greatly sinned in presuming to vsurpe the Priests office transgressing against the Lord in going into the Temple to burne incense vpon the Altar of incense and Azariah with the other Priests withstood Vzziah the King telling him it pertained not to him to burne incense but to the Priests the sonnes of Aaron consecrated to offer it and was smitten of the Lord for it with leprosie and so liued apart according to the Law yet still was King in esse though not in execution 2 Cardinall Bellarmine alleadgeth Iehoiada the High Priest who commanded Athalia the Queene to bee slaine and Ioash to succeed implying an inference that so it is lawfull for Popes to doe the like We answer that Athalia an vsurper and murderer killing all the royall seed excepting only the secretly preserued Ioash the vndoubted heyre of the Crowne beeing proclaimed and annointed King with a generall consent of all Iehoiada by the authority of the King and not as High Priest but rather tanquam regis patruus Protector as his Kinsman and Protector the King being in his minority seauen yeares olde and Iehoiada being his Allye hauing married the Kings Anâ— and so bound by the Law of Nature and Nations to defend the Kings right and to reuenge the tyranny of a bloudy Queen against the Kings killed progeny and Iehoiadaes commandement was confirmed by the Kings authority and with the common consent and Counsell of the land not as being High Priest but as chiefe of his Tribe to reuenge the crying bloud of the royall offspring murthered by vsurping Athalia to depriue her of her vsurped regiment and life what is this to depose a lawfull King by the authority of the Pope Kings shall anguste sedere as Tully said to Caesar haue quaking Scepters vnquiet seates and narrow limits if the Pope haue power to depriue them of their power state But to passe ouer other the like examples alleadged by Romanists in this kinde I will touch those foure things which they obiect and say doe dissolue regall right and make Kings who are culpable of such faults to forfeit their Crownes 1. Tyranny 2. Infidelity 3. Heresie 4. Apostacy The Popish assertions heerein runne in the affirmatiue that all or any one is sufficient to depriue a King of his Crown The opinions of Protestants run in the negatiue that none of these are sufficient to make a King forfeit his dignity and Diademe To begin with the first Tyranny doth not cut off a King from his soueraignty Who a greater Tyrant then King Saul who hunted after Dauids soule to take it yet who was so faithfull among all his seruants as Dauid confessed by Sauls owne mouth To be more righteous then he for thou hast rendred mee good and I haue rendred thee euill yea this Saul such a tyrant that he commanded Doeg to fall vpon the Lords Priests and Doeg at his commandement flew sounescore and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod and did smite Nob the Priests City with the edge of the sword both man and woman childe and suckling oxe and asse and sheepe with the sword Yet Dauid no priuate or plebeâ—an subiect but a man by Gods commandement designed for the Kingdome cheefe Captaine and Coronel of Sauls Army and heire apparent to the Crowne and hauing opportunity to depriue Saul of his life and importunity of his followers to doe the deed yet heare his voice The Lord keepe me from doing that thing vnto my Master the Lords Annointed to lay my hand vpon him for he is the Lords Annointed and the same Dauid to Abishai Destroy him not for who can lay his hand vpon the Lords Annointed and be guiltlesse O heauenly voice of holy Dauid how different are Popelings from Dauids resolution Occasionem victoria Dauid habebat in manibus incantum securum aduersarium sine labore poterat iugulare advictoriam opportunitas hortabatur sed obstabat Diuinorum memoria mandatorum non mittam manum in vnctum Domini repressit cum gladio manum dum timuit oleum seruauit inimicum As most elegantly and excellently writes Optatus Dauid had a present occasion of security of victory and might without any difficulty or danger haue killed his vnkind and vnconsiderate enemy opportunity might haue pressed him to it but the remembrance of Gods commandements stay his hand Touch not my Annointed This keepes backe the hand and sword and fearing the regall oyle fauours a dismall enemy Now Tyranny may be of two kinds either of vsurped regiment and dominion without any ciuill title and interest hauing no titular foundation but violent vsurpation and herein subiection is not necessary Quoad obedientiam if Quoad Sustâ—…ntiam Herein patience more requisite then obedience 2 Kind is when ordinary and lawfull power degenerates into tyranny and cruelty by abuse and herein Papists giue liberty Tyrannum occidere licet It is lawfull to kill a Tyrant contrary to Dauid God forbid that I should lay mine hand vpon the Lords Annointed 1 Sam. 26. 11. Meaning Saul a Tyrant by abuse but not by vsurpation but we haue handled this before and therefore leaue it 2. Infidelity doth not depriue a King of his regiment Oh but replies the Papist All title to Dominion hath foundation in the grace of Iustice Charity and Piety so that by impiety or infldelity they make forfeiture of their authority Answer It is prouidence not grace that disposeth ciuill titles grace not prouidence that makes them
comfortable In a spirituall sense impious and vnfaithfull men are vsurpers I meane by a spirituall right for godlinesse hath the promises of this life yet haue they a ciuill and sure title among men by birthright succession election or other acquisition by which titles such rights are deuolued to them that we say with Saint Austen Qui dedit Mario ipse Caesari He that gaue dominion to Marius the same gaue it to Caesar he that to Augustus the same to Nero he that to gentle Vespasian the same to bloody Domitian he that to Constantine the Christian the same to the Apostate Iulian for the Kingdome is the Lords and hee ruleth among Nations the most High hath power ouer the Kingdome of Men and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee will and appointeth ouer it the most abiect among men saith Daniel and suffereth for the sinnes of the people a Kingdome to be translated from one people to another yea an hypocrite or infidell to reigne ouer them neither must man seeke to displace or dispossesse an Infidell King but say with Dauid Either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or hee shall descend into battell and perish knowing the saying of the sonne of Syrack to be true Tyranny is of small indurance and he that is to day a King to morrow is dead 3. Heresie is not sufficient to depriue a King of his temporall Inheritance Popish Diuinity is herein knowne let Bellarmine be the mouth of all the rest Christians are not bound nor may with the euident danger of Religion tollerate an vnbeleeuing King when Kings and Princes become heretickes they may be iudged of the Church and bee deposed from the gouernement neither is there any wrong done them if they be deposed If any Prince of a sheepe become a wolfe that is to say of a Christian become an Hereticke the Pastor of the Church by excommunication may driue him away and withall command the people that they follow him not and so depriue him of his dominion ouer his Subiects so farre goes the Cardinall Now who are Heretickes All those Kings which decline from the Papacy and denie his Supremacy The Cardinall thinkes as much Regnante Constantino florebat fides Christiana c. While Constantine reigned the Christian Faith flourished when Constantius ruled Arrianisme when Iulian Ethnicisme when Henry the eighth and Edward the sixth Luthenarisme when Elizabeth Caluinisme prospered All Protestant Princes by the verdict of the Pope and his Parasites be Hereticks and so consequently to be deposed if this their heresie which yet is the Catholicke verity and sincere and sound profession of the Gospell be accompanied with the Popes excommunication and yet it is a great question and neuer yet proued by the Scripture that Kings are subiect to this censure of excommunication it is disputed much both wayes and let it be yeelded for argument sake Ex abundante That Saint Ambrose did iustly with Theodosius in that abstention for I doubt whether it was a complete excommunication for a King is subiect to the presbyteriall Cure not Court to be informed in his conscience in the Pulpet not to be corrected in the Consistory by punishment to be directed not iudged or remoued from the company of his faithfull Subiects much lesse to be deposed or depriued of his regiment ouer them yet let it bee granted for argument sake that Princes may be subiect to the censure of excommunication which yet is sparingly to be vsed against Princes as Austen counselleth yet though the sentence of excommunication be direfull making them for a time as Ethnicks Sit tibisicut Ethnicus saith our Sauiour Let him be vnto thee as an Heathen Man or Publicane It is tanquam nonplusquam as an Heathen man not worse then an Heathen Man Loyalty and obedience to Ethnicke Kings is to be performed as the precepts and presidents of Christ and his Apostles plainly teach all The spirituall sword onely depriues of spirituall rights to depriue him of the Sacrament not of the Scepter shuts out of the Kingdome of Heauen not meddles with the Kingdome of Earth Excommunication is not an extirpation it serues not to take away any mans temporall goods of body or life or Kingdome on Earth it hath power ouer sinnes not ouer possessions as Bernard to Pope Eugenius It serues to tame the soule not to terrifie or destroy the body it cannot bind Kings that they should not reigne or absolue Subiects that they should not obey or depose Kings from their regall authority by which pretence of diuellish pollicy in challenging a spirituall power of Kings excommunication the Pope hath plagued the World with many temporall rebellions 4. Apostacy takes not away Soueraignty Iulian an apparent Apostate and wicked Idolater as Saint Austen cals him yet as the same Father speakes of it Milites Christiani seruierunt huic Imperatori infideli quando dicebat producite aciem iâ—…ra illam gentem statim obtemperabant The Christian Souldiers serued this Infidel Emperor and when he called to produce the Army or to goe against any Nation they presently obeyed not because they wanted power to resist for his whole Army for the most part were Christians as their voices to Iouinian Iulians Successor testifie Omnes vna voce confessi sunt se esse Christianos They all confessed with one accord that they were Christians but their obedience grounded vpon Saint Austens reference Subiectes fuisse propter Dominum aternum Domino temporali Subiect to their temporall Lord for the eternall Lords sake And though some of the great Diuines of Rome say that the Apostles were subiect to Infidell or apostate Princes and many Martyrs obedient because they wanted power to resist and that they might haue lawfully resisted if they had had strength when rather I may say with Tertullian that they had power but might not lawfully resist The Apostles were no Temporizers to command to pray for Nero if the time and not the truth had not moued them to doe it for conscience sake Shall Subiects for Heathen or wicked Kings be enioyned to poure forth prayers supplications and withall be willing if they haue power to poure out their Soueraignes blood The Prophet Ieremy exhorted the exiled Iewes to offer vp their prayers for the life of the King of Babylon hee would not haue willed them to haue prayed for their persecutor if it had beene a duty contrary to Christian profession or for lacke of power to fall to supplication VVhen King Assuerus had made a decree to kill and destory all the Iewes both yong and old children and women in one day what doe they rebell or rise vp in armes to resist with violence No no sorrow and fasting weeping and mourning sackecloth and ashes are their weapons When Iulian the Apostate threatned the Christian World Lachrimae vnicum medicamentum aduersus eum saith
temporalties which he writes as his Preface speakes against the Politicians and heretickes of the Time and indeed specially against a greater Clerke then himselfe Bellarmine both temporizers to flatter Popes with power in temporalties To omit all the rest of this ranke who inclineto this opinion That the Pope hath a direct ordinary and inherent power in Temporalties let vs on the other side behold these Madianites or Cadmeyes Brethren warring and wrangling with an opinionate opposition and contradiction The principall and Coriphaeus of all the rest is the Cardinall Bellarmine who ouerthrowes that ordinary direct and inherent gouernement of the Pope in temporalties as left by Christ with scripturall arguments very soundly and sufficiently yet to gratifie the Pope like a good seruant he restraines it to limitations and distinctions Although saith he the Pope be not Lord of all Temporalties directly neither hath inherent and ordinary authority as he is Pope to disthronize temporall Princes yet he is Lord of the Temporalties indirectly in order to the Spirituals Bellarmines vsuall phrase and hath an extraordinary and a borrowed authority as he is cheefe spirituall Prince to alter Kingdomes to take them from one and to giue them to another if it bee necessary to the saluation of soules i. in order to the Spiritualties Wherein obserue how politicke these papall Parasites be disputing about a power of Popes in disposing Temporals or Regals one fort deriuing this power directly and ordinarily from Christ and Saint Peter the other side indirectly and onely in order to the Spirituals when as their Pope neuer had any direct or indirect power in that kind from God and from Saint Peter But marke how the sonnes ' of this Kingdome be diuided The Pope hath either ordinary and direct power to depose Kings as he is Pope or he hath no authority at all faith Carerius But he hath no direct and ordinary as he is Pope by Bellarmines opinion Ergo He hath none at all Thus their diuision hath made a true conclusion that their Pope hath neither ordinary or indirect power in disposition of Temporals but least Bellarmine should proue an Hereticke in this point and be vngratefull to his great Master the Pope of whom he is graced with the purple hat hee comes with his qualification and modification That the Pope is Lord of the Temporalties indirectly in order to the Spirituals which strange distinction hath no foundation for Peter could transferre no power but ordinary and the Pope is no otherwise cheefe spiritual Prince but as he is Pope so that if he cannot depose Princes ordinarily from their Temporalties as Pope he cannot depose them extraordinarily and indirectly as cheefe spirituall Prince which Carerius enforces Either saith he hee is not the vicar of Christ or else he deposeth inferior powers as Pope but he deposeth them not as Pope saith Bellarmine he is not therefore the vicar of Christ by Carerius conclusion Thus Bellarmine hath depriued his Pope of the Temporalties and his opposite Carerius hath not left him Lord of the Spiritualties The one denies him a deposing Pope the other inferres vpon it no Deputy or vicar of Christ both assertions very true though they deliuer them by way of altercation Thus these wrangling spirits haue brought their Popes imaginary power in great hazard to be lost The one making their Pope Sathans Asse loading him with a boundlesse burthen of power too heauy for any to beare to haue the direct dominion of all the Temporalties in the world absolutely and ordinarily Onus Aetna granius A burthen heauier then the weight of the Mountain Aetna Iethro said that Moses his task was too heauy for him and Iob Curuantur qui portant orbem They that support the world are crooked yet these Ingrossers of greatnesse would lay vpon their Popes shoulders the vnsupportable weight of the dominion of the world to be Lord of all the Temporalties directly and ordinarily The other giues him not so much weight of authority yet giues him too much To depose Kings if need require taking a middle course denying the infinite power of Inherent and ordinary gouernement yet reseruing an indirect and borrowed authority belonging to the Pope yet not as Pope but as the cheefe spirituall Prince conditionally if Kings become tyrannicall hereticall or apostaticall then the Pope is to coniure them into the circle of religion by counsell and admonition and after if they proue refractary to confine them out of their dominionby depriuation and deposition and all this is pretended to be done by power of a spirituall right indirectly to the temporalties yet to a spirituall end and in order to the spiritualties The first to all mens eyes appeare most grosse and egregious parasites besotted with palpable folly and flattery but Bellarmine more smooth and cunning long acquainted with dissimulation the very Genius of Romes Court-Cardinals bedawbes his workes with oyly morter with holy hony if it bee for the saluation of soules in order to the spirituals tending to spirituall good then Si meruere Pater tunc dira tonitruamitte Percutient summos reges nec fulmina cessent If they deserue let Papall thunder cleaue These Regall Cedars and of Crownes bereaue These are Boanerges sonnes of thunder yet would seeme Barnabasses sonnes of comfort tempering and qualifying their fiery thunderbolts of depriuation with a pretence of spirituall good tending to soules saluation But there is a third sort of Papists on the other side men of more humble mindes disliking this statizing Iesuitisme and papall intrusion into Caesars chaire confessing that the Pope hath no temporall power ouer Kings directly as Gul. Barclayus de authoritate Papae against whose opinion herein Bellarmine writes a Treatise De potestate summi pontificis contra Gul. Barclayum Watson in his Quodlibeticall Booke Sheldon in his generall reasons Roger Widdringtons humble supplication to Paul the fift Pope which worke a late Decree of Romes Cardinalls prohibited repining to see Popes temporall incroachments by Romanists contradicted good reason therefore to clap their hand vpon his mouth and to commit him to the dungeon of suppression Stephen Gardiners booke Bishop of VVinchester De vera obedientia with a preface of Bishop Bonners adioyned to it De summo absoluto Regis imperio published by M. Bekinsaw Devera differentia regiae potestatis Ecclesiae Bishop Tonstals Sermon Bishop Longlands Sermon Tonstals letter to Cardinall Poole and many others in Latine and English in this kinde of Romane Catholickes all ouerthrowing this point of moderne Popery Thus as many Papists openly deny and I presume many of the other doe inwardly beleeue being acquainted with their equiuocations and mentall reseruations so it may make all men maruell who are not prepossessed with preiudicate opinions or preposterous affections vpon what sufficient yea probable inducements and motiues they might build this Pontifician power eyther of spirituall much lesse of temporall authority ouer Kings
Mariana c. Yea this Kingdome is so diuided among it selfe that we presume and this presage it shall not long stand They that would further behold this Campe of the Midianites sheathing their swords in their neighbours sides let them reade the worke of that learned and reuerend Doctor D. Hall in his Booke called the Peace of Rome And yet the Papists with might and maine exclaime at factions in the Church of England to whom we may say with our Sauiour Hypocrita eijce primùm Trabem de oculo tuo Hypocrite first cast the beame out of thine owne eye sweepe cleane before your owne threshold before you blame spots in others They tell the World what an implacable discord and dissention is betwixt the Protestants and the Puritanes a name we scarce know and is proper to none but onely vnto Iesuites who thinke themselues so pure that they will arrogate to be of the society of Iesus But we may truly say that which they shall neuer say That in the Church of England there is vniuersality and vnity in substance of doctrine and religion and in circumstance we haue or hope for a generall vniformity But they want these and yet of late they haue a new policy to purge and raze many of their owne dead Doctors to speake that in their graues they neuer thought on in their studies putting out that which they printed and putting in that which the Authors neuer purposed Thus haue they serued Caictan Gratians Glosse Ferus Polydore Lodonicâ—…Vines c. And to this end serue their Indices Expurgatorij To purge away their best blood and leaue them nothing but skinne and bones And thus haue they serued Andreas Mazius Comments and Iansenius Harmony vpon the Gospell yea whom not if hee hath touched neuer so tenderly the sores of Rome this is the medicine to helpe the malady But I would this punishment had beene onely inflicted vpon their owne Doctors and that they had neuer laied their correcting hands in corrupting the Fathers of whom they haue a long time boasted the Fathers the Fathers are all of our side but these are but wind and words and as he said of the Nightingale Vox est praeterea nihil A meere voice and nothing else for these will vse the Fathers as Soloâ— his Friends or as Merchants vse figures in Accounts for hundreds if they please them for Cyphers if they crosse them and truly the ancient Fathers of the best esteeme speaâ—e little or nothing on their side in any fundamentall points and difference twixt them and vs except they haue dieted and giuen them vomits and purgations except they haue so done to them as Clement the eighth did to his Predecessor Sixtus Quintus corrupting that his correction of the Bible by a new Translation which one called a new Transgression and they haue herein so falsified many of the Fathers and foisted in other counterfet Fathers that it puts me in mind of a Popes Iester Pogghius speakes of who when he told the Pope tales to make him sport did it standing behind a cloath for being outfaced So the Fathers who speake for them must stand behind a skreene mantled or mangled by their correction So that taking away these desperate shifts which the Church of Rome vseth there will be found no great antiquity vniuersality or vnity in the Doctrine of the Church of Rome But to leaue these and other motiues allectiues to many to loue the Church of Rome for I did not intend to muster vp all their motiues wherewith they fight against vs for so I should send out a Ship and not a Pinnesse I will rather mention a few markes and apparent tokens whereby these children may iustly misdoubt their mother to be an harlot and in part palpably perceiue her corruption Her first whorish marke is her blasphemy against the Scripture being that woman in Saint Iohns vision sitting vpon a scarlet coloured beast full of the names of blasphemy and that in foure respects first her blasphemy and contempt of the Scripture appeares because the Church of Rome maintaines that all things necessary to saluation are not contained in the Holy Scripture and that the best part of true religion is knowne by vnwritten traditions and that these traditions are to bee receiued with the same reuerence and affection wherewith wee receiue the Scripture as the Councell of Trent decreed Many things belong to Christian Faith which are not contained in the Scripture openly nor obscurely saith Canus The greatest part of the Gospell is come to vs by tradition very little of it is committed to writing saith Hosius The Canon Law set out newly by Pope Gregory the 13. saith that men doe so reuerence the Apostolicall seate of Rome that they rather desire to know the auncient institution of Christian religion from the Popes mouth then from the holy Scripture Their workes are full of such words by which all may see their blasphemy comparing traditions of men with the infallible worde of God 2. Their mouthes are full of bitter and irreuerent speeches against the Scripture calling it a nose of waxe to be writhed this way or that way a dumbe Iudge as Pighius termes it dead inke as another yea Bellarmine their great Doctor saith the Scripture is not simply necessary or as Eckius we must liue more according to the authority of the Church then after the Scripture or the Scriptures without the authority of the Church are no better then Aesops fables And often they will deny the Scripture it selfe as Catharinus accuseth Caietan their great Cardinall called by them an incomparable Diuine and the most learned of all his age who doth charge him for denying the last chapter of Markes Gospell some parcell of S. Luke the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Epistle of Iames the second Epistle of Peter the second and third of Iohn the Epistle of Iude all which are Canonicall they wil denie the scripture if it make not for them say with Eckius Scriptura sine ecclesia authoritate non est authentica The Scripture without the authority of the Church that is the Pope for so Gregory of Valence saith by the Church we meane her Head that is the Roman Bishop is not authenticall 3. They make their Pope Iudge ouer the Scripture whosoeuer resteth not on the doctrine of the Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of God from whom the holy Scripture takes her strength and authority hee is an heretike saith one of her side The Pope may change the holy Gospell and may giue to the Gospell according to time and place another sense We are bound to stand to the Popes iudgement alone rather then to the iudgement of al the world besides saith Aluarus Pelagius The Popes rescripts and decretall Epistles are Canonicall Scripture If any man haue the interpretation of the Romane
Natious accept and approue Ius pendendi vectigalia apud omnes gentes fuit semper receptissimum saith the same Hiperius The Law and right of paying Tribute among all Nations hath euer beene accustomed for how could Kings maintaine their States defend their Countries reward their faithfull seruants vndergoe so manifold expences which belong to a regall reckoning vnlesse their Subiects with Tributes Taxes and Subsidies helpe to sustaine the common charge And therefore Caluin writes well that Tributes and Taxes are the lawfull reuenewes of Princes which serue to maintaine their royalty and the Common-wealths tranquility Tributa necessaria sunt reip sine eis nec quies nec arma haberi possunt saith Tacitus Tributes are so necessary for the Common-wealth that neither peace nor warre nor weapons can be without them for warre cannot be maintained without men nor men without money which is Neruus belli The sinew of warre Tributis vectigalibus nulla resp aut imperium nedum magnum carere potest saith the same Tacitus No Countrey or Kingdome be it neuer so great can lacke the payment of Tributes c. In regnis bene constitutis certum constitutum est Tributum saith Herodotus In wel gouerned Kingdomes there is certaine Tribute to be paid Augustus Caesar taxed all the World that is all the Regions and Prouinces then subiect to the Romaines as the learned interpret it and this was as Caluin notes Annuum Tributum sed non quotannis fiebat descriptio A yeerly Tribute though not euery yeere put in wrighting And the Iewes though at first they did aegre ferre mentionem discriptionis Hardly away with this yeerely taxing Non tamen reluctatos esse pertinaciter as Iosephus writes They did not obstinately resist it but by the perswasion of their High Priest they suffered themselues to be taxed Salomon could not haue beene so rich if his people had not payed him Tribute but the weight of gold they brought to Salomon in one yeere was sixe hundreth threescore and sixe Talents of Gold This duty of paying Tribute Subsidies and Taxes c by the subiects to the Soueraigne is by the law of God and lawes of men and common customes of most Nations commanded and approued and that for foure principall causes First to maintaine that royall estate which God hath giuen to Kings the glorious patternes of Kings magnificence may be fully seene in royall Salomon Looke but vpon his Throne 2 Chro. 9. 17 and you may iudge of all the rest of his royalty Secondly To defend the Common-wealth both in peace and in warre which requires a great Treasury A great Bird had need of a great neast That High Head which cares for all the politicke body and night and day studies to preserue their welfare must participate of their wealth without which the publike peace and security cannot be effected for it is Status insolidus qui earet solidis Thirdly To contestate and acknowledge their homage and subiection to their Soueraigne for Tributum dare est imperatori subiici signum seruitutis say the Canonists nonists to pay Tribute is to be subiect to the Emperour and a signe of seruitude confessing all duty and loyalty to be due to their annointed Soueraigne who hath power to command them their goods lands liues for the seruice of the Kings and Countries preseruation Looke vpon the Israelites when King Saul was dead comming to elect and annoynt Dauid in Hebron to be King ouer Israel Behold we are thy bones and thy flesh meaning as I take it that their liues and all were at his seruice and commandement for Tribute is not onely of money but Sudor sanguis populi The sweat and blood of the people if such need require to defend their King and Countrey is a Tribute due from them willing and ready to aduenture their liues and limbes to giue repulse and resistance to forraine or domesticall violence Fourthly To testifie their gratefull affections to their gracious Princes in thankefulnesse for the great benefits by their prudent prouident and politicke gouernement reaped and receiued So Dauid in lamenting Sauls death remembers the benefits his subiects receiued by him in his life time Ye Daughters of Israel weepe for Saul which cloathed you in scarlet with pleasures and hanged ornaments of gold vpon your apparell So Ieremy of the good King Iosiah lamenting his death The breath of our nostrels the Annoynted of the Lord was taken in their nets of whom we said Vnder his shadow we shall be preserued among the Heathen A good King brings many blessings benefits vnto his people and therefore when such as are in authority be righteous the people reioyce saith Salomon A King by iudgement maintaines the countrey By a man of vnderstanding and knowledge a Realme endureth long saith the same Salomon yea as wise Plato well said Beatas fore resp cum aut Philosophentur reges aut regnent Philosophi When as Kings were Philosophers or Philosophers Kings then such Common-wealths should be happy And indeed all earthly happinesse which is deriued to the members proceeds from the Head next vnder God the primary Author of all good things by whose direction discretion circumspection care counsell and continuall vigilancy they are preserued in peace and prosper in plenty for there are sixe externall earthly helpes necessary for the temporall prosperity of any Kingdome 1. A King to rule 2. A Law to iudge 3. Pollicy to guide 4. People to inhabite 5. Power to defend 6 Riches to maintaine it and which is the Alpha and Omega of all and aboue all and before all the Lord and King of all to prosper and preserue all without whose protection these must come to ruine all Except the Lord keepe the City the keeper watcheth but in vaine Except the Lord gouerne and guide the shippe of State it runnes vpon the rocke Therefore Prince and people ought duly to say with the Psalmist Thou art our King O God send helpe vnto Iacob Through thee haue wee thrust backe our enemies through thee haue wee trodden downe them that rose vp against vs c. Rise vp for our succour and redeeme vs for thy mercies sake Well Tributes Subsidies Taxes c are a good meanes to help to support the state of Kingdomes and as they bee the publike Tribute of the Common-wealths so should they bee imployed about the publike tranquility Let no Theudas herein deceiue you or any Iudas of Galile who in the dayes of the Tribute drew away much people as Gamaliel speakes delude you for he perished and all that obeyed him Si quis putat non esse vectigal soluendum aut tributum aut honorem exhibendum in magno errore labitur saith Austen If any one thinke Imposts Tribute and honour ought not to be paid to them he falles into a great errour Iure debemus nisi facimus
heauen and seruing loyally the King on earth not to prefer earth before heauen to say with some Mart. lib. 9. Seeke others for to feast with Iupiter aboue I heere on earth my Iupiter will loue But first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and this wil teach you to serue your King with faithfulnesse and to pray for his preseruation in all humble and harty diligence and obedience saying God saue the King Also to your Honors right noble Peeres this taske belongeth alwaies to pray God saue the King being noble by birth or place this will ennoble your persons more if you say faithfully as Iudith did to Bagoas concerning Holofernes feignedly Who am I that I should gaine say my Lord surely whatsoeuer pleaseth him I will doe speedily and it shall be my ioy vnto the day of my death then your names and fames shall euer stand registred in the Chronicle of honor free from the blacke Characters of disloyall infamie And though Fortunes image be made of glasse brittle and mutable yet your honourable memoriall shall neuer perish Death which is the true Herald of Armes blazoning mans pedegree to be but genus lutulentum a picture of dust be he a Prince in his pallace or a begger vnder a bush yet corruption is their Father and the wormes their mother and sister Their good workes following them but their pompe left behinde them onely their sanctitie to God and seruice to their King and Countrie shal make them glorious in heauen and famous on earth Posteritie will hold them worthy of honor and desire to reserue a Catalogue of their names and will say These were the Noble men that loued their God their King and Countrie Many haue done vertuously but these surmounted them all Archidamus told King Philip after his victory at Cheron that if he should measure his shadow he should not find it an haires breadth bigger or longer then before so let no vaine-glory fill you with empty wind it cannot make your shadowes bigger or longer glory more in your owne vertuous actions then in your renowned Ancestors for though some doe boast to be A loue tertius Aiax yet Quae non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voca Ouid. It is the honour of a noble man when he doth excell in vertue his forepassed Ancestors when he is religious to feare God and to honour the King saying of his Soueraigne as Isaac said to Iacob Cursed be he that curseth thee and blessed be hee that blesseth thee and wishing with the Apostle would to God they were cut off which doe disquiet him alwayes loyall to his Soueraigne and louing to his Countrey willing to aduenture in their seruice his limbes or life euer wishing and praying God saue the King and Countrey Likewise to your Fatherhoods most right and reuerend Fathers the Heads and louing Brethren of the Tribe of Leui whose place and office bind you in all duty to be loyall to the royall Tribe of Iudah to you I may without offence proffer this poore present who spend your spirits at Gods Altar to offer a morning and an euening incense of seruent prayers for the preseruation of Gods Annointed exhorting with Paul that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for Kings and for all that be in authority And indeed before all and aboue all we of the Church the vitall spirits of the politicke body haue manifold motiues to pray for our Soueraigne who vnto vs against the tempest of these times is a refuge an hiding place from the wind and as the shadow of a great rocke as it was said of King Ezechiah His Maiesty is a Defender of the Church as he is a Defender of the Faith and against the Atheists and Alexanders of these dayes that would doe vs much wrong he stands to pleade our cause to grace our calling that we may say with the Poet â—unen Sat. 6. Et spes ratio studiorum in Caesare tantum Solus enim tristes hac teÌ„pestate camaen as respexit Though the Church be made blacke blacke by customary contempt and continuall oppression and persecution yet the King kisseth her with the kisses of his mouth and his loue is better then wine we will reioyce and be glad in thee we will remember thy loue more then wine the righteous doe loue thee And herein if we may boast in any thing we may boast in this That our Church was neuer the Author of Treason The Mother of Soules should not be the murderer of Kings members inclined to rebellion were neuer well possessed of Religion As we haue hitherto beene faithfull obedient and loyall so still euer be from the Church Sit procul omne nefas Let the mother of blood and treason still dwell vnder the roofe of Romish Babylon the mother of whoredomes and of these abhominations drunken with the blood of Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus Christ which cloake these murders and massacres vnder the mantle of Religion like the Rulers of Ephesus distressed with a terrible battery in that Seige her Gouernours tied with ropes the wals and gates to Dianas Temple that so being consecrated to the Goddesse that enemy should assault them at his perill Euen so the Popish pollicy is to tie euery thing to the Temple Conspiracies Murders Treasons all tied to the Church cloaked vnder a colour of Religion that I may say with their owne Leo Ecclesiae nomine armantur contra ecclesiam dimieant They arme themselues with the name of the Church to fight against the Church and to destroy the pillars of the Church Hi Christum simulant sed Sathanalia vivunt Well let our preaching and praying tend to this end to giue Caesar obedience to feare God and to honour the King knowing that all must submit to the Higher Powers for conscience sake and for the Lords sake and they that will not doe it they are none of Gods Clergy none of the Heritage of the Lord They haue neither conscience nor calling like to certaine Bishops in Ambrose dayes of whom he writes Quod dedit cum episcopus ordinaretur aurum fuit quod perdidit anima fuit cum alium ordinaret pecunia fuit quod dedit lepra fuit That which he gaue when he was made a Bishop was gold what he lost was his soule when he made another it was for money what he gaue was a leprosie But these Bishops liue beyond the Alpes I hope there is none in Albion It is our comfort and our Crowne that our calling and conscience is such which burnes in zeale and duty to God and loyall obedience to our graciour Soueraigne Morning and euening at noone and at night at bed and boord praying God saue the Church God saue the King To you the wise and worthy Iudges
lose the right of Dominion as also sometimes for other faults and againe So soon as any one for apostacy from the Faith by iudgement is denounced excommunicate ipso facto his Subiects be absolued from his gouernment and from the oath of Allegiance And the Cardinall Tolets Glosse vpon his wordes Note that albeit Thomas named onely an Apostata yet the reason is all one in the Princes case that is excommunicated for so soone as one is denounced or declared as excommunicate all his subiects be discharged of their obedience which exposition his brother Cardinall Allen applaude in these words Thus doth this notable Schooleman write neyther doe we know any Catholicke Diuine in any age say the contrary Simone Pacensis ioynes forces with these fellowes saying If Kings or other Christian Princes become heretickes forthwith their Subiects and vassals are freed from their gouernement If any Prince bee vnprofitable or make vniust Lawes against religion or against good manneraâ— or doe any such thing to the detriment of spirituall things the Pope obseruing due circumstances may apply a fit remedy euen by depriuing such a King of his gouernment and iurisdiction if the cause require it Gregory of Valence is harping vpon the like notes If the crime of heresie or apostacy from the Faith be notorious that it cannot be couered then euen before the sentence of the Iudge the aforesaid punishment meaning depriuation from his dominion is in part incurred so far that the subiects may lawfully deny obedience to such an hereticall Lord. Where note by the way that now many of them doe hold that all hereticall Kings and such they account all protestant Rulers are depriued of their dominion before their Pope in his deâ—…itiue sentence hath so denounced Indeed their owne Caiâ—tane in this was not Catholike denying Subiects to be absolued before sentence publickely denounced and therefore Allen contradicts him saying iâ—se facte Kings be depriued so soone as they doe appeare hereticall followed also by Philopater saying it is an opinion of the Faith agreeable to Apostolicall doctrine that euery Christian Prince if hee fall from the Catholike religion falls presently from all his power and dignity by the force of Gods Law and 〈…〉 and that before sentence of the supreame Pastor denounced And the fiery Foâ—e Guâ— Reynoldâ— approues the murder of Henry the third the French King because bee fauoured Heretickes before any excommunication published his reason is Publicke griefes doe not attend for legall formes Simancha goes further That a secret hereticke not onely is to be excommunicated but his sonne also his reason is Heresie is a leprosie and leprous sonnes begotten of leprous parents and therefore seemes to inferre not onely a depriuation but also a depriuation of all succession Atque patrem prolem inre priuare suo I need not recite the generall verdict of popish vassals according with these to maintaine the Popes infolency in attempting the deposition of Kings repugnant to his lawes and liking Who knowes not that haue reade the workes of these Saunders visib Monar Suarez def fid catho adv Angl. sect err lib. 6. Francisc Victor relect Depotestate ecolesiae Becanus Rossaeus Bellarmine Allen Ferron Parsons Creswell with many dozens of prostituted hirelings who being fed fatte at the Popes high Altar and gaping for or gaining the purple Hat haue studied to extoll the papacy which they could not doe more pleasingly to the Pope or profitably to themselues then by ascribing to the Pope a power ouer Kings to depriue them if they breake their good behauiour to him and to free subiects from allegiance to them being blasted with the fulminations of excommunication making their master Pope an absolute Lord of the Temporals turning the Crosier staffe into a Scepter yea a commaunder of Scepters making their Church an humane body politicke to ouer-rule all yet vnder a painted pretence of Peters primacy to ouerthrow all Princes supremacy Egregiam verò laudem spolia ampla tulistis Thus this spurious spawne of the olde Serpent by this serpentine policy erecting the papall primacy of Popes aboue Kings the Diana of Romes religion haue raised the Pope to this pontificiall domination But the chiefe pillar whereof they boast would build this point of the power of Popes deposition of Kings if they be not Catholike Kings of the Romane size is the Decree of the Laterane Councell held about three hundred yeares since consisting as they say of seuenty Patriarkes Archbishops and foure hundred and twelue Bishops and eight hundred other eminent Prelates who did decree that the Pope had this power ouer Kings To which wee answere Thar the Decrees of men ought not to take from Kings that power which God hath giuen them But the Lateran Councell was a Conuenticle of Mercenary men and vassals to the Pope who to please Innocent the third their Lord and great Master were willing to gratifie his Holinesse with vnholy Decrees yet we may doubt of that too if Platina be credited who faith That in that Councell many things were offred to consultation yet nothing determined because the Pope suddenly departed to pacifie a sedition then raised and died in his iourny Yet grant it were a lawfull Councell and this matter so there decreed what of that shall a few proud Prelates assembled to flatter the Pope infringe the Lawes of God commanding obedience and subiection to Kings shall Gods commands be countermanded by Councels which so oft haue erred nay haue confirmed heresies as the Councell of Arimium held with the Arrians yea Ephesus Seleucia and Remino concluded with them which made Saint Hierome complaine The whole world groaned and wondered to see it selfe Arrian The error of the Councell of Carthage in rebaptizing is well knowne The Councell of Chalcedon fowlly erred giuing to Leo then Bishop of Rome the title of the Vniuersall Bishop which name he reiected though others embrace it In a worde the late Councell of Trent brought foorth to light a world of errors that I may say with Nazianzene hee neuer saw any Councell haue a good end Yea as their owne writers say Councels haue erred and may erre which in these latter times must needes be so when as the Pope is both party and Iudge which matter of the erring of Councels hath so oft and so soundly beene by our Diuines manifested that I need not insist vpon it But how vaine it is to obtrude for vndoubted proofe the erroneous decrees and nouell opinions of clawbacke Papalines parasites to the Pope to infringe the power of Kings giuen them in Gods word commanding euery soule to be subiect to these higher powers which place of Saint Paul the Champions of the Popes power to depose Kings as their Cardinall of Perron pleades for them doe expound to be a prouisionall precept or caution accommodated to the times A strange error of stout Champions and as the royal
Nazianzene Teares the onely medicine against his mischeefe teares were their Speares Orizons their weapons They knew that they that resisted power resisted the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues damnation These had not beene catechized in the Popes Schoole teaching Subiects that the Pope hath power to depriue Kings if they be defectiue in their regiment or not pliable to his commandement but were obedient as the Apostle exhorts Propter conscientiam for conscience sake Oh but will Master Parsons reply We hold this point that a Prince is to be obeyed Propter conscientiam for conscience sake but not Contrae conscientiam Against his conscience And he is so stiffe in this assertion that he saith If one authority example or testimony out of Scripture Fathers or Councels contradict it we then speake to purpose VVe answer Against Conscience rightly instructed and warranted by the word It is true but there is Asinina lupina or leprosa conscientia A foolish woluish or leprous conscience which vicious or erroneous conscience is not rightly called conscience but error and peruersenesse and therein it failes If a King command things expressely contrary to Gods word the Apostles rule then is plaine VVe must obey God rather then men yet not fall to violence or outward resistance in body but in spirit submitting our bodies to suffer with patience what shall bee inflicted like the three Children to Nabuchadnezar but in our soules to shew our selues more then Conquerors for our Conscience sake Thus doe we see that the foure forenamed crimes Tyranny Infidelity Heresie Apostacy yet great and greeuous sinnes are not sufficient to depriue a King of his regall Inheritance or to free his Subiects from their obedience CHAP. XI I VVil in the next place briefly consider the goodly Harmony of the holy Doctors of Rome in the managing and maintaining of this new Doctrine of deposition of Kings by making their Pope an absolute Lord of all Temporalties and of the Spiritualties by vertue of which vaste omnipotency of power as being the Supreme spirituall and temporall Prince of all and ouer all they ascribe vnto his Holinesse this plenitude of power to haue the iurisdiction of both swords and so may passe against Kings if they bee faulty by tyranny infidelity heresie or apostacy or not Roman Catholickes Sentences of Excommunication Breues of Interdiction Depriuation Buls of Absolution of Subiects from Alleagiance yea giue Licence and Indulgences of pardon to misereants to murder them and yet this is not to be counted King-killing for a King excommunicated or deposed is no King in Popery Let vs see the consent of these Doctors or rather heare the confusion of their tongues in building of this Babell Some of the cheefe pillars of Popery defend the direct ordinary and inherent authority of the Pope whereby as Lord of the whole VVorld in all temporall matters hee may at his pleasure depose Emperors and Princes The cheefe of these is Cardinall Baronius and to alleadge his reasons I omit his Bookes are common and extant in the world And this opinion that the Pope is Lord of all the Temporalties and that the supreame Iurisdiction both in temporall and spirituall matters belong to Peters Successors which was the brainelesse assertion of old blockish Canonists and exploded of all sober Papists is now renewed and passeth for Catholick Doctrine Your Francis Bozius defends it that the Pope is directly Lord of things temporall and is the Ruler and Monarke of the whole world So Rodericus Sancius a Bishop of theirs goes further It is to be holden according to the naturall morall and diuine Law wth the right Faith that the Lordship of the Roman Bishop is the true and onely immediate Lordship of all the world not as concerning spirituall things onely but also as concerning temporall things and that the imperiall Lordship of Kings dependeth vpon it and oweth seruice and attendance thereunto as a meanes minister and instrument and that by him it receiueth institution and ordination and at the commandement of the papall Lordship it may be remoued reuoked corrected and punished In the gouernement of the world the secular Lordship is not necessary either of pure or meere or expedient necessity but when the Church cannot Resoluing this Article therefore we say That in all the world there is but one Lordship and therefore there must be but one Vniuersall and Supreame Prince and Monarke who is Christs Vicar according to that of Daniel He gaue him dominion and honour and kingdome and all people and languages shall serue him In him therefore is the Fountaine and originall of all Lordship and from him the other Powers flow so farre goes this Popish Bishop And diuers others agree with him It is iudged that no Christian Monarke hath his Crowne wholly giuen him from Heauen vnlesse it receiue firmenesse and strength also from Christs Vicar the Pope so Possevine Christ committed to Peter the Key-keeper of eternall life the right of earthly and heauenly gouernement and that in his place the Pope is the vniuersall Iudge the King of Kings the Lord of Lords saith another yea the holy Writer in the old law made the Priesthood an adiectiue to the Kingdome but Saint Peter made the Kingdome an adiectiue to the Priesthood faith the same writer Carerius a Doctor of Padua in his Booke De potestate Romani Pontificis which he made specially to confute Bellarmine who denied the ordinary and direct power of the Pope in the Temporalties doth in many places and pages maintaine that all dominion as well in spirituall things as in temporall is fetcht by Christ and the same is committed to Saint Peter and his Successors that Christ was Lord of all these inferior things not onely as he was God but also as he was Man hauing at that time dominion in the Earth and therefore as the dominion of the world both diuine and humane was then in Christ as man so now it is in the Pope the vicar of Christ That Christ is directly the Lord of the world in temporall things and therefore the Pope Christs vicar is the like and this power giuen to Peter is set out by the sole comming of Peter to Christ vpon the water for vniuersall gouernement is signified by the Sea As God is the Supreme Monarke of the world productiuely and gubernatiuely although of himselfe he be neither of the world nor temporall so the Pope although originally and from himselfe he haue dominion ouer all things temporall yet he hath it not by any immediate execution and committeth that to the Emperor by an vniuersall iurisdiction It would weary a man to reade ouer this worke of Carerius wherein he sweates and toyles himselfe striuing with arguments and laying a curse vpon his aduersaries that shal gainsay him or denie the ordinary direct power of the Pope in the
eyther directly or indirectly by way of deposition of Kings or disposition of their kingdomes The Basis or pillar of this power yea pride they fetch from a primacy as they say of Peter which is diuolued to the See of Rome by right of succession in both of which points they haue beene lamentably soyled and it were folly in me to rub ouer the incureable wounds they haue receiued in this conflict I will stand but as a spectator or relator of this skirmish first in Peters primacy First wee request them to choose out a place for the foundation of it And the Cardinall Contarenus answereth That in his iudgement it was chiefly giuen in the 16. of Mathew when the keyes were giuen him But his Brother Bellarmine the Rhemists deny this and say The koyes were not then giuen but onely promised and with the keyes the supremacy the Gift was in the 21. of Iohn where Christ said Feede my sheepe But 〈◊〉 Contraâ—… replies againe Let not the subtilty of some more ye that say thus for they speake more subtilly then truely thus in the very â—ore from they begin to stagger and vary among themselues But because the place of Math. 16. commonly alleadged to prooue Peters supremacy is their most euident place there we insist and obiect that heerein Peter had no more giuen him then the other Apostles and all made equall with him for Peter had no more but to be the rocke and to receiue the keyes but this is common to the other ergo c. For all the power of the rocke and keyes is included in binding and loosing retaining and remitting sinnes as themselues teach but this power was giuen to all the Apostles Math. 18. 18. Iohn 20. 21. Therefore all the power of the Rocke and Keyes common to the other To reconcile this point and dissolue this knot they skirmish among themselues Some denying that the keyes containe more then binding and loosing Others that Christ in the 18. of Matthew gaue not the Apostles the whole power of the keyes making a threefold sort of keyes of Primacie of Order of Iurisdiction But Bellarmine condemnes that saying It was neuer heard that there were more keyes in the Church then two of Order and of Iurisdiction by which assertion in giuing the other Apostles the same keyes of Order and Iurisdiction hee confirmes our conclusion The highest authority that can be assigned is contained in the keyes say they and the keyes were giuen the other Apostles Math. 18. Iohn 20. 23. as well as Peter therefore Peter hath no supremacy by the Text or by their expositions The common answer of them is That albeit the Apostles had the same keyes and power that Peter had yet with a difference that Peter had it before them and as their Ordinary but they after him as his Legates and subiects which is vntrue for in the 20. of Iohn 21. they all had their power and commission from Christs own mouth not from Peter And Christ said to all Goe ye and preach the Gospell to euery creature so that seeing they had all their Commission immediatly from Christs mouth it doth imply a contradiction to say they had it vnder and from Peter herein they implicate themselues in diuers turnings some say they receiued all their authority from Christ immediately but this was because it pleased Christ by speciall priuiledge to exempt them wherein marke how they contradict themselues first saying they had their authority from and vnder Peter and presently they should haue had it but that by speciall grace they were exempted 2 Sort say the Apostles had two offices first of Apostleship secondly of Bishoply dignity the former they had from Christ but the latter by through Peter Victoria saying They receiued all the power they had immediately from Christ in that he made them all Apostles for to the Apostleship belong three things first authority to gouerne the beleeuers secondly faculty of teaching thirdly power of miracles inferring that all the Apostles had the authority of Order Iurisdiction immediately from Christ And Henriquez saith There is no likelihood in their opinion that say the Apostles receiued their Iurisdiction of Peter other determine the doubt thus That the difference of Peters power from the rest was that hee alone might vse the keyes but the rest might not without him and Saunders saith The other Disciples had the same keyes but after Peter to teach them that Peter had them by ordinary right as Prince of all but they by Christs speciall delegation extraordinarily Gregory of Valence otherwise that Peter had the keyes from Christ and ouer all the Church for euer to continue in his successors which the other Apostles had not Victoria decides this power into foure parts 1. That Peters power was ordinary the rest extraordinary 2. That it was to continue in the Church the others not 3. His power was cuer them their 's neyther ouer him nor ouer one another 4. Their power was subordinate to his so that hee might ouer rule it Caiâ—tan cuts it into fiue points 1. In the manner Peter receiued the power ordinarily they of speciall grace 2. In the office Peter Christs Vicar they but delegates 3. In the obiect hauing power ouer all they not ouer one another 4. In continuance Peters perpetuall theirs determined with their life 5. In the essence Peters preceptiue to command their 's executiue to doe what hee commanded Senensis deuides it into three parts 1. of Order 2. of Apostleship 3. of Monarchy What a weake and doubtfull foundation is heere to build vp Peters Primacy which they make an Article of their Faith so inuolued with nice distinctions and perplexed with difficulties and mutuall contradictions But perchance some Papist may reply and say the chiefe place to proue Peters primacy is Iohn 20. 16. where Christ said thrice to Peter Feede my Sheepe why doth hee examine Peter of his loue more then the rest but that hee intended him more authority No such matter Peter had thrice denied Christ which none of the other had done and therefore he had a threefold confirmation and made a threefold confession for his former abnegation Oh but some of them haue againe argued Feeding is ruling with fulnesse of power but the other Apostles were part of Christs sheepe therefore he must feede them Ansâ— Feeding is to edifie by the word and example so Peter fedde the Apostles and the Apostles fedde Peter as Paul fedde him at Antioch by reproofe So all Christs Ministers are commanded to feed the slock of Christ which is as large as feed my sheepe but the Pope doth not thus feede the sheepe but rather feede vpon the sheepe Non pascit oues sed pastus ouibus in this point Peter and the Pope are no more alike then an Englishman is to a blackeamoore they agree better in fishing then