your actions as farre as yee may eschewing euer wilfully and wittingly to contrare your conscience For a small sinne wilfully committed with a deliberate resolution to breake the bridle of conscience therein is farre more grieuous before God then a greater sinne committed in a suddaine passion when conscience is asleepe Last account Remember therefore in all your actions of the great account that yee are one day to make in all the dayes of your life euer learning to die and liuing euery day as it were your last Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum Horat. lib. 1. Epist And therefore I would not haue you to pray with the Papists to be preserued from suddaine death but that God would giue you grace so to liue as ye may euery houre of your life be ready for death so shall ye attaine to the vertue of trew fortitude neuer being afraid for the horrour of death Trew fortitude come when he list And especially beware to offend your conscience with vse of swearing or lying suppose but in iest for others are but an vse Foolish vse of oathes and a sinne cloathed with no delight nor gaine and therefore the more inexcusable euen in the sight of men and lying commeth also much of a vile vse which banisheth shame Therfore beware euen to deny the trewth which is a sort of lie that may best be eschewed by a person of your ranke For if any thing be asked at you that yee thinke not meete to reueale if yee say that question is not pertinent for them to aske who dare examine you further and vsing sometimes this answere both in trew and false things that shall be asked at you such vnmanerly people will neuer be the wiser thereof And for keeping your conscience sound from that sickenesse of superstition Against superstition yee must neither lay the safetie of your conscience vpon the credit of your owne conceits nor yet of other mens humors how great doctors of Diuinitie that euer they be but yee must onely ground it vpon the expresse Scripture for conscience not grounded vpon sure knowledge is either an ignorant fantasie or an arrogant vanitie Beware therefore in this case with two extremities the one to beleeue with the Papists the Churches authority better then your owne knowledge the other to leane with the Anabaptists to your owne conceits and dreamed reuelations But learne wisely to discerne betwixt points of saluation and indifferent things Difference of internall and externall things betwixt substance and ceremonies and betwixt the expresse commandement and will of God in his word and the inuention or ordinance of man since all that is necessarie for saluation is contained in the Scripture For in any thing that is expressely commanded or prohibited in the booke of God ye cannot be ouer precise euen in the least thing counting euery sinne not according to the light estimation and common vse of it in the world but as the booke of God counteth of it But as for all other things not contained in the Scripture spare not to vse or alter them as the necessitie of the time shall require Account of things externall And when any of the spirituall office-bearers in the Church speake vnto you any thing that is well warranted by the word reuerence and obey them as the heraulds of the most high God but if passing that bounds they vrge you to embrace any of their fantasies in the place of Gods word or would colour their particulars with a pretended zeale acknowledge them for no other then vaine men exceeding the bounds of their calling and according to your office grauely and with authoritie redact them in order againe To conclude then Conclusion both this purpose of conscience and the first part of this booke keepe God more sparingly in your mouth but abundantly in your heart be precise in effect but sociall in shew kythe more by your deedes then by your wordes the loue of vertue and hatred of vice and delight more to be godly and vertuous indeed then to be thought and called so expecting more for your praise and reward in heauen then heere and apply to all your outward actions Christs command to pray and giue your almes secretly So shal ye on the one part be inwardly garnished with trew Christian humilitie not outwardly with the proud Pharisie glorying in your godlinesse but saying as Christ commandeth vs all when we haue done all that we can Luke 10.17 Inutiles serui sumus And on the other part yee shall eschew outwardly before the world the suspition of filthie proude hypocrisie and deceitfull dissimulation OF A KINGS DVETIE IN HIS OFFICE THE SECOND BOOKE BVT as ye are clothed with two callings so must ye be alike careful for the discharge of them both that as yee are a good Christian so yee may be a good King discharging your Office as I shewed before in the points of Iustice and Equitie The Office of a King which in two sundrie waies ye must doe the one in establishing and executing Plato in Polit. which is the life of the Law good Lawes among your people Isocr in Sym. the other by your behauiour in your owne person and with your seruants to teach your people by your example for people are naturally inclined to counterfaite like apes their Princes maners Plate in Polis according to the notable saying of Plato expressed by the Poet Componitur orbis Regis ad exemplum nec sic inflectere sensus Humanos edicta valent quà m vitaregentis Claudian in 4. cons Hon. For the part of making and executing of Lawes consider first the trew difference betwixt a lawfull good King and an vsurping Tyran and yee shall the more easily vnderstand your duetie herein Difference of a King and a Tyran for contraria iuxta se posita magis elucescunt The one acknowledgeth himselfe ordained for his people hauing receiued from God a burthen of gouernment Plato in Polit. whereof he must be countable the other thinketh his people ordined for him Arist 5. Polit. a prey to his passions and inordinate appetites as the fruites of his magnanimitie And therefore as their ends are directly contrarie so are their whole actions as meanes whereby they preasse to attaine to their endes A good King thinking his highest honour to consist in the due discharge of his calling emploieth all his studie and paines to procure and maintaine Xen. 8. Cyr. by the making and execution of good Lawes the well-fare and peace of his people and as their naturall father and kindly Master Cic. lib. 5. de Rep. thinketh his greatest contentment standeth in their prosperitie and his greatest suretie in hauing their hearts subiecting his owne priuate affections and appetites to the weale and standing of his Subiects euer thinking the common interesse his chiefest particular where by the contrarie an vsurping Tyran thinking his greatest
the soule is immortall Or thus with certaine seduced Christians The Pope hath ordained the word of God to be authenticall ergo all credit must be giuen to diuine Scripture Vpon the spurkies or hookes of such ridiculous arguments and friuolous reasons the L. Cardinall hangs the life and safetie of Kings With like artificiall deuises hee pretendeth to haue the infamous murders and apposted cutting of Kings throats in extreame detestation and yet by deposing them from their Princely dignities by degrading them from their supreame and Soueraigne authorities hee brings their sacred heads to the butchers blocke For a King deposed by the Pope let no man doubt will not leaue any stone vnremooued nor any meanes and wayes vnattempted nor any forces or powers of men vnleuied or vnhired to defend himselfe and his Regall dignitie to represse and bring vnder his rebellious people by the Pope discharged of their alleagiance In this perplexitie of the publike affaires in these tempestuous perturbations of the State with what perils is the King not besieged and assaulted His head is exposed to the chances of warre his life a faire marke to the insidious practises of a thousand traitours his Royall person obuious to the dreadfull storme of angry fortune to the deadly malice to the fatall and mortall weapons of his enemies The reason He is presupposed to be lawfully and orderly stripped of his Kingdome Wil he yet hold the sterne of his Royall estate Then is he necessarily taken for a Tyrant reputed an vsurper and his life is exposed to the spoile For the publike lawes make it lawful and free for any priuate person to enterprise against an vsurper of the Kingdome Euery man saith Tertullian is a souldier In reos Maiestatis 〈◊〉 publâ—cos hostes omnis hom omiles est Tertul. apol cap. 2. to beare armes against all traitors and publike enemies Take from a King the title of lawfull King you take from him the warrant of his life and the weapons whereby he is maintained in greater securitie then by his Royall Guard armed with swords and halberds through whose wards and ranks a desperate villaine will make himselfe an easie passage being master of another mans life because he is prodigall and carelesse of his owne Such therefore as pretend so much pity towards Kings to abhorre the bloody opening of their liuer-veine and yet withall to approoue their hoysting out of the Royall dignity are iust in the veine and humour of those that say Let vs not kill the King but let vs disarme the King that he may die a violent death let vs not depriue him of life but of the meanes to defend his life let vs not strangle the King and stop his vitall breath so long as he remaineth King O that were impious O that were horrible and abominable but let him be deposed and then whosoeuer shall runne him through the body with a weapon vp to the very hilts shall not beare the guilt of a King-killer All this must be vnderstood to be spoken of Kings who after they are despoiled of Regalitie by sentence of deposition giuen by the Pope are able to arme themselues and by valiant armes doe defend their Soueraigne rights But in case the King blasted with Romane lightning and stricken with Papall thunder shall actually and speedily bee smitten downe from his high Throne of Regality with present losse of his Kingdome I beleeue it is almost impossible for him to warrant his owne life who was not able to warrant his owne Kingdome Let a cat be throwen from a high roofe to the bottome of a cellour or vault she lighteth on her feet and runneth away without taking any harme A King is not like a cat howsoeuer a cat may looke vpon a King he cannot fall from the loftie pinacle of Royalty to light on his feet vpon the hard pauement of a priuate state without crushing all his bones in pieces It hath bene the lot of very few Emperors and Kings to outliue their Empire For men ascend to the loftie Throne of Kings with a soft and easie pace by certaine steps and degrees there be no stately staires to come downe they tumble head and heeles together when they fall He that hath once griped anothers Kingdome thinks himselfe in little safetie so long as he shall of his courtesie suffer his disseised predecessour to draw his breath And say that some Princes after their fall from their Thrones haue escaped both point and edge of the Tyrants weapon yet haue they wandred like miserable fugitiues in forreine countreys or else haue bene condemned like captiues to perpetuall imprisonment at home a thousand-fold worse and more lamentable then death it selfe Dionysius the Tyrant of Syracusa from a great King in Sicilie tur'nd Schoolemaster in Corinth It was the onely calling and kind of life that as he thought bearing some resemblance of rule and gouernment might recreate his mind as an image or picture of his former Soueraigntie ouer men This Dionysius was the onely man to my knowledge that had a humour to laugh after the losse of a Kingdome and in the state of a Pedant or gouernour of children merily to ieast and to scorne his former state and condition of a King In this my Kingdome of England sundry Kings haue seene the walls as it were of their Princely fortresse dismantled razed and beaten downe By name Edward and Richard both II. and Henrie the VI. all which Kings were most cruelly murdered in prison In the reigne of Edward III. by Acte of Parliament Whosoeuer shall imagine that is the very word of the Statute or machinate the Kings death are declared guiltie of Rebellion and high Treason The learned Iudges of the Land grounding vpon this Law of Edward the third haue euer since reputed and iudged them traitors according to Law that haue dared onely to whisper or talke softly betweene the teeth of deposing the King For they count it a cleare case that no Crowne can be taken from a Kings head without losse of Head and Crowne together sooner or later The L. Cardinal therefore in this most weightie and serious point doth meerely dally and flowt after a sort Page 95. when hee tells vs The Church doeth not intermeddle with releasing of subiects and knocking off their yrons of obedience but onely before the Ecclesiasticall tribunall seat and that besides this double censure of absolution to subiects and excommunication to the Prince the Church imposeth none other penaltie Vnder pretence of which two censures so farre is the Church as the L. Cardinall pretendeth from consenting that any man so censured should bee touched for his life that she vtterly abborreth all murder whatsoeuer but especially all sudden and vnprepenced murders for feare of casting away both body and soule which often in sudden murders goe both one way It hath bene made manifest before that all such proscription and setting forth of Kings to port-sale hath alwaies for the traine thereof either some
deceipt as composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnarma Geddon which may very well agree with the History because it is the name of the place saith Iohn where the wicked being assembled together by the alluring and deceipt of Satan and his three spirits of Diuels to make warre with the faithfull were all destroyed by God and so their destruction came and was procured by deceipt Yet others interpret it to signifie destruction by waters as composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harma Geddon which also may very well agree with the Historie For waters indeed in this Booke signifie oft many people and Nations as appeareth by the very Text in the 17. Chapter And others take it to be an allusion to the destruction that Ioshua made of Gods enemies vpon the hill of Mageddon and therefore to bee composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harr which is called a Hill and Mageddon which may also very well agree with the Historie And as J speake of this so J speake the like of Gog and Magog in the 20. Chapter and of all other ambiguous places in this Booke Jt rests then that what ye finde amisse in this Paraphrase yee impute it to my lacke of yeeres and learning and what ye find worthy to be allowed in it that yee attribute the full praise thereof to GOD to whom onely all praise appertaineth Fare-well THE ARGVMENT OF THIS WHOLE EPISTLE THIS Booke or Epistle of Reuelation was called in doubt aswell for the incertaintie of the Author as also for the canonicalnesse of the Booke it selfe by sundry of the ancients and specially by Eusebe For soluing whereof I need not to insist since it is both receiued now of all Christians and also diuers of the Neoteriques in speciall Beza in his Preface vpon it hath handled that matter sufficiently already So that this doubt onely rests now in men that this Booke is so obscure and allegorique that it is in a maner vnprofitable to be taught or interpreted Whereunto I will shortly make answere and then goe forward to set downe the methode of the same And therefore to make a deduction from the beginning let vs vnderstand in what seuerall or principall parts the whole Scriptures may be diuided in and then which of them this Booke is How soone Adam being made perfect in his Creation and hauing the choise of Life and Death Good and Euill did by his horrible defection make choise of Death and cast off Life and by that meanes infected his whole posteritie with double sinne to wit Originall and Actuall God notwithstanding had such a Loue to mankinde as being his most Noble workemanship and Creature made to his owne Likenesse and Image that he selected a Church amongst them whom first because of their weakenesse and incredulitie he with his owne mouth taught and next instructed and raised vp notable men amongst them to be their Rulers whom he endued with such excellent gifts as not onely their example in life preached but also by Miracles they strengthened and confirmed their Faith But lest this ministrie of men should make them to depend onely vpon their mouthes forgetting Him and making Gods of them he at length out of his owne mouth gaue them his Law which he caused them to put in Writ and retaine still amongst them And then lest they should forget and neglect the same he raised vp godly Rulers as well Temporall as Spirituall who by their holy liues and working of Miracles reuiued and strengthened the Law in their hearts But seeing that notwithstanding all this they cast themselues headlong in the gulfe of vices such is the vnthankefull and repining Nature of Man hee raised vp Prophets as especially Ieremie and Daniel to accuse them of their sinnes and by Visions to forewarne them of the times to come whereby the godly might turne and arme themselues and the wicked might be made inexcusable And thus much for the Old Testament But then God seeing that notwithstanding this there crept in such a generall corruption amongst them that scarce one might be found that bowed not his knee to Baal Hee then by his vnsearchable Wisedome incarnated his Eternall Sonne and Word THE LORD IESVS who by his death and Passion accomplished the faith of the Fathers whose Saluation was by the beleeuing in him to come as also made an open and patent way of Grace to all the world thereafter And then as vpon a new world and a new Church Gods Fatherly care to Mankind was renued but in a more fauourable forme because hee looked vpon the Merits of his deare Sonne Then first Christ with his owne mouth did instruct men and confirmed his Doctrine by Miracles and secondly raised vp the Apostles to giue the Law of Faith confirming it by their liues and Miracles And last that notwithstanding this Defection was beginning to creepe in againe hee inspired one of them to wit IOHN to write this Booke that hee might thereby euen as Ieremie and Daniel did in the old Law aswell rebuke them of their sinnes as by forewarning them to arme them against the great tentations that were to come after Then of it selfe it prooues how profitable this Booke is for this aage seeing it is the last Reuelation of Gods will and Prophesie that euer was or shall bee in the World For wee shall haue no more Prophesies nor Miracles hereafter but must content our selues with the Law and Prophecies already giuen as Christ in his Parable of Lazarus and the rich man teacheth Now as to the Methode this holy Epistle is directed to the seuen Churches of Asia Minor whom hee names and writes to particularly in the first three Chapters of the same and vnder their Names to all their trew Successors the whole Church Militant in the World The whole matter may bee diuided in sixe parts to wit The praise or dispraise of euery one of these Churches according to their merits wherein they merit good or euill what way they ought to reforme themselues and this is contained in the three first Chapters And to make them inexcusable in case they slide againe hee shewes the estate of the whole Church Militant in their time he tells them what it shall be vntill the end of the World and what it shal be when it is Triumphant and immortall after the dissolution These three last parts are declared by Visions in the rest of the Epistle first the present estate of the Church then and what it should be thereafter vnto the later day is summarily declared by the first sixe of the seuen Seales in the sixt and seuenth Chapters and afterwards more at large by the seuen Trumpets that came out of the seuenth Seale in the 8. 9. 10. 11. Chapters And because through Tirannie and abuse of the Popedome Poperie is the greatest temptation since Christes first comming or that shal be vnto his last therefore he specially insists more at large and cleerly in the declaration and painting forth of the
same by Vision of the woman in the wildernesse and of the Beasts that rose out of the sea and the earth in the 12. 13. and 14. Chapters And then to comfort men that might otherwise despaire Chap. 15.16 because of the greatnesse of that temptation he declares by the next following Vision of the Phials what plagues shall light vpon the Pope and his followers Next he describes him againe Chap. 17.18.19 Chap. 20. farre clearer then any time before and likewise his ruine together with the sorrow of the Earth and ioy of Heauen therefore And then to inculcate and ingraue the better the foresaid Visions in the hearts and memories of Men hee in a Vision makes a short summe and recapitulation of them to wit of the present estate of the Church then and what it should bee thereafter vnto the Day of Iudgement together with a short description of the said Day And last he describes by a Vision the glorious reward of them who constantly persist in the Trueth resisting all the temptations which he hath forespoken To wit he describes the blessed estate of the holy and Eternall Ierusalem and Church Triumphant and so with a short and pithie Conclusion makes an end A PARAPHRASE VPON THE REVELATION OF THE APOSTLE S. IOHN CHAP. I. ARGVMENT The Booke the Writer and the Inditer the end and vse thereof The dedication of this Epistle to the Churches and Pastors vnder the vision of the seuen Candlesticks and seuen Starres GOD THE FATHER hath directed his Sonne and Word IESVS CHRIST to send downe an Angel or Minister to me Iohn his seruant and by him to reueale vnto mee certaine things which are shortly to come to passe to the effect in time the chosen may be forewarned by me 2 Who haue borne witnes that the word of God is true and that IESVS CHRIST is and was a faithfull witnesse and haue made true report of all I saw 3 Happy are they that read and vnderstand this Prophesie and conforme themselues thereunto in time for in very short space it will be fulfilled 4 I am directed to declare the same specially to you the seuen Churches of Asia with whom be grace and peace from the Eternall the Father and from the Holy Spirit 5 And IESVS CHRIST that faithfull witnesse the first borne of the dead the Mightie King of the world and head of his Church Who for the loue he bare vs hath made vs innocent by his blood in the worke of Redemption 6 To him then we whom hee hath made Spiritual Kings and Priests in Honour and Holinesse and ordained to serue and praise his Father giue all glory and power for euer so be it 7 Assure your selues of his comming againe from Heauen in all glory and all eyes shall see him Yea the wicked shal be compelled to acknowledge that it is euen very he whom so they did persecute Christ crucified And the whole world shall haue a feeling before him of their vnthankefulnesse So be it 8 I am Eternall saith the Lord before whom all things which is or was are present and I am only the worker of all I who euer Was and still am shall surely come againe according to my promise 1. Cor. 2. And as I am Eternall and true so I am Almighty preordinating all things before all beginnings 9 I Iohn your brother in the flesh Iohn banished to Pathmos for the trueth writeth the Reuelation and companion with you aswell in the seruice of Christ as in the patient suffering of the Crosse being for that word of God and witnessing of Christ whereof I spake so persecuted that for safety of my life I was constrained to flie all alone to the solitarie I le of Pathmos 10 Then was I bereft in spirit vpon the Sunday which is hallowed to the Lord Then heard I behind me turne about and take heed the mighty voyce of the Lord as a Trumpet because he was to declare the estate of the battell of the Church Militant vnto me 11 Saying these wordes I am A and Ω to wit the first and the last write thou in a Booke what thou seest and send it to the Seuen Churches in Asia the names of which are these Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos Thyatyra Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea 12 And when I turned mee to see the voyce Vers 10. I did see seuen Candlesticks representing these seuen Churches 13 And in the middest of them the figure of the Sonne of man representing him clothed with a side garment for grauitie and girded about the paps with a girdle of Gold for glory 14 His head and haire were white as white Wooll Psal 51. Esay 4. Matth. 3. Ierem. 1.15 Esay 17. or Snow for innocencie and his eyes were bright like flames of fire to signifie his all-seeing knowledge 15 His feet were of brasse brightly flaming as in a furnace to declare his standing in Eternity And his voice like the sounding of many waters representing his Maiestie in commanding 16 And hee had in his Right hand the side that the Elect are on Hebr. 1.10 Vers 10. seuen Starres for you the seuen Angels that is Pastors of the seuen Churches Ephes 6. Esay 60. Matth. 7. And from his mouth came a two-edged sword to wit the Sword of the word which comes onely from him and his face was as the Sunne shining bright for from his Face comes all light to illuminate blind Man 17 And when I thus did see him I fell dead at his feet for astonishment Psal 63. Psal 139. but he lifted mee vp againe with his right and fauourable hand and comfortably said vnto mee Feare not be not astonished for I am the first and the last Christ is risen from death to life Timoth. 1. Hebr. 2. 18 Who as verily as now I liue was once dead as thou thy selfe beares witnesse and yet now doe liue for euer and euer and by my death onely I haue ouercome Hell and Death and I onely and no other keepe the Keyes that haue the power of them both 19 And now I came to charge thee to write these things which thou hast now seene because they are afterwards to come to passe CHAP. II. ARGVMENT Admonition and exhortation to the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos and Thyatira WRite then this to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Ephesus He that hath the seuen Starres Chap. 1. v. 10. or seuen Pastours in his Right hand or fauourable power or protection and who walkes among the seuen Golden Candlesticks or watches ouer the seuen Churches euen hee I say Chap. 1. sayes thus vnto thee 2 I know thy workes thy trauaile and patience that thou suffrest not the wicked to walke with thee but hast learned them out False apostles in the Church of Ephesus that call themselues Apostles in the Church of Ephesus and are not and hast tried them to be lyers 3 Thou art also loaded with a great
burden and yet willingly sustainest it and for the loue of my Name hast thou trauailed much and yet weariest not 4 But in this I must finde fault with thee that thy former charitie is waxed cold Destruction to the Church of Ephesus except they repent Chap. 1. Ioh. 12. v. 35. Nicolates Pouerbs 15. 5 Remember then from whence thou hast fallen and repent turning thy selfe to thy first workes otherwise I wil turne against thee soone and will remoue thy Candlesticke out of the place it is in to wit the light of the Gospel from thy Church if thou repent not in time 6 But this againe thou doest well to hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans which also I hate Matth. 23. 7 Let all who haue eares or are willing to be followers of me heare and take example by this which the Spirit of God sayes to the seuen Churches or their seuen Pastours in the name of them 1. Iohn 2. 1. Iohn 5. Prou. 3.5.18.22 And to him who is Victor in the battell against Satan and the flesh I shall giue to eate of the Tree of Life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God to wit I shall make him liue eternally in Heauen 8 To the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Smyrna write thou This sayes the first and the last Ephes 1.3 who was dead but now liues 9 I know thy workes thy trouble and pouertie but thou art rich to wit in graces I know also what blasphemies are vsed against thee by them who call themselues Iewes but are not but by the contrary are of the Synagogue of Satan The Church of Smyrna afflicted and troubled yet doeth continew Psal 91. 10 Feare not when yee shall be troubled by the deuil for he will persecute and trouble some of you in the flesh that your constancie may be tried and ye shall haue great affliction for the space of tenne dayes to wit for a certaine space but be yee faithfull vnto the death and for your continuance I shall giue you the Crowne of life immortall 11 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches and he that ouercommeth shall not be hurt by the second death which is Hell Pergame the principall Citie in Attalia 12 And to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Pergame write thou Thus saith he that hath the two edged sword 13 I know thy workes and where thou dwellest euen where the throne of Satan is to wit among a great number of wicked Yet hast thou not denied thy Faith in me no not in straightest times Antipas Martyr when Antipas my faithfull Martyr and witnesse was slaine among you where Satan to wit many wicked remaine 14 Yet haue I some few things to lay to your charge to wit That yee permit them to remaine amongst you who retaine the doctrine of Balaam 1. Cor. 10.14 who perswade men to eate of things immolate to Idoles and to commit fornication and filthinesse in the flesh For the very same did Ba laam to Balac to cause the Israelites stumble 15 Thou offendest also in suffering some to be amongst you who retaine the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which I hate 16 Repent therefore in time otherwise I will come against thee soone and I will fight and ouercome them who are amongst you with the sword of my mouth to wit by the force of my word 17 He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches And to the Victour shall I giue to eate of that secret and hidden Manna to wit of Me the spirituall food of the faithfull of whom that Manna which was hid in the Arke was a figure And I will also giue him a White stone or a Marke of his election and righteousnesse through imputation and in it a New name written to wit his name shall be written vp in the Booke of life which no man knoweth but he who receiues it for no other may know the certaintie of ones Election but onely he who is elected 18 And to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Thyatire write This saith the Sonne of God whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like to glistering brasse 19 I know thy workes thy charitie thy almes and carefull helping of the weake thy faith thy patience and shortly all thy workes but in speciall I praise thy great constancie and firme continuance euen so as thy last workes are better then the first 20 Yet some few things haue I to lay to thy charge to wit that thou sufferest a woman like to Iezebel in wickednesse and Idolatrie who calls her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my seruants to commit fornication and filthinesse of the flesh and to eate of things immolate vnto Idols 21 Yet gaue I her a time to repent from her filthinesse but she would not 22 Therefore loe I shall cast her into a bed to wit I shall destroy her in the puddle of her sinnes and I shall trouble with great affliction all them who commit adulterie to wit spirituall adulterie with her if they repent not of their euill workes in time 23 And I will kill and destroy her sonnes to wit all the followers of her doctrine that all the Churches and faithfull may know me to be the searcher out of the secrets of all hearts and the iust renderer and recompencer of euery man according to his workes 24 But I say vnto the rest of you who are at Thyatire who haue not receiued that false doctrine nor know not the depth nor secrets of Satan or wickednesse whereof the other falsely did purge themselues I will not lay any other burthen vpon you then that which already constantly yee beare 25 But that which yee haue holde it out valiantly vntill my comming againe 26 For vnto him who is victour and beares out to the end that burthen which I lay vpon him I will giue power ouer Nations to wit hee shall triumph ouer the world 27 And he shall rule them with an yron rod and they shall be broken like vessels of earth according as I haue receiued the power from my Father 28 And I shall giue vnto him the Morning starre for as the morning starre shines brighter then the rest so shall he shine brighter in glory then his fellowes 29 He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth to the Churches CHAP. III. ARGVMENT Admonition and exhortation to the Churches of Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea ANd to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Sardis write thou Thus sayth he who hath the seuen Spirits of God Sardis to wit hee with whom the holy Spirit is vnseparably ioyned and who hath the bestowing of all the graces of Gods Spirit on the Elect and hath the seuen Starres to wit who is the head of you the seuen Pastours I know thy workes for ye say ye liue and yet are dead for
wit the light of the trweth represented by the darkening of the Sunne and so in place of liuing vnder and by the true and cleare aire of the trueth the world shall liue vnder and by the bastard and darke aire of false doctrine 3 And out of this smoake came Grashoppers vpon the earth For this great blindnesse shall breed a multitude of diuers Orders of Ecclesiasticall persons as well Monkes and Friers as others but all agreeing in one hereticall Religion These are grashoppers because they breed of that filthy smoke of heresies euen as Grashoppers breed of corrupted aire they are euer teaching false doctrine with their mouth which carries with it as great destruction to the soules of men as the mouthes of Grashoppers doe to the greene grasse and herbs and the earth shal be ouerloaden with multitudes of them euen as Grashoppers sometimes come in great heapes and ouercharge the face of a whole countrey And like power was giuen to them as hath the earthly Scorpions for as the Scorpions sting is not felt sore at first and is long in working and impossible to be healed but by the oyle of a dead scorpion so the poysoning of the soule cannot be perceiued by the receiuer at the first but is long in operation for by peece and peece they infect the world with heresies and open not all their packe at first and the world shall neuer be freed from their heresies vnto the vtter destruction of these false teachers themselues 4 And it was said vnto them or they were forbidden to harme the grasse or any greene thing or any tree but onely these men that haue not the marke of God in their foreheads for though earthly Grashoppers when they swarme in heapes doe destroy all greene grasse or trees yet God shall so bridle the rage of these spirituall Grashoppers that they shall haue no power to peruert the Elect of whatsoeuer degree or sort compared to greene grasse and fruitful trees but their power shall extend onely vpon them that beare not the marke or Seale of God vpon their forehead and as withered and vnfruitfull sticks are ready for the fire 5 But they shall haue no power to slay them to wit they shall not discouer to the world their greatest blasphemies at the first as I said before but they shall torment them for the space of fiue moneths and their torment shal be like the torment that a man suffers being stinged by a scorpion to wit they shal by peece peece infect them with spirituall poison and as I haue said already they shall not feele the smart thereof while the second death make them to feele the same This torment shall endure fiue moneths that is the time limitted them by God which alludes to the fiue moneths in Summer when Grashoppers are This forme of speech doeth declare the continuing of the Metaphore 6 And in these daies men shal seeke death and shall not finde the same and men shall desire to die but death shall flie from them for then beginnes the troublesome times of the later dayes the miserie whereof I heard our Master while he was yet on the earth declare in these words that I haue now repeated 7 And the figure of these locusts was like vnto the horse prepared for the war to signifie that their forme of practise policie shal be so worldly wise that they shal lacke nothing perteyning to the setting forth of their intents more then a horse of seruice which is curiously barded feated and prepared for going forth to the battell And they had crownes like crownes of gold vpon their heads for they shall pretend to be holy like the Elders who for their reward gate Crownes of pure gold set vpon their heads as you heard before and so shall outwardly glance in an hypocriticall holinesse And their faces were like the faces of men and the faces of men signifie reason as man is a reasonable creature the likenesse then of their faces vnto men signifies that they shall by curious arguments pretend reason to maintaine their false doctrine but it shall be but a counterfait resembling of reason indeed euen as their crownes are like vnto gold but are not gold indeed 8 And they haue haire like the haire of women for as the haire of women is a speciall part of their alluring beautie so they haue such alluring heresies whereby they make the way of heauen so easie by their helpe to whomsoeuer how wicked soeuer they be that will vse the same as they allure them to commit spirituall adulterie with them And they haue teeth like Lions teeth for as the Lion is stronger in the mouth and so may doe greater harme with his teeth then any other beast so all these that will not be perswaded with their shewes prepared like horses for the warre with their crownes like crownes of gold with their faces like the faces of men nor with their haire like the haire of women they shall be persecuted by the power of their mouth to wit by their threatnings and thundering curses 9 And they had breast plates like breastplates of iron for they shall haue to backe this their authoritie the assistance of Princes whose maintayning of them shall appeare vnto the world strong as iron And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots running with many horses vnto the warre for as the grassehoppers make in the hot time of the yere the day a great sound with their wings so these shal be made so strong and fearefull by their brestplates like iron as what they being in the height of their day shall decree it shal haue such a maiestie and fearefulnes as the terrible noise of many horses and chariots hurling to battel 10 But they had tailes like the tailes of Scorpions and there were stings in their tailes for at their first dealing with any they appeare not harmeful to them that heare them and beleeue them but the effect and end of their practise is poison to the soule and thereafter their tailes are like vnto the tailes of Scorpions wherein is their sting And they had power to trouble and harme men the space of fiue moneths for as I shewed you before that they should torment men the space of fiue moneths to wit a certaine space appointed them so now I assure you to your comfort that as grassehoppers last but fiue moneths that are hottest so these shall be like vnto grassehoppers in that as well as in the rest for they shall remaine but for a certaine space prescribed and then shall be destroyed by the blast of Christs breath 11 They haue also a King but to rule ouer them who is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit and his name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon for these by the permission of Gods iustice and working of Satan shall haue at the last a Monarch to be their head who shall be like vnto themselues the angel or messenger
by this that the persecution of this Destroyer shall last the halfe to wit it shall reigne about the midst of the last aage of this whole weeke which begins at his incarnation and first comming and ends at his last comming againe which because it is the last period it is here compared to a weeke 3 But I shall giue that holy towne to two witnesses of mine who clothed with sackecloth shall prophesie the space of one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes for these my successours he shall raise vp as witnesses to wit a sufficient number of them for out of the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word is confirmed to witnesse that their doctrine is false who persecute the Church which he shal giue vnto them for he shall make them their patrons to defend and feed them by the power of the true word and they shall preach repentance to that counterfeit Church and therefore they are said to be clothed in sackecloth And to assure vs to our great comfort that in all the time of blindnesse God shall euer be raising vp some of these two witnesses against the hypocriticall Destroyer and to comfort and confirme his true Church it is said They shall prophesie the number of dayes that yee haue heard which is correspondent iustly to the moneths before mentioned to wit they shall not leaue off to witnesse all the time of the Antichristian kingdome 4 These witnesnesses are two greene Oliues who anoint the Elect with that holy oyle and two Candlestickes as Christ said to enlighten the world with their brightnesse who are set downe and doe their office in the presence of him who is Lord and ruler of the earth 5 And if any shal presse to harme them fire shall come out of their mouthes and deuoure their enemies for whosoeuer will doe them any hurt himselfe must be slaine so to wit the holy Spirit who is the fire in their mouth shall accuse and cause to be destroyed with the second death all them that either persecute them or will not heare or obey their doctrine 6 These witnesses haue power to shut heauen that it raine not in the dayes of their prophesie and they haue power ouer the waters to turne them into blood and to strike the earth with euery kinde of plague so often as they please for hee shall authorize them and their message with as sure testimonies as the shutting of the heauen and stay of the raine was vnto Elias so long as he forespake it should be so and as vnto Moyses the turning of the waters into blood and the striking of the earth of the land of Egypt with diuers and sundry plagues 7 But these shall be witnesses by their death as well as by their life For how soone any of them shall haue runne that course in the earth which God hath appointed them they shall be persecuted ouercome and slaine by that beast the Angel of that bottomlesse pit and king of the locusts and that great towne seat of the Monarchy shal publikely put them down as malefactours 8 So as their dead bodies or carkeises shall lie in the streets thereof And this towne is spiritually called Sodom because of the spirituall adultery to wit Idolatrie that it shall commit and maintaine and spiritually Egypt because it shall oppresse and intollerably burthen the soules of the chosen euen as Egypt captiuated the bodies and burthened the backes of the people of Israel and in that towne also was our Lord crucified for where Christs members are put to death for their Masters cause as this towne and Kings therof shal do there is Christ himselfe crucified in effect and his crucifying shal be as wel imputed to them as to Iudas who betrayed him 9 And men of all tribes peoples tongues and nations shall see their carkeises the space of three dayes and a halfe and they shall not be suffered to be buried in sepulchres 10 And the inhabitants of the earth shall be glad and reioyce for their slaughters and shall send gifts one to another in token of ioy because they are made quit of these two prophets who tormented the indwellers of the earth for the whole world who are not in Sancto Sanctorum shall not onely suffer but allow that these witnesses be not onely slaine but also be so cruelly vsed an contemned as not to be suffered to be buried amongst others And the whole earth shall reioyce at their death because that euen as Achab blamed Elias for troubling of Israel so shall the world thinke these witnesses troublesome vnto them because they discouer vnto them their shamefulnesse and call them to the repentance thereof 11 And thus shall they be contemned for the space of three dayes and a halfe to wit of three yeeres and a halfe which signifies that during the space of the Antichrists reigne they shall be thus vsed but after the space of three dayes and an halfe the Spirit of life comming from God shall enter into them and they shall be set vpon their feete and a great feare shall fall vpon them that did see them before 12 And they heard a great voice from the heauen saying vnto them Come vp bither then they ascended vp into heauen and their enemies saw them doe so for although that during the flourishing of this hereticall and bypocriticall Monarchie the trew Pastours no sooner appeared then they were put to death yet at the last this Monarchie shall begin to decay when the three yeeres or the three dayes and an halfe thereof shall be expired and then shall the Spirit of life from God to wit the holy Spirit sent from God worke mightier in the latter Pastours of these dayes so as in them shall the by-past Martyrs be reuiued and their doctrine shall take roote in the hearts of many and their reasons shal be so pithie as the Antichristian sect and the rest of the world shall know as perfectly that they shall preuaile as if they heard God call them to heauen to reward them there for their victory Neither shall they haue power of their liues for God shall mooue the hearts of many to defend them in such glory and safetie as if they were mounting vp to heauen in a cloud and they not able to hinder them 13 And then at that time shall be a great earthquake to wit great tumults among nations and the tenth part of the citie shall fall This citie is diuided in tenne parts to shew it is the same Monarchie that shall afterwards be described by a beast with ten heads And by the falling of the tenth part thereof is meant that diuers nations shall shake off the yoke of that Monarchie and so a part of the strength of that citie shall decay and there was slaine in that earthquake seuen thousand men to wit a great number of men shal be slaine in these tumults and the rest were afraid and gaue glory vnto the God of Heauen for these tumults
Thummim gaue he not his responses by the intralles of beasts by the singing of fowles and by their actions in the aire As God by visions dreames and extasies reuealed what was to come and what was his will vnto his seruants vsed hee not the like meanes to forewarne his slaues of things to come Yea euen as God loued cleanenesse hated vice and impuritie and appointed punishments therefore vsed he not the like though falsly I grant and but in eschewing the lesse inconuenience to draw them vpon a greater yet dissimuled he not I say so farre as to appoint his priests to keepe their bodies cleane and vndefiled before their asking responses of him And fained he not God to be a protectour of euery vertue and a iust reuenger of the contrarie This reason then mooues mee that as he is that same diuell and as crafty now as he was then so will he not spare as pertly in these actions that I haue spoken of concerning the Witches persons but further Witches of times confesse not only his conueening in the Church with them but his occupying of the Pulpit Yea their forme of adoration to be the kissing of his hinder parts Which though it seeme ridiculous yet may it likewise be trew seeing we reade that in Calicute he appearing in forme of a Goat-bucke hath publikely that vn-honest homage done vnto him by euery one of the people So ambitious is he and greedy of honour which procured his fall that he will euen imitate God in that part where it is said that Moyses could see but the hinder parts of God Exod. 33. for the brightnesse of his glory And yet that speech is spoken but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHAP. IIII. ARGV What are the wayes possible whereby the Witches may transport themselues to places farre distant And what are impossible and meere illusions of Satan And the reasons thereof PHILOMATHES BVt by what way say they or thinke yee it possible they can come to these vnlawfull conuentions EPI There is the thing which I esteeme their senses to be deluded in and though they lie not in confessing of it because they thinke it to be trew yet not to be so in substance or effect for they say that by diuers meanes they may conueene either to the adoring of their Master or to the putting in practise any seruice of his committed vnto their charge one way is naturall which is naturall riding going or sailing at what houre their master comes and aduertises them and this way may be easily beleeued another way is some what more strange and yet it is possible to bee trew which is by being caried by the force of the spirit which is their conducter either aboue the earth or aboue the Sea swiftly to the place where they are to meete which I am perswaded to bee likewise possible in respect that as Habakkuk was carried by the Angel in that forme to the den where Daniel lay so thinke I the diuell will be readie to imitate God as well in that as in other things Apocrypha of Bel and the Dragon which is much more possible to him to doe being a Spirit then to a mighty wind being but a naturall Meteore to transport from one place to another a solide body as is commonly and daily seene in practise But in this violent forme they cannot be caried but a short bounds agreeing with the space that they may retaine their breath for if it were longer their breath could not remaine vnextinguished their body being caried in such a violent and forcible maner as by example If one fall off a small height his life is but in perill according to the hard or soft lighting but if one fall from an high and stay rocke his breath will be forcibly banished from the body before he can win to the earth as is oft seene by experience And in this transporting they say themselues that they are inuisible to any other except amongst themselues which may also be possible in my opinion For if the deuill may forme what kinde of impressions he pleases in the aire as I haue said before speaking of Magie why may hee not farre easilier thicken and obscure so the aire that is next about them by contracting it straite together that the beames of any other mans eyes cannot pierce thorow the same to see them But the third way of their comming to their conuentions is that wherein I thinke them deluded for some of them say that being transformed in the likenesse of a little beast or foule they will come and pierce through whatsoeuer house or Church though all ordinarie passages be closed by whatsoeuer open the aire may enter in at And some say that their bodies lying still as in an extasie their spirits will be rauished out of their bodies and caried to such places and for verifying thereof will giue euident tokens as well by witnesses that haue seene their body lying sencelesse in the meane time as by naming persons whom-with they met and giuing tokens what purpose was amongst them whom otherwise they could not haue knowen for this forme of iourneying they affirme to vse most when they are transported from one countrey to another PHI. Surely I long to heare your owne opinion of this for they are like old wiues trattles about the fire The reasons that mooue me to thinke that these are meere illusions are these First for them that are transformed in likenesse of beasts or foules can enter through so narrow passages although I may easily beleeue that the diuell could by his workmanship vpon the aire make them appeare to be in such formes either to themselues or to others yet how he can contract a solide body within so little roome I thinke it is directly contrary to it selfe for to be made so little and yet not diminished to be so straitly drawen together and yet feele no paine I thinke it is so contrary to the qualitie of a naturall bodie and so like to the little transubstantiate god in the Papists Masse that I can neuer beleeue it So to haue a quantitie is so proper to a solide body that as all Philosophers conclude it cannot be any more without one then a spirit can haue one Actes 12. For when Peter came out of the prison and the doores all locked it was not by any cōtracting of his body in so little roome but by the giuing place of the doore though vnespied by the Gaylors And yet is there no comparison when this is done betwixt the power of God and of the diuel As to their forme of extasie and spirituall transporting it is certaine the soules going out of the body is the onely definition of naturall death and who are once dead God forbid we should thinke that it should lie in the power of all the diuels in hell to restore them to their life againe although he can put his owne spirit in a dead body which the Necromancers commonly practise
the whole Dialogue CHAP. I. ARGV The diuision of Spirits in foure principall kindes The description of the first kinde of them called Spectra vmbrae mortuorum What is the best way to be free of their trouble PHILOMATHES I Pray you now then goe forward in telling what ye thinke fabulous or may be trowed in that case EPI That kind of the diuels cōuersing in the earth may be diuided in foure different kindes whereby he affraieth and troubleth the bodies of men For of the abusing of the soule I haue spoken alreadie The first is where spirits trouble some houses or solitarie places The second where Spirits follow vpon certaine persons and at diuers houres trouble them The third when they enter within them and possesse them The fourth is these kinde of Spirits that are called vulgarly the Fairie Of the three former kinds ye heard already how they may artificially be made by Witchcraft to trouble folke now it restes to speake of their naturall comming as it were and not raised by Witchcraft But generally I must forewarne you of one thing before I enter in this purpose that is that although in my discoursing of them I deuide them in diuers kinds ye must notwithstanding thereof note my phrase of speaking in that For doubtleslie they are in effect but all one kinde of Spirits who for abusing the more of mankinde take on these sundrie shapes and vse diuers formes of outward actions as if some were of nature better then other Now I returne to my purpose As to the first kinde of these spirits that were called by the ancients by diuers names according as their actions were For if they were Spirits that haunted some houses by appearing in diuers and horrible formes and making great dinne they were called Lemures or Spectra If they appeared in likenesse of any defunct to some friends of his they were called vmbraemortuorum And so innumerable stiles they got according to their actions as I haue said alreadie as we see by experience how many stiles they haue giuen them in our language in the like maner Of the appearing of these Spirits we are certified by the Scriptures Esay 13. Iere. 50. where the Prophet Esay 13. and 34. Chap. threatning the destruction of Ierusalem declares that it shall not onely be wracked but shall become so great a solitude as it shall be the habitacle of Howlets and of Zijm and Ijm which are the proper Hebrew names for these Spirits The cause why they haunt sollitarie places it is by reason that they may affray and brangle the more the faith of such as them alone hauntes such places For our nature is such as in companies we are not so soone moued to any such kind of feare as being sollitarie which the diuel knowing well enough he will not therefore assaile vs but when wee are weake And besides that God will not permit him so to dishonour the societies and companies of Christians as in publicque times and places to walke visiblie amongst them On the other part when he troubles certaine houses that are dwelt in it is a sure token either of grosse ignorance or of some grosse and slanderous sinnes amongst the inhabitants thereof which God by that extraordinarie rod punishes PHI. But by what way or passage can these Spirits enter into these houses seeing they alledge that they will enter doore and window being steiked EPI They will choose the passage for their entresse according to the forme that they are in at that time For if they haue assumed a dead bodie whereinto they lodge themselues they can easily enough open without dinne any doore or window and enter in thereat And if they enter as a Spirit onely any place where the aire may come in at is large enough an entrie for them For as I said before a Spirit can occupie no quantitie PHI. And will God then permit these wicked Spirits to trouble the rest of a dead bodie before the resurrection thereof Or if hee will so I thinke it should be of the reprobate onely EPI What more is the rest troubled of a dead bodie when the diuell caries it out of the graue to serue his turne for a space nor when the Witches take it vp and ioynts it or when as Swine wortes vp the graues The rest of them that the Scripture speakes of is not meaned by a locall remaining continually in one place but by their resting from their trauailes and miseries of this world while their latter coniunction againe with the soule at that time to receiue full glorie in both And that the diuel may vse as well the ministrie of the bodies of the faithfull in these cases as of the vnfaithfull there is no inconuenience for his haunting with their bodies after they are dead can no-waies defile them in respect of the soules absence And for any dishonour it can be vnto them by what reason can it be greater then the hanging heading or many such shamefull deaths that good men will suffer For there is nothing in the bodies of the faithfull more worthie of honour or freer from corruption by nature nor in these of the vnfaithfull while time they be purged and glorified in the latter Day as is daily seene by the vilde diseases and corruptions that the bodies of the faithfull are subiect vnto as ye will see clearely proued when I speake of the possessed and Daemoniacques PHI. Yet there are sundry that affirme to haue haunted such places where these spirits are alledged to be and could neuer heare nor see any thing EPI I thinke well for that is onely reserued to the secret knowledge of God whom he will permit to see such things and whom not PHI. But where these spirits haunt and trouble any houses what is the best way to banish them EPI By two meanes may onely the remeid of such things be procured The one is ardent prayer to God both of these persons that are troubled with them and of that Church whereof they are The other is the purging of themselues by amendment of life from such sinnes as haue procured that extraordinarie plague PHI. And what meane then these kindes of spirits when they appeare in the shadow of a person newly dead or to die to his friends EPI When they appeare vpon that occasion they are called Wraithes in our language Amongst the Gentiles the diuell vsed that much to make them beleeue that it was some good spirit that appeared to them then either to forewarne them of the death of their friend or else to discouer vnto them the will of the defunct or what was the way of his slaughter as it is written in the booke of the histories prodigious and this way he easily deceiued the Gentiles because they knew not God and to that same effect is it that he now appeares in that maner to some ignorant Christians for hee dares not so illude any that knoweth that neither can the spirit of the defunct
companie of dames which are nothing else but irritamenta libidinis Bee warre likewaies to abuse your selfe in making your sporters your counsellers and delight not to keepe ordinarily in your companie Comoedians or Balladines for the Tyrans delighted most in them Pl. 3. de rep Ar. 7. 8. pol. Sen. 1. ep Dyon glorying to bee both authors and actors of Comoedies and Tragedies themselues Wherupon the answere that the poet Philoxenus disdainefully gaue to the Tyran of Syracuse there-anent is now come in a prouerbe reduc me in latomias Suidas And all the ruse that Nero made of himselfe when he died was Qualis artifexpereo Suet. in Ner. meaning of his skill in menstrally and playing of Tragoedies as indeede his whole life and death was all but one Tragoedie Delight not also to bee in your owne person a player vpon instruments especially on such as commonly men winne their liuing with nor yet to be fine of any mechanicke craft 1. Sep. Leur esprit s'en fuit au bout des doigts saith Du Bartas whose workes as they are all most worthie to bee read by any Prince or other good Christian so would I especially wish you to bee well versed in them But spare not some-times by merie company to be free from importunitie for ye should be euer mooued with reason which is the onely qualitie whereby men differ from beasts and not with importunitie Curt. 8. For the which cause as also for augmenting your Maiestie ye shall not be so facile of accesse-giuing at all times as I haue beene Liu. 35. Xen. in Ages Cit. ad Q frat and yet not altogether retired or locked vp like the Kings of Persia appointing also certaine houres for publicke audience And since my trust is that God hath ordained you for moe Kingdomes then this as I haue oft alreadie said preasse by the outward behauiour as well of your owne person A speciall good rule in gouernment as of your court in all indifferent things to allure piece and piece the rest of your kingdomes to follow the fashions of that kingdome of yours that yee finde most ciuill easiest to be ruled and most obedient to the Lawes for these outward and indifferent things will serue greatly for allurements to the people to embrace and follow vertue But beware of thrawing or constraining them thereto letting it bee brought on with time and at leisure specially by so mixing through alliance and daily conuersation the inhabitants of euery kingdom with other as may with time make them to grow and welde all in one Which may easily be done betwixt these two nations being both but one Ile of Britaine and alreadie ioyned in vnitie of Religion and language The fruitfull effects of the vnion So that euen as in the times of our ancestours the long warres and many bloodie battels betwixt these two countreys bred a naturall and hereditarie hatred in euery of them against the other the vniting and welding of them hereafter in one by all sort of friendship commerce and alliance will by the contrary produce and maintaine a naturall and inseparable vnitie of loue amongst them Alreadie kything in the happy amitie As we haue already praise be to God a great experience of the good beginning hereof and of the quenching of the olde hate in the hearts of both the people procured by the meanes of this long and happy amitie betweene the Queene my dearest sister and me which during the whole time of both our Reignes hath euer beene inuiolably obserued And for conclusion of this my whole Treatise Conclusion in forme of abridge of the whole Treatise remember my Sonne by your trew and constant depending vpon God to looke for a blessing to all your actions in your office by the outward vsing thereof to testifie the inward vprightnesse of your heart and by your behauiour in all indifferent things to set foorth the viue image of your vertuous disposition and in respect of the greatnesse and weight of your burthen to be patient in hearing keeping your heart free from praeoccupation ripe in concluding Thuc. 6. Dion 52. and constant in your resolution For better it is to bide at your resolution although there were some defect in it then by daily changing to effectuate nothing taking the paterne thereof from the microcosme of your owne body wherein ye haue two eyes signifying great foresight and prouidence with a narrow looking in all things and also two eares signifying patient hearing and that of both the parties but ye haue but one tongue for pronouncing a plaine sensible and vniforme sentence and but one head and one heart for keeping a constant vniforme resolution according to your apprehension hauing two hands and two feete with many fingers and toes for quicke execution in employing all instruments meet for effectuating your deliberations But forget not to digest euer your passion before ye determine vpon any thing since Ira furor breuis est Hir. lib. 1. epist. vttering onely your anger according to the Apostles rule Irascimini sed ne peccetis taking pleasure not only to reward Ephes 4. but to aduance the good which is a chiefe point of a Kings glory but make none ouer-great Arist 5. pol. Dion 52. but according as the power of the countrey may beare and punishing the euill but euery man according to his owne offence not punishing nor blaming the father for the sonne Plat. 9. de leg nor the brother for the brother much lesse generally to hate a whole race for the fault of one for noxa caput sequitur And aboue all let the measure of your loue to euery one be according to the measure of his vertue letting your fauour to be no longer tyed to any then the continuance of his vertuous disposition shall deserue not admitting the excuse vpon a iust reuenge to procure ouersight to an iniurie For the first iniurie is committed against the partie but the parties reuenging thereof at his owne hand is a wrong committed against you in vsurping your office whom to onely the sword belongeth for reuenging of all the iniuries committed against any of your people Thus hoping in the goodnes of God that your naturall inclination shall haue a happy sympathie with these pręcepts making the wise-mans scholemaster which is the example of others to bee your teacher according to that old verse Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum eschewing so the ouer-late repentance by your owne experience which is the schoole-master of fooles I wil for end of all require you my Sonne as euer ye thinke to deserue my fatherly blessing to keepe continually before the eyes of your minde the greatnesse of your charge Plat. in pol. Cic. 5. d◠re◠making the faithfull and due discharge thereof the principal butt ye shoot at in all your actions counting it euer the principall and all your other actions but as accessories to be
being scantly inhabited but by very few and they as barbarous and scant of ciuilitie as number there comes our first King Fergus with a great number with him out of Ireland which was long inhabited before vs and making himselfe master of the countrey by his owne friendship and force as well of the Ireland-men that came with him as of the countrey-men that willingly fell to him hee made himselfe King and Lord as well of the whole landes as of the whole inhabitants within the same Thereafter he and his successours a long while after their being Kinges made and established their lawes from time to time and as the occasion required So the trewth is directly contrarie in our state to the false affirmation of such seditious writers as would perswade vs that the Lawes and state of our countrey were established before the admitting of a king where by the contrarie ye see it plainely prooued that a wise king comming in among barbares first established the estate and forme of gouernement and thereafter made lawes by himselfe and his successours according thereto The kings therefore in Scotland were before any estates or rankes of men within the same before any Parliaments were holden or lawes made and by them was the land distributed which at the first was whole theirs states erected and decerned and formes of gouernement deuised and established And so it followes of necessitie that the kings were the authors and makers of the Lawes and not the Lawes of the kings And to prooue this my assertion more clearly it is euident by the rolles of our Chancellery which containe our eldest and fundamentall Lawes that the King is Dominus omnium bonorum and Dominus directus totius Dominij the whole subiects being but his vassals and from him holding all their lands as their ouer-lord who according to good seruices done vnto him chaungeth their holdings from tacke to few from ward to blanch erecteth new Baronies and vniteth olde without aduice or authoritie of either Parliament or any other subalterin iudiciall seate So as if wrong might bee admitted in play albeit I grant wrong should be wrong in all persons the King might haue a better colour for his pleasure without further reason to take the land from his lieges as ouer-lord of the whole and doe with it as pleaseth him since all that they hold is of him then as foolish writers say the people might vnmake the king and put an other in his roome But either of them as vnlawful and against the ordinance of God ought to be alike odious to be thought much lesse put in practise And according to these fundamentall Lawes already alledged we daily see that in the Parliament which is nothing else but the head Court of the king and his vassals the lawes are but craued by his subiects and onely made by him at their rogation and with their aduice For albeit the king make daily statutes and ordinances enioyning such paines thereto as hee thinkes meet without any aduice of Parliament or estates yet it lies in the power of no Parliament to make any kinde of Lawe or Statute without his Scepter be to it for giuing it the force of a Law And although diuers changes haue beene in other countries of the blood Royall and kingly house the kingdome being reft by conquest from one to another as in our neighbour countrey in England which was neuer in ours yet the same ground of the kings right ouer all the land and subiects thereof remaineth alike in all other free Monarchies as well as in this For when the Bastard of Normandie came into England and made himselfe king was it not by force and with a mighty army Where he gaue the Law and tooke none changed the Lawes inuerted the order of gouernement set downe the strangers his followers in many of the old possessours roomes as at this day well appeareth a great part of the Gentlemen in England beeing come of the Norman blood and their old Lawes which to this day they are ruled by are written in his language and not in theirs And yet his successours haue with great happinesse enioyed the Crowne to this day Whereof the like was also done by all them that conquested them before And for conclusion of this point that the king is ouer-lord ouer the whole lands it is likewise daily proued by the Law of our hoordes of want of Heires and of Bastardies For if a hoord be found vnder the earth because it is no more in the keeping or vse of any person it of the law pertains to the king If a person inheritour of any lands or goods dye without any sort of heires all his landes and goods returne to the king And if a bastard die vnrehabled without heires of his bodie which rehabling onely lyes in the kings hands all that hee hath likewise returnes to the king And as ye see it manifest that the King is ouer-Lord of the whole land so is he Master ouer euery person that inhabiteth the same hauing power ouer the life and death of euery one of them For although a iust Prince will not take the life of any of his subiects without a cleare law yet the same lawes whereby he taketh them are made by himselfe or his predecessours and so the power flowes alwaies from him selfe as by daily experience we see good and iust Princes will from time to time make new lawes and statutes adioyning the penalties to the breakers thereof which before the law was made had beene no crime to the subiect to haue committed Not that I deny the old definition of a King and of a law which makes the king to bee a speaking law and the Law a dumbe king for certainely a king that gouernes not by his lawe can neither be countable to God for his administration nor haue a happy and established raigne For albeit it be trew that I haue at length prooued that the King is aboue the law as both the author and giuer of strength thereto yet a good king will not onely delight to rule his subiects by the lawe but euen will conforme himselfe in his owne actions thereuneto alwaies keeping that ground that the health of the common-wealth be his chiefe lawe And where he sees the lawe doubtsome or rigorous hee may interpret or mitigate the same lest otherwise Summum ius bee summa iniuria And therefore generall lawes made publikely in Parliament may vpon knowen respects to the King by his authoritie bee mitigated and suspended vpon causes onely knowen to him As likewise although I haue said a good king will frame all his actions to be according to the Law yet is hee not bound thereto but of his good will and for good example-giuing to his subiects For as in the law of abstaining from eating of flesh in Lenton the king will for examples sake make his owne house to obserue the Law yet no man will thinke he needs to take a licence to
any penance for the same And that ye may know that more Iesuits were also vpon the partie Owldcorne the other Powder-Martyr after the misgiuing and discouery of that Treason preached consolatory doctrine to his Catholique auditorie exhorting them not to faint for the misgiuing of this enterprise nor to thinke the worse thereof that it succeeded not alleadging diuers Presidents of such godly enterprises that misgaue in like maner especially one of S. Lewes King of France who in his second iourney to the Holy-land died by the way the greatest part of his armie being destroyed by the plague his first iourney hauing likewise misgiuen him by the Soldans taking of him exhorting them thereupon not to giue ouer but still to hope that GOD would blesse their enterprise at some other time though this did faile Thus see ye now with what boldnesse and impudencie hee hath belied the publiquely knowne veritie in this errand both in auowing generally that no Iesuite was any wayes guiltie of that Treason for so he affirmeth in his booke and also that Garnet knew nothing thereof but vnder the Seale of Confession But if this were the first lye of the affaires of this State which my fugitiue Priests and Iesuits haue coyned and spread abroad I could charme them of it as the prouerbe is But as well the walles of diuers Monasteries and Iesuites Colledges abroad are filled with the painting of such lying Histories as also the bookes of our said fugitiues are farced with such sort of shamelesse stuffe such are the innumerable sorts of torments and cruell deathes that they record their Martyrs to haue suffred here some torne at foure Horses some sowed in Beares skinnes and then killed with Dogges nay women haue not bene spared they say and a thousand other strange fictions the vanities of all which I will in two words discouer vnto you First as for the cause of their punishment I doe constantly maintaine that which I haue said in my Apologie That no man either in my time or in the late Queenes euer died here for his conscience For let him be neuer so deuout a Papist nay though he professe the same neuer so constantly his life is in no danger by the Law if hee breake not out into some outward acte expresly against the words of the Law or plot not some vnlawfull or dangerous practise or attempt Priests and Popish Church-men onely excepted that receiue Orders beyond the Seas who for the manifold treasonable practises that they haue kindled and plotted in this countrey are discharged to come home againe vnder paine of Treason after their receiuing of the said Orders abroad and yet without some other guilt in them then their bare home-comming haue none of them bene euer put to death And next for the cruell torments and strange sorts of death that they say so many of them haue bene put vnto if there were no more but the Law and continually obserued custome of England these many hundred yeeres in all criminall matters it will sufficiently serue to refute all these monstrous lies for no tortures are euer vsed here but the Manacles or the Racke and these neuer but in cases of high Treason and all sorts of Traitours die but one maner of death here whether they be Papist or Protestant Traitors Queene Maries time onely excepted For then indeede no sorts of cruell deathes were spared vnexecuted vpon men women and children professing our Religion yea euen against the Lawes of God and Nature women with childe were put to cruell death for their profession and a liuing childe falling out of the mothers belly was throwen in the same fire againe that consumed the mother But these tyrannous persecutions were done by the Bishops of that time vnder the warrant of the Popes authoritie and therefore were not subiect to that constant order and formes of execution which as they are heere established by our Lawes and customes so are they accordingly obserued in the punishment of all criminals For all Priestes and Popish Traitours here receiue their Iudgements in the temporall Courts and so doe neuer exceed those formes of execution which are prescribed by the Law or approued by continuall custome One thing is also to bee marked in this case that strangers are neuer called in question here for their religion which is farre otherwise I hope in any place where the Inquisition domines But hauing now too much wearied you with this long discourse whereby I haue made you plainely see that the wrong done vnto mee in particular first by the Popes Breues and then by these Libellers doth as deepely interest you all in generall that are Kings free Princes or States as it doth me in particular I will now conclude with my humble prayers to God that he will waken vs vp all out of that Lethargike slumber of Securitie wherein our Predecessors and wee haue lien so long and that wee may first grauely consider what we are bound in conscience to doe for the planting and spreading of the trew worship of God according to his reuealed will in all our Dominions therein hearing the voice of our onely Pastor for his Sheepe will know his Voyce Iohn 10.27 as himselfe sayeth and not following the vaine corrupt and changeable traditions of men And next that we may prouidently looke to the securitie of our owne States and not suffer this incroching Babylonian Monarch to winne still ground vpon vs. And if GOD hath so mercifully dealt with vs that are his Lieutenants vpon earth as that he hath ioyned his cause with our interest the spirituall libertie of the Gospell with our temporall freedome with what zeale and courage may wee then imbrace this worke for our labours herein being assured to receiue at the last the eternall and inestimable reward of felicitie in the kingdome of Heauen and in the meane time to procure vnto our selues a temporall securitie in our temporall Kingdomes in this world As for so many of you as are alreadie perswaded of that Trewth which I professe though differing among your selues in some particular points I thinke little perswasion should moue you to this holy and wise Resolution Our Greatnesse nor our number praised bee GOD being not so contemptible but that wee may shew good example to our neighbors since almost the halfe of all Christian people and of all sorts and degrees are of our profession I meane all gone out of Babylon euen from Kings and free Princes to the meanest sort of People But aboue all my louing Brethren and Cosins keepe fast the vnity of Faith among your selues Reiect 1 1. Tim. 1.4 questions of Genealogies and 2 Ibid c. 4.7 Aniles fabulas as Paul saith Let not the foolish heate of your Preachers for idle Controuersies or indifferent things teare asunder that Mysticall Body whereof ye are a part since the very coat of him whose members wee are was without a seame And let not our diuision breed a slander of our
constrained to subiect themselues to Nero and Diocletian CONFVTATION That Christians without exception not vpon constraint but willingly and for conscience sake did subiect themselues to the Ethnicke Emperors it may appeare by our Apologie pag. 255 256. and the Apologetickes of the ancient Fathers TORTVS Pag. 47. 11 In which words of the Breues of Clement the 8. not onely Iames King of Scotland was not excluded but included rather CONFVTATION If the Breues of Clement did not exclude mee from the Kingdome but rather did include me why did Garnet burne them why would he not reserue them that I might haue seene them that so hee might haue obteined more fauour at my hands for him and his Catholikes TORTVS Pag. 60. 12 Of those 14. Articles conteined in the Oath of Alleagiance eleuen of them concerne the Primacie of the Pope in matters Spirituall CONFVTATION No one Article of that Oath doeth meddle with the Primacie of the Pope in matter Spirituall for to what end should that haue bene since we haue an expresse Oath elsewhere against the Popes Primacie in matters Spirituall TORTVS Pag. 64. 13 Amongst other calumnies this is mentioned that Bellarmine was priuie to sundry conspiracies against Q. Elizabeth if not the author CONFVTATION It is no where said in the Apologie that Bellarmine was either the Authour or priuie to any conspiracies against Queene Elizabeth but that he was their principall instructer and teacher who corrupted their iudgement with such dangerous positions and principles that it was an easie matter to reduce the generals into particulars and to apply the dictates which hee gaue out of his chaire as opporunitie serued to their seuerall designes TORTVS Pag. 64. 14 For he Bellarmine knoweth that Campian onely conspired against Hereticall impietie CONFVTATION That the trew and proper cause of Campians execution was not for his conspiring against Hereticall impietie but for conspiring against Queene Elizabeth and the State of this Kingdome it was most euident hy the iudiciall proceedings against him TORTVS Pag. 65. 15 Why was H. Garnet a man incomparable for learning in all kindes and holinesse of life put to death but because he would not reueale that which he could not doe with a safe conscience CONFVTATION That Garnet came to the knowledge of this horrible Plot not onely in confession as this Libeller would haue it but by other meanes neither by the relation of one alone but by diuers so as hee might with safe-conscience haue disclosed it See the Premonition pag. 334 335 c. and the Earle of Northamptons booke TORTVS Pag. 71. 16 Pope Sixtus 5. neither commanded the French King to bee murthered neither approoued that fact as it was done by a priuate person CONFVTATION The falsehood of this doeth easily appeare by the Oration of Sixtus 5. TORTVS Pag. 91. 17 That which is added concerning Stanley his Treason is neither faithfully nor trewly related for the Apologer as his maner is doeth miserably depraue it by adding many lyes CONFVTATION That which the Apologie relateth concerning Stanley his Treason is word for word recited out of Cardinall Allens Apologie for Stanleys treason as it is to be seene there TORTVS Pag. 93. 18 It is very certaine that H. Garnet at his arraignement did alwayes constantly auouch that neither hee nor any Iesuite either were authors or compartners or aduisers or consenting any way to the Powder-Treason And a little after The same thing hee protested at his death in a large speach in the presence of innumerable people CONFVTATION The booke of the proceedings against the late Traitours and our Premonition pag. 334 335 c. doe clearely prooue the contrary of this to bee trew TORTVS Pag. 97. 19 King Iames since he is no Catholike neither is he a Christian CONFVTATION Contrary I am a trew Catholike a professor of the trewly ancient Catholike and Apostolike Faith and therefore am a trew Christian See the confession of my faith in the Premonition pag. 302. 303 c. TORTVS Pag. 98. 20 And if the reports of them which knew him most inwardly be trew when hee was in Scotland he was a Puritane and an enemie to Protestants Now in England he professeth himselfe a Protestant and an enemie to the Puritans CONFVTATION Contrary and what a Puritane I was in Scotland See my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this my Premonition pag. 305 306. HIS FALSIFICATIONS IN HIS ALLEDGING OF HISTORIES together with a briefe declaration of their falshood THE WORDS OF TORTVS Pag. 70. 1 IT was certaine that he Henry 4. the Emperour died a naturall death CONFVTATION It was not certaine since sundry Historians write otherwise that he died vpō his imprisonment by his sonne Henry 5. either with the noysomnesse and loathsomnesse of the prison or being pined to death by hunger Read Fasciculus temporum at the yeere 1094. Laziardus epitom vniuersal Histor c. 198. Paulus Langius in Chronico Citizensi at the yeere 1105. and Iacobus Wimphelingus epitome Rerum Germanic c. 28. TORTVS Pag. 83. 2 Henry 4. The Emperour feared indeed but not any corporall death but the censure of Excommunication from the which that he might procure absolution of his owne accord he did thus demissely humble himselfe before Gregory 7. CONFVTATION That Henry 4. thus deiected himselfe before the Pope it was neither of his owne accord neither vpon any feare of the Popes Excommunication which in this particular hee esteemed of no force but vpon feare of the losse of his Kingdome and life as the records of antiquitie doe euidently testifie See Lambertus Schafnaburg at the yeere 1077. Abbas Vrspergen at the yeere 1075. The Author of the life of Henry 4. Bruno in his History of the Saxon warre Laziard in epitom vniuersal Histor c. 193. Cuspinian in Henr. 4. Sigonius de Regno Italiae lib. 9. TORTVS Pag. 83. 3 The trewth of the History of Alexander 3 treading vpon the necke of Fredericke Barbarossa with his foot may beaustly doubted of CONFVTATION But no Historian doubteth of it and many do auouch it as Hieronym Bard. in victor Naual ex Bessarion Chronico apud Baron ad an 1177. num 5. Gerson de potestate Ecclesiae consid 1. Iacob Bergom in supplem Chronic. ad an 1160. Nauclerus Gener. 40 Petrus Iustinian lib. 2. Rerum Venetar Papirius Masson lib. 5. de Episcop vrbis who alledgeth for this Gennadius Patriarch of Constantinople Besides Alphonsus Ciacconius de vit Pontif. in Alexand. 3. and Azorius the Iesuite Instit Moral part lib. 5. c. 43. TORTVS Pag. 83. 4 What other thing feared Frederick Barbarossa but excommunication CONFVTATION That Frederick feared onely Pope Alexander his Excommunication no ancient Historian doth testifie But many do write that this submission of his was principally for feare of loosing his Empire and Dominions See for this Martin Polon ad an 1166. Platina in vita Alexan. 3. Laziard in epitom Historiae vniuersal c. 212. Naucler Generat 40. Iacobus Wimphelingus in epitom Rerum
Papal power whatsoeuer and yet saith withall the Pope winketh at the French by his toleration to hold this dogmaticall point for problematicall And by this meanes the Martyrdome that hee affecteth in this cause will prooue but a problematicall Martyrdome whereof question might grow very well whether it were to be mustered with grieuous crimes or with phreneticall passions of the braine or with deserued punishments Fiftly he denounceth Anathema dischargeth maledictions like haile-shot against parricides of Kings and yet elsewhere hee layes himselfe open to speake of Kings onely so long as they stand Kings But who doeth not know that a King deposed is no longer King And so that limme of Satan which murthered Henry the III. then vn-king'd by the Pope did not stabbe a King to death Sixtly he doeth not allow a King to be made away by murder and yet he thinks it not much out of the way to take away al meanes whereby he might be able to stand in defence of his life Seuenthly Pag. 95.97 hee abhorreth killing of Kings by apposted throat-cutting for feare lest body and soule should perish in the same instant and yet he doth not mislike their killing in a pitcht field and to haue them slaughtered in a set battaile For he presupposeth no doubt out of his charitable mind that by this meanes the soule of a poore King so dispatched out of the way shall instantly flie vp to heauen Eightly he saith a King deposed retaineth stil a certaine internal habitude and politike impression by vertue and efficacie whereof he may being once reformed and become a new man be restored to the lawfull vse and practise of Regalitie Whereby hee would beare vs in hand that when a forraine Prince hath inuaded and rauenously seised the kingdome into his hands he will not onely take pittie of his predecessour to saue his life but will also proue so kind-hearted vpon fight of his repentance to restore his kingdome without fraud or guile Ninthly he saith euery where in his Discourse that he dealeth not in the cause otherwise then as a problematicall discourser and without any resolution one way or other and yet with might and maine hee contends for the opinion that leaues the States and Crownes of Kings controulable by the Pope refutes obiections propounds the authoritie of Popes and Councils by name the Lateran Councill vnder Innocent III. as also the consent of the Church And to crosse the Churches iudgement is in his opinion to bring in schisme and to leaue the world without a Church for many hundred yeeres together which to my vnderstanding is to speake with resolution and without all hesitation Tenthly he acknowledgeth none other cause of sufficient validitie for the deposing of a King besides herefie apostasie and infidelitie neuerthelesse that Popes haue power to displace Kings for herefie and apostasie hee proueth by examples of Kings whom the Pope hath curbed with deposition not for heresie but for matrimoniall causes for ciuill pretences and for lacke of capacitie Eleuenthly hee alledgeth euery where passages as well of holy Scripture as of the Fathers and moderne histories but so impertinent and with so little trewth as hereafter wee shall cause to appeare that for a man of his deepe learning and knowledge it seemeth not possible so to speake out of his iudgement Lastly whereas all this hath bene hudled and heaped together into one masse to currie with the Pope yet hee suffereth diuers points to fall from his lips which may well distast his Holinesse in the highest degree As by name where he prefers the authoritie of the Councill before that of the Pope and makes his iudgement inferiour to the iudgement of the French as in fit place hereafter shal be shewed Againe where he representeth to his hearers the decrees of Popes and Councils already passed concerning this noble subiect and yet affirmes that he doth not debate the question but as a Questionist and without resolution As if a Cardinal should be afraid to be positiue and to speake in peremptory straines after Popes and Councils haue once decided the Question Or as if a man should perorate vpon hazard in a cause for the honour whereof he would make no difficultie to suffer Martyrdome Adde hereunto that his Lordship hath alwayes taken the contrary part heretofore and this totall must needs arise that before the third Estate his lips looked one way and his conscience another All these points by the discourse which is to follow and by the ripping vp of his Oration which by Gods assistance J will vndertake tending to the reproch of Kings and the subuersion of kingdomes J confidently speake it shal be made manifest Yet doe J not conceiue it can any way make for my honour to enter the lists against a Cardinall For J am not ignorant how farre a Cardinals Hat commeth vnder the Crowne and Scepter of a King For well J wot vnto what sublimitie the Scripture hath exalted Kings when it styles them Gods Whereas the dignitie of a Cardinall is but a late vpstart inuention of man In the Preface to my Apologie as J haue elsewhere prooued But J haue imbarqued my selfe in this action mooued thereunto First by the common interest of Kings in the cause it selfe Then by the L. Cardinall who speaketh not in this Oration as a priuate person but as one representing the body of the Clergie and Nobilitie by whom the cause hath bene wonne and the garland borne away from the third Estate Againe by mine owne particular because he is pleased to take me vp for a sower of dissention and a persecutour vnder whom the Church is hardly able to fetch her breath yea for one by whom the Catholikes of my Kingdome are compelled to endure all sorts of punishments and withal he tearmes this Article of the third Estate a monster with a fishes taile that came swimming out of England Last of all by the present state of France because France being now reduced to so miserable tearmes that it is now become a crime for a Frenchman to stand for his King it is a necessary duetie of her neighbours to speake in her cause and to make triall whether they can put life into the trewth now dying and ready to be buried by the power of violence that it may resound and ring againe from remote regions J haue no purpose once to touch many prettie toyes which the ridges of his whole booke are sowen withall Such are his allegations of Pericles Agesilaus Aristotle Minos the Druides the French Ladies Hannibal Pindarus and Poeticall fables All resembling the red and blew flowers that pester the corne when it standeth in the fields where they are more noy some to the growing crop then beautifull to the beholding eye Such pettie matters nothing at all beseemed the dignitie of the Assembly and of the maine subiect or of the Orator himselfe For it was no Decorum to enter the Stage with a Pericles in his mouth but with the
more Pope Iulius tooke the Kingdome from the one and gaue it vnto the other the French thereupon resisted the Pope and declared him to be fallen from the Papacie This noble spirit and courage of the French in maintayning the dignitie and honour of their Kings Crownes bred those ancient customes which in the sequence of many aages haue bene obserued and kept in vse This for one That no Legate of the Pope Pag. 26. Nisi de consensu Regis Christianissimi nor any of his rescripts nor mandates are admitted and receiued in France without licence from the King and vnlesse the Legate impart his faculties to the Kings Atturney Generall to be perused and verified in Court of Parliament where they are to be tyed by certaine modifications and restrictions vnto such points as are not derogatorie from the Kings right from the liberties of the Church and from the ordinances of the Kingdome When Cardinal Balua Bochellus contrary to this ancient forme entred France in the yeere 1484. and there without leaue of the King did execute the office speed certaine Acts of the Popes Legate the Court vpon motion made by the Kings Atturney Generall decreed a Commission to be informed against him by two Councellors of the said Court and inhibited his further proceeding to vse any facultie or power of the Popes Legate vpon paine of beeing proclaimed rebell In the yeere 1561. Iohannes Tanquerellus Batchelour in Diuinitie by order of the Court was condemned to make open confession that hee had indiscreetly and rashly without consideration defended this proposition Indiscretè ac inconsideratè The Pope is the Vicar of Christ a Monarke that hath power both Spirituall and Secular and he may depriue Princes which rebell against his commandements of their dignities Doctrinaliter tantum non iuridicè Which proposition howsoeuer he protested that he had propounded the same onely to be argued and not iudicially to be determined in the affirmatiue Tanquerellus neuerthelesse was compelled openly to recant Here the L. Cardinall answeres The historie of Tanquerellus is from the matter because his proposition treateth neither of Heresie nor of Infidelitie but I answere The said proposition treateth of both forasmuch as it maketh mention of disobedience to the Pope For I suppose hee will not denie that whosoeuer shall stand out in Heresie contrary to the Popes monitorie proceedings he shal shew but poore and simple obedience to the Pope Moreouer the case is cleare by the former examples that no Pope will suffer his power to cast downe Kings to be restrained vnto the cause of Heresie and Infidelitie In the heate of the last warres raised by that holy-prophane League admonitory Bulls were sent by Pope Gregorie 14. from Rome Anno 1591. By these Bulls King Henrie 4. as an Heretike and relapse was declared incapable of the Crowne of France and his Kingdome was exposed to hauocke and spoile The Court of Parliament being assembled at Tours the 5. of August decreed the said admonitorie Bulls to bee cancelled torne in pieces and cast into a great fire by the hand of the publike executioner The Arrest it selfe or Decree is of this tenour The Court duely pondering and approouing the concluding and vnanswerable reasons of the Kings Attourney Generall hath declared and by these present doeth declare the admonitorie Bulls giuen at Rome the 1. of March 1591. to be of no validitie abusiue seditious damnable full of impietie and impostures contrary to the holy decrees rights franchises and liberties of the French Church doeth ordeine the Copies of the said Bulls sealed with the seale of Marsilius Landrianus and signed Septilius Lamprius to bee rent in pieces by the publike executioner and by him to be burnt in a great fire to be made for such purpose before the great gates of the common Hall or Palace c. Then euen then the L. of Perron was firme for the better part and stood for his King against Gregorie the Pope notwithstanding the crime of eresie pretended against Henrie his Lord. All the former examples by vs alledged are drawen out of the times after Schooles of Diuinitie were established in France For I thought good to bound my selfe within those dooles and limits of time which the L. Cardinal himselfe hath set Who goeth not sincerely to worke and in good earnest where he telleth vs there be three instances as if wee had no more obiected against Papall power to remooue Kings out of their chaires of State Page 47. by name the example of Philip the Faire of Lewis XII and of Tanquerellus For in very trewth all the former examples by vs produced are no lesse pregnant and euident howsoeuer the L. Cardinall hath bene pleased to conceale them all for feare of hurting his cause Nay France euen in the dayes of her sorest seruitude was neuer vnfurnished of great Diuines by whom this vsurped power of the Pope ouer the Temporalties and Crownes of Kings hath beene vtterly misliked and condemned Robert Earle of Flanders was commanded by Pope Paschal 2. to persecute with fire and sword the Clergie of Liege who then adhered and stood to the cause of the Emperour Henrie 4. whom the Pope had ignominiously deposed Robert by the Popes order and command was to handle the Clergie of Liege in like sort as before hee had serued the Clergie of Cambray who by the said Earle had beene cruelly stript both of goods and life The Pope promised the said Earle and his army pardon of their sinnes for the said execution The Clergie of Liege addressed answere to the Pope at large They cried out vpon the Church of Rome and called her Babylon Told the Pope home that God had commanded to giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars that euery soule must bee subiect vnto the superiour powers that no man is exempted out of this precept and that euery oath of alleagiance is to be kept inuiolable yea that hereof they themselues are not ignorant in as much as they by a new Schisme and new traditions making a separation and rent of the Priesthood from the Kingdome doe promise to absolue of periurie such as haue perfidiously forsworne themselues against their King And whereas by way of despight and in opprobrious maner they were excommunicated by the Pope they gaue his Holinesse to vnderstand that Dauids heart had vttered a good matter but Paschals heart had spewed vp sordid and railing words like old bawdes and spinsters or websters of linnen when they scold and brawle one with another Finally they reiected his Papal excommunication as a sentence giuen without discretion This was the voyce and free speach of that Clergie in the life time of their noble Emperour But after hee was thrust out of the Empire by the rebellion of his owne sonne instigated and stirred vp thereunto by the Popes perswasion and practise and was brought vnto a miserable death it is no matter of wonder that for the safegard of their life
to continue or hold eighteene yeeres like the Councill of Trent should not poore France I beseech you be reduced to a very bad plight should she not be in a very wise and warme taking To be short His Lordships whole speach for the vntying of this knot not onely surmounteth possibilitie but is stuft with ridiculous toyes This I make manifest by his addition in the same passage If the Pope deceiued in fact shall rashly and vniustly declare the King to be an heretike then the Popes declaration shall not be seconded with actuall deposition vnles the Realme shall consent vnto the Kings deposing What needes any man to bee instructed in this doctrine Who doth not knowe that a King so long as he is vpheld and maintained in his Kingdome by his people cannot actually and effectually be deposed from his Throne Hee that speaketh such language and phrase in effect saith and saith no more then this A King is neuer depriued of his Crowne so long as he can keepe his Crowne on his head a King is neuer turned and stript naked so long as he can keepe his cloathes on his backe a King is neuer deposed so long as he can make the stronger partie and side against his enemies in briefe a King is King and shall still remaine King so long as he can hold the possession of his Kingdome and sitfast in his Chaire of Estate Howbeit let vs here by the way take notice of these words vttered by his Lordship That for the deposing of a King the consent of the people must be obtained For by these words the people are exalted aboue the King and are made the Iudges of the Kings deposing But here is yet a greater matter Can. Si Papa Dist 40. Nisi sit à side demins For that Popes may erre in faith it is acknowledged by Popes themselues For some of them haue condemned Pope Honorius for a Monothelite S. Hierome and S. Hilarius and S. Athanasius doe testifie that Pope Liberius started aside and subscribed to Arrianisme Pope Iohn 23. was condemned in the Councill of Constance for maintaining there is neither hell nor heauen Diuerse other Popes haue been tainted with errour in faith If therefore any Pope hereticall in himselfe shall depose an Orthodoxe King for heresie can it be imagined that he which boasts himselfe to beare all diuine and humane lawes in the priuy coffer or casket of his breast Omnia â—â—â—a in serinio pectoris will stoope to the remonstrances of the French and vayle to the reasons which they shall propound though neuer so iustifiable and of neuer so great validitie And how can he that may be infected with damnable heresie when himselfe is not alwayes free from heresie be a iudge of heresie in a King In this question some are of opinion that as a man the Pope may fall into error but not as Pope Very good I demand then vpon the matter wherefore the Pope doth not instruct and reforme the man or wherefore the man doth not require the Popes instructions But whether a King be deposed by that man the Pope or by that Pope the man is it not all one is he not deposed Others affirme the Pope may erre in a question of the fact but not in a question of the right An egregious gullery and imposture For if he may be ignorant whether Iesus Christ died for our sinnes doubtles he may also be to seeke whether we should repose all our trust and assured confidence in the death of Christ Consider with me the Prophets of olde They were all inspired and taught of God to admonish and reprooue the Kings of Iudah and Israel they neither erred in matter of fact nor in point of right they were as farre from being blinded and fetcht ouer by deceitfull calumniations as from beeing seduced by the painted shew of corrupt and false doctrine As they neuer trode awry in matter of faith so they neuer whetted the edge of their tongue or style against the faultlesse Had it not beene a trimme deuice in their times to say that as Esay and as Daniel they might haue sunke into heresie but not as Prophets For doubtlesse in this case that Esay would haue taken counsell of the Prophet which was himselfe To be short If Kings are onely so long to be taken for Kings vntill they shall be declared heretikes and shall be deposed by the Pope they continually stand in extreame danger to vndergoe a very heauy and vniust sentence Their safest way were to know nothing and to beleeue by proxie least if they should happen to talke of God or to thinke of religion they should be drawne for heretikes into the Popes Inquisition All the examples hitherto produced by the Lord Cardinall on a rowe are of a latter date they lacke weight are drawne from the time of bondage and make the Popes themselues witnesses in their owne cause They descant not vpon the point of deposition but onely strike out and sound the notes of excommunication and interdiction which make nothing at all to the musicke of the question And therefore hee telleth vs in kindnesse as I take it more oftentimes then once or twice that hee speaketh onely of the fact as one that doeth acknowledge himselfe to bee out of the right Hee relates things done but neuer what should bee done which as the Iudicious know is to teach nothing THE SECOND INCONVENIENCE EXAMINED THE second Iuconuenience like to grow Pag. 86. as the Lord Cardinall seemeth to be halfe afraid if the Article of the third Estate might haue passed with approbation is couched in these words Lay-men shall by authoritie bee strengthened with power to iudge in matters of Religion as also to determine the doctrine comprised in the said Article to haue requisite conformitie with Gods word yeathey shall haue it in their hands to compell Ecclesiastics by necessitie to sweare preach and teach the opinion of the one fide as also by Sermons and publike writings to impugne the other This inconuenience he aggrauateth with swelling words and breaketh out into these vehement exclamations O reproach O scandall O gate set open to a world of heresies He therefore laboureth both by reasons and by authorities of holy Scripture to make such vsurped power of Laics a fowle shameful and odious practise In the whole his Lordship toyles himselfe in vaine maketh suppositions of castles in the aire For in preferring this Article the third Estate haue born themselues not as iudges or vmpires but altogether as petitioners requesting the said Article might be receiued into the number of the Parliament bookes to bee presented vnto the King and his Counsell vnto whom in all humilitie they referred the iudgment of the said Article conceiuing all good hope the Clergie and Nobilitie would be pleased to ioyne for the furtherance of their humble petition They were not so ignorant of State-matters or so vnmindfull of their owne places and charges to beare themselues
become a Romane Catholike so soone as the Pope shall giue me the lift out of my Throne shall bind him forthwith to make effusion of his owne fathers blood Such is the religion of these reuerend Fathers the pillars of the Pontificiall Monarchie In comparison of whose religion and holinesse all the impietie that euer was among the Infidels and all the barbarous crueltie that euer was among the Canibals may passe hencefoorth in the Christian world for pure clemencie and humanitie These things ought his Lordship to haue pondered rather then to babble of habitudes and politike characters which to the common people are like the Bergamasque or the wilde-Irish forme of speach and passe their vnderstanding All these things are nothing in a maner if we compare them with the last clause which is the closer and as it were the vpshot of his Lordships discourse For therein he laboureth to perswade concerning this Article framed to bridle the Popes tyrannicall power ouer Kings if it should receiue gracious entertainement and generall approbation That it would breed great danger and worke effects of pernicious consequence vnto Kings The reason because it would prooue an introduction to schisme and schisme would stirre vp ciuil warres contempt of Kings distempered inclinations and motions to intrap their life and which is worst of all the fierce wrath of God inflicting all sorts of calamities An admirable paradoxe and able to strike men stone-blind that his Holinesse must haue power to depose Kings for the better security and safegard of their life that when their Crownes are made subiect vnto anothers will and pleasure then they are come to the highest altitude and eleuation of honour that for the onely warrant of their life their supreme and absolute greatnesse must be depressed that for the longer keeping of their Crownes another must plucke the Crowne from their heads As if it should be said Would they not be stript naked by another the best way is for themselues to vntrusse for themselues to put off all and to goe naked of their owne accord Wil they keepe their Souereigntie in safetie for euer The best way is to let another haue their Soueraigne authoritie and supreme Estate in his power But I haue bene euer of this mind that when my goods are at no mans command or disposing but mine own then they are trewly and certainly mine owne It may be this error is growen vpon me and other Princes for lacke of braines whereupon it may be feared or at least coniectured the Pope meanes to shaue our crownes and thrust vs into some cloister there to hold ranke in the brotherhood of good King Childerie Forasmuch then as my dull capacitie doeth not serue mee to reach or comprehend the pith of this admirable reason I haue thought good to seeke and to vse the instruction of old and learned experience which teacheth no such matter by name that ciuill warres and fearefull perturbations of State in any nation of the world haue at any time growen from this faithful credulity of subiects that Popes in right haue no power to wrest and lift Kings out of their dignities and possessions On the other side by establishing the contrary maximes to yoke and hamper the people with Pontificiall tyrannie what rebellious troubles and stirres what extreme desolations hath England bene forced to feare and feele in the Reigne of my Predecessours Henrie II. Iohn and Henrie III These be the maximes and principles which vnder the Emperour Henrie IV. and Frederic the I. made all Europe flowe with channels and streames of blood like a riuer with water while the Saracens by their incursions and victories ouerflowed and in a manner drowned the honour of the Christian name in the East These be the maximes and principles which made way for the warres of the last League into France by which the very bowels of that most famous and flourishing Kingdome were set on such a combustion that France her selfe was brought within two fingers breadth of bondage to another Nation and the death of her two last Kings most villenously and traiterously accomplished The L. Cardinall then giuing these diabolicall maximes for meanes to secure the life and Estate of Kings speaketh as if he would giue men counsell to dry themselues in the riuer when they come as wet as a water spaniell out of a pond or to warme themselues by the light of the Moone when they are stark-naked and well neere frozen to death THE CONCLVSION OF THE LORD OF PERRON EXAMINED AFter the L. Cardinal hath stoutly shewed the strength of his arme and the deepe skill of his head in fortification at last he leaues his loftie scaffolds and falls to worke neerer the ground with more easie tooles of humble praiers and gentle exhortations The summe of the whole is this He adiures his auditors neuer to forge remedies neuer so to prouide for the temporall safetie of Kings as thereby to worke their finall falling from eternall saluation neuer to make any rent or rupture in the vnitie of the Church in this corrupt aage infected with pestilent Heresies which already hauing made so great a breach in the walles of France will no doubt double their strength by the dissentions diuisions and schismes of Catholikes If this infectious plague shall still increase and grow to a carbuncle it can by no meanes poyson Religion without bringing Kings to their winding sheetes and wofull hearses The first rowlers of that stone of offence aimed at no other marke then to make an ignominious and lamentable rent in the Church Hee thinks the Deputies of the third Estate had neither head nor first hand in contriuing this Article but holds it rather a new deuice and subtile inuention suggested by persons which beeing already cut off by their owne practises from the body of the Romane Church haue likewise inueigled and insnared some that beare the name of Catholiks with some other Ecclesiastics and vnder a faire pretence and goodly cloake by name the seruice of the King haue surprised and played vpon their simplicitie These men as the Cardinall saith doe imitate Iulian the Apostata who to bring the Christians to idolatrous worship of false gods commaunded the idols of Iupiter and Venus to be intermingled with Imperiall statues and other Images of Christian Emperours c. Then after certaine Rhetoricall flourishes his Lordship fals to prosecute his former course and cries out of this Article A monster hauing the tayle of a fish as if it came cutting the narrow Seas out of England For in full effect it is downright the English oath sauing that indeed the oath of England runneth in a more mild forme and a more moderate straine And here he suddenly takes occasion to make some digression For out of the way and cleane from the matter he entreth into some purpose of my praise and commendation He courteously for sooth is pleased to grace mee with knowledge of learning and with ciuill vertues He seemeth chiefly
trāsgressors of diuine humane lawes If the French king in the heart of his kingdom should nourish and foster such a nest of stinging hornets and busie wasps I meane such a pack of subiects denying his absolute Soueraignty as many Romane Catholiks of my Kingdome do mine It may wel be doubted whether the L. Cardinal would aduise his king stil to feather the nest of the said Catholiks stil to keep them warme stil to beare them with an easie and gentle hand It may wel be doubted whether his Lordship would extol their constancie that would haue the courage to sheath vp their swords in his Kings bowels or blow vp his King with gun-powder into the neather station of the lowest regiō It may wel be doubted whether he would indure that Orator who like as himselfe hath done should stir vp others to suffer Martyrdome after such examples and to imitate parricides traitors in their constancy The scope then of the L. Cardinall in striking the sweet strings and sounding the pleasant notes of praises which faine he would fil mine eares withal is only by his excellent skil in the musick of Oratory to bewitch the harts of my subiects to infatuate their minds to settle them in a resolution to depriue me of my life The reason Because the plotters and practisers against my life are honoured and rewarded with a glorious name of Martyrs their constancie what els is admired when they suffer death for treason Wheras hitherto during the time of my whole raigne to this day I speake it in the word of a King and trewth it selfe shall make good the Kings word no man hath lost his life no man hath indured the Racke no man hath suffered corporall punishment in other kinds meerely or simply or in any degree of respect for his conscience in matter of religion but for wicked conspiring against my life or Estate or Royall dignitie or els for some notorious crime or some obstinate and wilfull disobedience Of which traiterous and viperous brood I commanded one to be hanged by the necke of late in Scotland a Iesuite of intolerable impudencie who at his arraignment and publike triall stiffely maintained that I haue robbed the Pope of his right and haue no manner of right in the possession of my Kingdome His Lordship therefore in offering himselfe to Martyrdome after the rare example of Catholiks as he saith suffering all sort of punishment in my Kingdome doeth plainely professe himselfe a follower of traytors and parricides These be the Worthies these the heroicall spirits these the honourable Captaines and Coronels whose vertuous parts neuer sufficiently magnified and praysed his Lordshippe propoundeth for imitation to the French Bishops O the name of Martyrs in olde times a sacred name how is it now derided and scoffed how is it in these daies filthily prophaned O you the whole quire and holy company of Apostles who haue sealed the trewth with your dearest blood how much are you disparaged how vnfitly are you paragoned and matched when traytors bloody butchers and King-killers are made your assistants and of the same Quorum or to speake in milder tearmes when you are coupled with Martyrs that suffer for maintaining the Temporall rites of the Popes Empire with Bishops that offer themselues to a Problematicall Martyrdome for a point decided neither by the authorities of your Spirit-inspired pens nor by the auncient and venerable testimonie of the Primitiue Church for a point which they dare not vndertake to teach otherwise then by a doubtfull cold fearefull way of discourse and altogether without resolution In good sooth I take the Cardinall for a personage of a quicker spirit and clearer sight let his Lordship hold mee excused then to perswade my selfe that in these matters his tongue and his heart his pen and his inward iudgement haue any concord or correspondence one with another For beeing very much against his minde as hee doeth confesse thrust into the office of an Aduocate to pleade this cause he suffered himselfe to bee carried after his engagement with some heat to vtter some things against his conscience murmuring and grumbling the contrary within and to affirme some other things with confidence whereof hee had not beene otherwise informed then onely by vaine and lying report Of which ranke is that bold assertion of his Lordship That many Catholiks in England rather then they would subscribe to the oath of allegiance in the forme thereof haue vndergone all sorts of punishment For in England as we haue trewly giuen the whole Christian world to vnderstand in our Preface to the Apologie there is but one forme or kind of punishment ordained for all sorts of traytors Hath not his Lordship now graced me with goodly testimonialls of prayse and commendation Am I not by his prayses proclaimed a Tyrant as it were inebriated with blood of the Saints and a famous Enginer of torments for my Catholikes To this exhortation for the suffering of Martyrdome in imitation of my English traytors and parricides if wee shall adde how craftily and subtilly hee makes the Kings of England to hold of the Pope by fealty and their kingdome in bondage to the Pope by Temporall recognizance it shall easily appeare that his holy-water of prayses wherewith I am so reuerently besprinkled is a composition extracted out of a dram of hony and a pound of gall first steeped in a strong decoction of bitter wormewood or of the wild gourd called Coloquintida For after he hath in the beginning of his Oration Page 10. spoken of Kings that owe fealtie to the Pope and are not Soueraignes in the highest degree of Temporall supremacie within their Kingdomes to explaine his mind and meaning the better he marshals the Kings of England a little after in the same ranke His words be these When King Iohn of England not yet bound in any temporall recognizance to the Pope had expelled his Bishops c. His Lordship means that King Iohn became so bound to the Pope not long after And what may this meaning be but in plaine tearmes and broad speach to call me vsurper and vnlawfull King For the feudatarie or he that holdeth a Mannor by fealty when he doeth not his homage with all suit and seruice that he owes to the Lord Paramount doeth fall from the propertie of his fee. This reproach of the L. Cardinals is seconded with an other of Bellarmines his brother Cardinall That Ireland was giuen to the Kings of England by the Pope The best is that his most reuerend Lordship hath not shewed who it was that gaue Ireland to the Pope And touching Iohn King of England thus in briefe stands the whole matter Betweene Henry 2. and the Pope had passed sundry bickerments about collating of Ecclesiasticall dignities Iohn the sonne after his fathers death reneweth vndertaketh and pursueth the same quarrell Driueth certaine English Bishops out of the Kingdome for defending the Popes insolent vsurpation vpon his Royall prerogatiue and Regall rights
their constancie and patience in the time of their persecution they shall as it were reigne ouer the earth and by their Martyrdome be Iudges therof for it is called Christs reigning and the Saints vpon the earth when his word and trew professours thereof shine visibly therein as I haue said and these were they who adored not the beast to wit they are the elect who were predestinate before all beginnings to be preserued from all infections and heresies which is generally represented by this part of them that the beast or Babylon shal raise and maintaine as the greatest and most perillous that euer shall be raised by Satan And the honourable sitting of the Saints and soules of Martyrs was shewed to me to assure me that how soone the soule of any faithfull man is parted from the body it ascendeth immediatly vnto heauen there abiding in all glory the reioyning againe of his glorified body at the latter day coniunctly to possesse all glory in heauen eternally like as by the contrary the reprobate soule how soone it parteth from the body of the wicked goes down immediatly to hell there abiding in all torment the knitting again with his cursed body at the latter day there iointly to be subiect to eternall paine neither is there any resting place by the way for any of them and the rest of the dead to wit all the wicked shal not be reuiued while this space be complete for the wicked shall neither during this space nor at any time thereafter taste of the regeneration which is the first resurrection and second birth as Christ said to Nicodemus and therfore as I said already Blessed and happy are they who are partakers of the first resurrection for the second death to wit hell shall haue no power of them but they shall be Priests of God and Christ and reigne with him these thousand yeeres to wit they shal eternally in heauen offer vp that Eucharisticall Sacrifice of praise to God and so be ioyned in fellowship with the chosen which were vpon the earth in that aforesaid time This first part of this vision is begun alreadie now followeth the next part 7 And when these happy dayes are expired then shal the deuill be loosed out of his prison 8 And he shal go forth with greater liberty to seduce the nations which are in the four airths of the earth to wit he shal not only after the spreding of many heresies cause a general blindnes defection but also make a great persecution vpon the faithful Church by gathering Gog and Magog to battell against them whose number is like the sand of the sea to wit after innumerable troubles at last he shall gather to the great day of the battell of the Lord of the which ye heard in the sixt Trumpet and sixt phiale and last immediately before this Vision Gog and Magog to wit two great seates of Monarchies and Tyrannies ouer the Church who both at one time shall rise in the latter dayes and both at another time shal be destroyed by the blast of Christes breath as ye shall heare whereof the one is the auowed and professed enemie of GOD and his CHRIST but the other is Babylon the hypocriticall and most dangerous aduersary Of these two ye heard in the sixt Trumpet and so these two although pride and enuie shall still keepe a rooted malice betwixt them yet they shall both with innumerable forces make warre against the trew Church as Herod and Pilate did band themselues against Christ notwithstanding the particular dislikes which were betwixt them It is these and their forces that must fight against the Saints at Arma-geddon as ye heard in the sixt phiale and the special drawers on of this battell shal be the three frogs who are the last vermin bred of the smoake of the bottomlesse pit as ye also heard in the said phiale 9 These great forces then went vp vpon the earth for the diuel raised them out of the bottomlesse pit and they spread themselues vpon the breadth of the earth so great was their number and compassed the Tents or dwellings of the Saints and the holy Citie for they were prepared to inuade the trew Church on all sides and by all meanes but the fire came downe from heauen and deuoured them for God by his Almighty power euen when their power was greatest and nothing so like as an apparant rooting out of all the faithfull in rebus desperatis did miraculously confound all the aduersaries of his Church And now comes in the third and last part of this Vision to wit the description of the Consummation 10 For I did see the diuel who seduced these wicked cast into a lake of fire and brimstone to wit in hell out of the which he shall neuer come againe where also the beast and the false prophet were as ye heard before Here now I saw the diuel punished eternally to my greater comfort for troubling the Church where before I saw onely his instruments punished as I said in the beginning of this Vision and he and his instruments shall be tormented there day and night to wit incessantly for euer and euer 11 Then I saw a great white Throne and one sitting thereupon in all glory and brightnesse to wit IESVS CHRIST now comming from heauen to iudge the earth and from his sight fled the earth and the heauen and their place was not found for the whole earth and much of the heauen shall be destroyed and renewed at his last comming 12 And I saw all the dead great and small standing in GOD his sight for then is the resurrection of the dead who at that time must be iudged And the bookes were opened to wit the counsels and secrets of all mens hearts and another booke to wit the booke of Life was opened to the effect that all those whose names were written into it to wit predestinated and elected for saluation before all beginnings might there be selected for eternall Glory And the dead were iudged out of these things which were written in the bookes according to their workes for as God is a Spirit so iudgeth he the thoughts of man and so by faith onely iustifies him which notwithstanding is done according to his workes because they as the fruits of faith cannot be separated from it and beare witnesse of the same to men in the earth 13 And the Sea gaue vp all the dead she had for all the dead must then rise as I haue shewed already And death and hell gaue vp all they had for not onely the bodies but euen the soules of the wicked shal be iudged there and euery one was iudged according to his workes as I presently did shew you 14 And hell and death were casten in the Lake of fire which is the second death to wit hell and death shall then be closed vp for euer within themselues and shall neuer againe come forth to trouble the Saints for death which is the last
enemie shall be abolished from holy Ierusalem for euer 15 And whosoeuers name is not found written in the booke of Life is casten into the Lake of fire for not onely the publike euill doers but euen whosoeuer is not predestinate for saluation shall at that time be casten into hell for there is no midway but whosoeuer gathereth not with Christ he scattereth as I shew before CHAP. XXI ARGVMENT A large and glorious description of the Church Triumphant in Heauen and of all the members of that holy and Eternall Ierusalem NOw the Spirit of God hauing by this last vision made a summe and recapitulation of all the former as yee haue heard he by this following and last vision declareth and gloriously describeth the reward of all them who constantly perseuere vnto the end in the trew seruice of God notwithstanding all the assaults of Sathan which ye haue heard dilated the reward was then to be eternall inheritours of holy Ierusalem as yee shall presently heare 1 For I saw a new heauen and a new earth it is ouer this new heauen and new earth that the faithfull should reigne kings and priests for euer as yee heard before And the first heauen and the first earth went away neither was the sea any more for all shall be burnt with fire at the consummation which fire shall renew them and take away their corruption and mutablitie releeuing them from the seruitude of death to the liberty of the glory of the sonnes of God who notwithstanding shall not dwel there but in heauen 2 And euen I Iohn saw the holy new City Ierusalem comming downe from heauen made ready of God like a bride that is decked for her bridegroome For this holy Church triumphant shal come downe in all shining glorie to meete Christ her husband when hee shall haue iudged the world as ye haue heard before to bee incorporated and ioyned with him for euer 3 And I heard a mighty voyce from heauen saying for confirmation of this happy coniunction Loe the Tabernacle of God and his dwelling place is with men and hee will now dwell with them for euer and they shall be his people and he shall be a God with them and their God 4 And God shall wipe all teares from their eyes for they shall feele no more any sorow as ye haue often heard before and death shall be no more neither shal any sorow crying or dolour euer be in that Church triumphant for the first are gone away and all these things then shall haue an end 5 And then hee that sate vpon the Throne to wit God the Father said Loe I make new or renew all things and he said vnto me Write and leaue in record what thou hast seene for surely these words are faithfull and trew and shall come certainely to passe 6 And he also said vnto me It is done for when these things shall come to passe then is the full accomplishment of all things I am A and Ω to wit the beginning and the ending of all things For as I made the Creation so shall I cause the Consummation And I shall giue to him that thirsteth of the fountaine of water of life freely or for nothing to wit he will grant saluation to all them who cal vpon him for it and that for nothing for it cōmeth of his free mercie and not of any merit in vs How foolish then are they to be accompted who contemning that saluation which they may obtaine for the crauing buie with their siluer a counterfeit saluation from Babylon as ye heard before 7 And he that ouercommeth Satan and his owne flesh shall possesse all to wit he shall be a full inheritour of Gods kingdome and I shall be a God to him and he shall be a sonne to me 8 But for all them who are fearefull and vnbeleeuing not hauing a sure confidence and trust in my promises and for execrable men and murtherers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers for all these sorts of men I say there is place appointed in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 9 Then there came vnto me one of these seuen Angels which had the seuen phials ful of the seuen last plagues and he sayd vnto me Come and I will shew vnto thee the Bride which is the Wife of the Lambe for this Angel was directed to shewe mee the glorie of this holy Hierusalem the Church triumphant not to satisfie my curiosity therewith but that I might leaue in record to all posterities to come not as a hearer onely but as an Oculatus testis what glorious and eternall reward did abide all the faithfull 10 And so he tooke me vp in the Spirit to a high and great Mountaine for it became well that so glorious a sight should be shewen vpon so eminent a place and there hee did shew mee a great Citie to wit that holy Ierusalem comming downe from heauen and from God as ye heard before 11 And it had the glory of God in it and the light or brightnesse of it was like vnto the glittering of a most pretious stone yea euen like the greene Iasper in flourishing eternitie and like the cleare Cristall in shining brightnesse 12 And this Citie had a great and high wall to hold out all them who had not the marke of the Lambe as ye shall heare after and to protect the Citizens from all blastes of troubles for all teares will then bee wipte from their eyes as ye heard before And this Citie had also twelue gates and in them twelue Angels and their names were written vpon them which were the names of the twelue Tribes of the sonnes of Israel 13 And there were three gates towards the East three towards the West three towards the South and three towards the North to signifie that out of all parts and places of the world and whatsoeuer thy vocation be if thou call to God with an vpright heart thou shalt find that the entrance into the Citie is equally distributed about the same 14 And the wall of the Citie had twelue foundations whereupon were written the twelue names of the Apostles of the Lambe These twelue Angels of the twelue gates and twelue foundations of the wall are the foure and twentie Elders of whom ye heard in the beginning of this my Epistle the twelue Angels of the twelue gates are the twelue Patriarkes who were the first teachers of the way and so the guides to this holy Ierusalem for by the Law which they represent we must first beginne to know the trewth and to know our selues and the twelue foundations are we the twelue Apostles for vpon our doctrine is that wall founded which hedgeth in the Saints in an eternall securitie and debarreth all others 15 And the Angel who spake with me had a golden reed in his hand to measure therewith the Citie and the gates and the walles of the same thereby to signifie the
adiudged by the Councill of Constance to expresse damnation For in these words the L. Cardinall preferreth a bill of inditement to cast his Holinesse who vpon the commencing of the Leaguers warres in stead of giuing order for the publishing of the said Ecclesiasticall Lawes for the restraining of all parricidicall practises and attempts fell to the terrour of his fulminations which not long after were seconded and ratified by the most audatious and bloody murder of King Henry III. In like manner the whole Clergy of France are wrapped vp by the L. Cardinals words and inuolued in the perill of the said inditement For in stead of preaching the said Ecclesiasticall Lawes by which all King-killing is inhibited the Priests taught vented and published nothing but rebellion and when the people in great deuotion came to powre their confessions into the Priests eares then the Priests with a kind of counterbuffe in the second place when their turne was come and with greater deuotion powred blood into the eares of the people out of which roote grewe the terrour of those cruell warres and the horrible parricide of that good King But let vs here take some neere sight of these Ecclesiasticall Lawes whereby subiects are inhibited to kill or desperately to dispatch their Kings out of the way The Lord Cardinall for full payment of all scores vpon this reckoning layeth downe the credit of the Councill at Constance which neuerthelesse affoardeth not one myte of trew and currant payment The trewth of the history may bee taken from this briefe relation Iohn Duke of Burgundy procured Lewis Duke of Orleans to be murthered in Paris To iustifie and make good this bloody acte he produced a certaine petimaster one called by the name of Iohn Petit. This little Iohn caused nine propositions to be giuen foorth or set vp to bee discussed in the famous Vniuersitie of Paris The summe of all to this purpose It is lawfull iust and honourable for euery subiect or priuate person either by open force and violence or by deceit and secret lying in waite or by some wittie stratagem or by any other way of fact to kil a Tyrant practising against his King and other higher powers yea the King ought in reason to giue him a pension or stipend that hath killed any person disloyal to his Prince The words of Petits first proposition be these It is lawfull for euery subiect Gerson without any command or commission from the higher powers by all the Lawes of nature of man and of God himselfe to kill or cause to be killed any Tyrant who either by a couetous and greedie desire or by fraud by diuination vpon casting of Lots by double and treacherous dealing doeth plot or practise against his Kings corporall health or the health of his higher powers In the third proposition It is lawfull for euery subiect honourable and meritorious to kill the said Tyrant or cause him to be killed as a Traitor disloyall and trecherous to his King In the sixt proposition The King is to appoint a salarie and recompence for him that hath killed such a Tyrant or hath caused him to bee killed These propositions of Iohannes Paruus were condemned by the Councill of Constance as impious and tending to the scandall of the Church Now then whereas the said Councill no doubt vnderstood the name or word Tyrant in the same sense wherein it was taken by Iohannes Paruus certaine it is the Councill was not of any such iudgement or mind to condemne one that should kill a King or Soueraigne Prince but one that by treason and without commandement should kill a subiect rebelling and practising against his King For Iohn Petit had vndertaken to iustifie the making away of the Duke of Orleans to be a lawfull acte and calls that Dukea Tyrant albeit hee was no Soueraigne Prince as all the aboue recited words of Iohn Petit doe testifie that he speaketh of such a Tyrant as being in state of subiection rebelleth against his free and absolute Prince So that whosoeuer shall narrowly search and looke into the mind and meaning of the said Council shal easily perceiue that by their decrees the safetie of Kings was not confirmed but weakened not augmented but diminished for as much as they inhibited priuate persons to kill a Subiect attempting by wicked counsels and practises to make away his King But be it granted the Councill of Constance is flat and altogether direct against King-killers For I am not vnwilling to be perswaded that had the question then touched the murdering of Soueraigne Princes the said Councill would haue passed a sound and holy decree But I say this granted what sheild of defence is hereby reached to Kings to ward or beat off the thrust of a murderers weapon and to saue or secure their life seeing the L. Cardinall building vpon the subtile deuise and shift of the Iesuites hath taught vs out of their Schooles that by Kings are vnderstood Kings in esse not yet fallen from the supreame degree of Soueraigne Royaltie For being once deposed by the Pope say the Iesuites they are no longer Kings but are fallen from the rights of Soueraigne dignitie and consequently to make strip and wast of their blood is not forsooth to make strip and wast of Royall blood The Iesuiticall masters in the file of their words are so supple and so limber that by leauing still in their speech some starting hole or other they are able by the same as by a posterne or backdoore to make an escape Meane while the Readers are here to note for well they may a tricke of monstrous and most wicked cunning The L. Cardinall contends for the bridling and hampering of King-killers by the Lawes Ecclesiasticall Now it might be presumed that so reuerend and learned a Cardinal intending to make vse of Ecclesiasticall Lawes by vertue whereof the life of Kings may be secured would fill his mouth and garnish the point with diuine Oracles that wee might the more gladly and willingly giue him the hearing when hee speakes as one furnished with sufficient weight and authoritie of sacred Scripture But behold in stead of the authenticall and most ancient word hee propounds the decree of a lateborne Councill at Constance neither for the Popes tooth nor any way comming neere the point in controuersie And suppose it were pertinent vnto the purpose the L. Cardinall beareth in his hand a forke of distinction with two tines or teeth to beare off nay to shift off and to auoid the matter with meere dalliance The shortest and neerest way in some sort of respects to establish a false opinion is to charge or set vpon it with false and with ridiculous reasons The like way to worke the ouerthrow of trew doctrine is to rest or ground it vpon friuolous reasons or authorities of stubble-weight For example if we should thus argue for the immortalitie of the soule with Plato In Phaedone The swan singeth before her death ergo