comfortable In a spirituall sense impious and vnfaithfull men are vsurpers I meane by a spirituall right for godlinesse hath the promises of this life yet haue they a ciuill and sure title among men by birthright succession election or other acquisition by which titles such rights are deuolued to them that we say with Saint Austen Qui dedit Mario ipse Caesari He that gaue dominion to Marius the same gaue it to Caesar he that to Augustus the same to Nero he that to gentle Vespasian the same to bloody Domitian he that to Constantine the Christian the same to the Apostate Iulian for the Kingdome is the Lords and hee ruleth among Nations the most High hath power ouer the Kingdome of Men and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee will and appointeth ouer it the most abiect among men saith Daniel and suffereth for the sinnes of the people a Kingdome to be translated from one people to another yea an hypocrite or infidell to reigne ouer them neither must man seeke to displace or dispossesse an Infidell King but say with Dauid Either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or hee shall descend into battell and perish knowing the saying of the sonne of Syrack to be true Tyranny is of small indurance and he that is to day a King to morrow is dead 3. Heresie is not sufficient to depriue a King of his temporall Inheritance Popish Diuinity is herein knowne let Bellarmine be the mouth of all the rest Christians are not bound nor may with the euident danger of Religion tollerate an vnbeleeuing King when Kings and Princes become heretickes they may be iudged of the Church and bee deposed from the gouernement neither is there any wrong done them if they be deposed If any Prince of a sheepe become a wolfe that is to say of a Christian become an Hereticke the Pastor of the Church by excommunication may driue him away and withall command the people that they follow him not and so depriue him of his dominion ouer his Subiects so farre goes the Cardinall Now who are Heretickes All those Kings which decline from the Papacy and denie his Supremacy The Cardinall thinkes as much Regnante Constantino florebat fides Christiana c. While Constantine reigned the Christian Faith flourished when Constantius ruled Arrianisme when Iulian Ethnicisme when Henry the eighth and Edward the sixth Luthenarisme when Elizabeth Caluinisme prospered All Protestant Princes by the verdict of the Pope and his Parasites be Hereticks and so consequently to be deposed if this their heresie which yet is the Catholicke verity and sincere and sound profession of the Gospell be accompanied with the Popes excommunication and yet it is a great question and neuer yet proued by the Scripture that Kings are subiect to this censure of excommunication it is disputed much both wayes and let it be yeelded for argument sake Ex abundante That Saint Ambrose did iustly with Theodosius in that abstention for I doubt whether it was a complete excommunication for a King is subiect to the presbyteriall Cure not Court to be informed in his conscience in the Pulpet not to be corrected in the Consistory by punishment to be directed not iudged or remoued from the company of his faithfull Subiects much lesse to be deposed or depriued of his regiment ouer them yet let it bee granted for argument sake that Princes may be subiect to the censure of excommunication which yet is sparingly to be vsed against Princes as Austen counselleth yet though the sentence of excommunication be direfull making them for a time as Ethnicks Sit tibisicut Ethnicus saith our Sauiour Let him be vnto thee as an Heathen Man or Publicane It is tanquam nonplusquam as an Heathen man not worse then an Heathen Man Loyalty and obedience to Ethnicke Kings is to be performed as the precepts and presidents of Christ and his Apostles plainly teach all The spirituall sword onely depriues of spirituall rights to depriue him of the Sacrament not of the Scepter shuts out of the Kingdome of Heauen not meddles with the Kingdome of Earth Excommunication is not an extirpation it serues not to take away any mans temporall goods of body or life or Kingdome on Earth it hath power ouer sinnes not ouer possessions as Bernard to Pope Eugenius It serues to tame the soule not to terrifie or destroy the body it cannot bind Kings that they should not reigne or absolue Subiects that they should not obey or depose Kings from their regall authority by which pretence of diuellish pollicy in challenging a spirituall power of Kings excommunication the Pope hath plagued the World with many temporall rebellions 4. Apostacy takes not away Soueraignty Iulian an apparent Apostate and wicked Idolater as Saint Austen cals him yet as the same Father speakes of it Milites Christiani seruierunt huic Imperatori infideli quando dicebat producite aciem iâ—…ra illam gentem statim obtemperabant The Christian Souldiers serued this Infidel Emperor and when he called to produce the Army or to goe against any Nation they presently obeyed not because they wanted power to resist for his whole Army for the most part were Christians as their voices to Iouinian Iulians Successor testifie Omnes vna voce confessi sunt se esse Christianos They all confessed with one accord that they were Christians but their obedience grounded vpon Saint Austens reference Subiectes fuisse propter Dominum aternum Domino temporali Subiect to their temporall Lord for the eternall Lords sake And though some of the great Diuines of Rome say that the Apostles were subiect to Infidell or apostate Princes and many Martyrs obedient because they wanted power to resist and that they might haue lawfully resisted if they had had strength when rather I may say with Tertullian that they had power but might not lawfully resist The Apostles were no Temporizers to command to pray for Nero if the time and not the truth had not moued them to doe it for conscience sake Shall Subiects for Heathen or wicked Kings be enioyned to poure forth prayers supplications and withall be willing if they haue power to poure out their Soueraignes blood The Prophet Ieremy exhorted the exiled Iewes to offer vp their prayers for the life of the King of Babylon hee would not haue willed them to haue prayed for their persecutor if it had beene a duty contrary to Christian profession or for lacke of power to fall to supplication VVhen King Assuerus had made a decree to kill and destory all the Iewes both yong and old children and women in one day what doe they rebell or rise vp in armes to resist with violence No no sorrow and fasting weeping and mourning sackecloth and ashes are their weapons When Iulian the Apostate threatned the Christian World Lachrimae vnicum medicamentum aduersus eum saith
world hath blinded that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God should not shine vnto them let them all know that these voices sound from heauen vnto them to their conuersion and consolation if they accept them or condemnation and confusion if they reiect them Come out from among them separate your selues saith the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a Father vnto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord. This voice is not the voice of man but of God Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers in her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues for her sinnes are come vp into heauen and God hath remembred her iniquities as it is there prophecied of the fall of mysticall Babylon which is Rome Therefore let my exhortation bee that vnto you which a reuerend and learned Doctor gaue as a farewell to his friends Commendo vos dilectioni Dei odio papatus I exhort you to loue God and leaue the corrupt doctrine of Popery which is a forme of Religion yet Non secundum Iesum Christum nec verbum nec tenet capâ—t Not according to Iesus Christ or his Gospell nor doth it rightly hold the head making the Church a monster with two heads the Pope a visible Head on earth and Christ in heauen the inuisible Head We beseech you in the tender bowels of Christ to haue pitty vpon your owne soules open your eyes without partiality or preiudice to behold the truth and embrace it and to moue your hearts with Peters wordes as newborne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby so shall you and we haue infinite cause to reioyce and our Church say with Peter yee were as sheepe going astray but are now returned vnto the chiefe shepheard and Bishop of your soules With which sauing Grace the God of all grace and goodnesse Iesus Christ enrich your soules withall to grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ to him bee glory both now and for euer Thus hauing declared in part the corruptions of popish Doctrine which must be reiected of all who desire to be faithfull seruants to our Sauiour or performe seruice acceptable vnto him for what concord hath Christ with Belial what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Take heede of the Leauen of Rome as our Sauiour warnes his Disciples of the leauen of the Pharisees and Sadduces their pernicious doctrine full of errors repugnant and decrogatory to Christ and his Gospell It remaines and followes in the next place to touch That if you beleeue and embrace al the points of moderne Popery now broached and maintained in the Church of Rome you cannot bee dutifull and obedient Subiects to our and your Soueraigne and since I haue in my former Tractates obiter by the way promiscuously touched lesuiticall precepts and practise in this kinde papall depositions of Kings from their Regiment and absolutions of subiects from loyall obedience applauding traytors by canonization commendation for treasonable attempts I will not be large and liberall heerein onely propound a few positions and propositions to your consideration to iudge of them whether they be not opposite to all loyall obedience which are maintained and divulged to the world by your great Doctors and Pillars of the Romane Church And first you are not ignorant that very lately Anno 1606. Pope Paul the fifth prohibited all the Romane Catholickes so tearmed by his Breue that they should not take the oath of Allegiance vnto which they were enioyned by the Kings Maiesty which argues hee would haue them refractary in matters which onely concerne ciuill obedience for the scope of that oath tended to professe and practise a dutifull allegiance to the King in all loyall submission The like also did Pius quintus Pope to the late Queene Elizabeth commanding her Subiects to rebell and discharging them from allegiance But omitting these things as vulgarly knowne I will goe to the Iesuites schoole and heare how they teach you If a Christian King become an Hereticke immediatly his people are freed from his command and their subiection saith Symancha But all Christian Kings are esteemed Heretickes who are not Catholikes of the Romane size Ergo. The Iesuite Creswel vnder the name of Andreas Philopator against the Decree of the Queene of England sect 2. â—u 157. deliuers this proposition Principem qui a Catholica religione deflexit excidere statim omnipotestate a Prince who declines from their Catholike religion rather superstition falls presently from his Regall power But all Protestant Princes decline from that religion Ergo no King or no power The same Iesuite num 160. saith Omnium Catholicorum esse sententiam obligatos esse subditos ad principes haereticos depellendos qui sidei Catholicae inuriosi sunt si modo vires ad hoc habeant idoneas It is the sentence of all Catholikes that the subiects are bound to driue away hereticall Princes who are iniurious to the Catholike Faith if they haue forces fit for this purpose And againe num 162. Subâ—â—ti â—…di Principes suos non tantum legitime possunt 〈◊〉 sedetiam ad hoc praecepts divine conscientiae arctissimo vinculâ— ac extremo animarum suarum periculo tenentur Subiects may not onely lawfully trouble such Princes but are bound to doe it by Diuine precept and most strict band of conscience and extreame perill of their owne soules And the same Iesuite againe Si Imperator vel Rex haereticuÌ„ fauore prosequatur ipso facto regnum amittet If an Emperor or King fauour an heretike he shall lose his kingdome ipso facto Now Protestants in their Calendar are branded for heretickes Ergo. And to these accord and publish the like doctrine many others of their writers Ribadeneira de principe lib. 1. cap. 18. pa. 177. c. 26. pag. 172. c. Paulus Chirlandus de haeret q. 3. nu 2. Conradus Brunus de haeret lib 3. cap. vltimo Io. Paulus Windeck de extirp haer Antidoto 10. pag. 404. Antidot 11. pag. 408. Stapleton in oratione contra politicos Duaci habita Baronius Card. in Epistola contra Venetos Bellarmine the Cardinall full of such stuffe Hee affirmes that Kings are subiect to Popes Bishops Priests Deacons and would prooue this inferiority by Scriptures and Fathers De laicis lib. 3. He holds many other propositions disgracefull to Kings vndutifull for subiects and contradictory to all Scripture Secular principality is ordained by men and hath his being by the law of Nations de Rom. Pontif. lib. 1. c. 7. § praeterea a grosse Assertion for so great a Doctor In causes onely Temporall Cleargimen are bound to obey Princes and no longer obey then the Pope will de clericis lib. 1. cap. Per totum caput So ridiculous positions
King acceptable vnto the King of Kings in making harty and humble praiers for the protection and preseruation of his Maiestie let all the people in his Realme from high to low from great to small doe this comfortable and Christian seruice feâ—uently feelingly and faithfully vnto the Lord night and day crying and crauing God saue the King The Lord hath commaunded this duety to pray not onely for good Kings but euen for badde Kings When Paul gaue that Apostolicall counsell 1 Timothie z. 1. 2. to pray for Kings Caligula Claudius or Nero most bloudy Pagan Emperours then raigned Pray for the life of Nebuchadnezar King of Babilon and for the life of Balthasar his sonne that their daies might be on earth as the daies of heauen So the Lord commanded the Iewes to pray for the peace of the City of Babilon where Nebuchadnezar raigned If then the Lord charge and command to pray for such Gouernors as were Pagans Persecutors Idolaters Infidels how deuoutly deepely are all loyall subiects bound to pray and to praise God for the blessed gouernment of Zealous Christian Kings and to beseech God with prostrate soules to defend their Soueraignes from all the trecherous traynes and rebellious plots of forraine foes or homeborne parricides corner-creeping Iesuites and Iudasses and to implore the hand of Heauen to sentinell ouer them and to endue them from aboue with the gifts of knowledge prudence iustice temperance fortitude clemency with feruent zeale of Gods glory loue to the Gospell and neuer-ceasing care for the generall well-fare of their publike charge Let vs spend our spirits day and night in these prayers that a gracious blessing may be euermore vpon our Soueraigne and his Seed to prolong his daies with health and honour on earth and with immortall happinesse in Heauen Amen CHAP. V. THE second generall duety of all subiects is Obedience and that before God is better then sacrifice The enemy opposite to Obedience is rebellion compared by Samuel to the sin of Witchcraft the very Chaos of confusion containing nothing else but mischiefe and murder discord and desolation congestaque eodem Non bene iunctarum discordia semina rerum Ouid. As rebellion is most odious and detestable so is obedience commendable and acceptable and this is of three sorts 1. Obedire Deo per hominem 2. Obedire Deo homini 3. Obedire Deo potius quam homini First obey God by man 2. Obey God and man 3 Obey God rather then man Wee need not write how God is to be obeyed before all and aboue all nullius prohibitio diuinis valet obuiare praeceptis nullius iussio praeiudicare prohabitis Gods Precepts may not be couÌ„termanded by mans prohibitions nor Gods prohibitions preiudiced by mans precepts God is to be obeyed in euery thing simpliciter man is to be obeied secundum quid respectiuely so far as his commands be consonant to Gods Lawes St Austin giues al a good rule for obedience bonis in malo scienter noÌ„ obedias nec malis in bono coÌ„tradicas willingly wittingly obey not good men in the performance of ill nor disobey ill men commanding things good but God himselfe commands obedience to his breathing Images whom hee himselfe stileth Gods the mortall pictures of immortall God Dexteri digiti diuinae manus quae regit orbem the right fingers of that heauenly hand which ruleth all Reges sunt homines ante deum dei ante homines saith Lactantius Kings are men before God and Gods before men Astra Deo nihil maius habent nil Caesare terra Great is the glory of that God who makes these Gods Quantus Deus est qui Deos facit Austen Imperator omnibus maior est dum Deo solo minor est saith Tertullian The Emperor is greater in dignity then all mortall men onely inferiour to the immortall God and as Cyrillus writes to Theodosius the younger vestrae Serenitati nullus status est aequalis No mortall state equall to your Excellence or as Agapetus to the Emperour Iustinian Se non habere quenquam in terris altiorem None on the earth higher then himselfe for as Opiatus Super imperatorem non est nisi solus Deus qui fecit imperatorem Aboue the Emperor is none but onely God that made the Emperour or as St Chrysostome speaking of the Emperour Theodosius Non habet parem vllum super terram summitas caput omnium super terram hominum He hath no equall vpon earth the supreame head ouer all men on earth Lo now you Popes of Rome where were your triple Crownes your Miters if you had any then stooped to the Scepters then Pauls precept was in date with you Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers which since you haue reiected or neglected as Apocryphall then Gregories allegorie had beene a fond hyperbole Ad firmamentam coeli c. in the firmament of heauen that is in the vniuersall Church God made two great lights that is two great dignities Pontificall and Regall that which rules the day that is spirituall things is greater then that which rules the night that is carnall or temporall things as great a difference as is twixt the Sun and the Moone so great is there twixt Pope and Kings saith Gregory Indeed of latter times the Popes haue claimed a triple Crowne Celestiall Terrestriall Infernall intruding into the regall Chayre forgetting Bernards counsell to Pope Eugenius Your authority stretcheth vnto crimes not vnto possessions wherefore doe you thrust your sickle into anothers haruest or incroach vpon others limits now they vsurpe and arrogate a place of preheminence aboue Kings and Emperors Diuisum imperium cum Ioue Papa tenet Forgetting S. Peters rule though boasting of Peters right Submit your selues vnto all manner of ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superiour c. subijci domino temporali propter dominum aeternum as excellently Austen To submit themselues vnto Temporall Lords for the eternall Lords sake But leauing the fauourites and followers of that great whore which sits vpon many waters with whom haue committed fornication the Kings of the earth and which hath shaken off the yoke of obedience from the Kings of the earth Let vs looke vpon that place of S. Peter exhorting all to obedience Submit your selues c. propounding certaine arguments or reasons to enforce it 1. propter dominum for the Lords sake Vt honoremus Deum qui hanc obedientiam nobis praecipit that so we may honour God who hath commanded this obedience 2. vt euitemus poenas violatae iustitiae ciuilis that we may auoid the punishments of disobedience to the Magistrate sent ad vltionem maleficorum for the punishment of ill doers v. 14. 3. vt adipiscamur laudem ac protectionem contra iniustos that we may get praise
with such feeling as accompanies such feares This his Maiesties perswasiue language some what amazed and calmed this terrible and truculent Traytor so that hee swore the Kings life should bee safe if hee would behaue himselfe quietly without noyse or crying and that hee would goe downe and bring in his brother the Earle to speake with his Maiesty And so goes downe and lockes the doore after him leauing his Maiesty with that man was there before whom this Alexander appointed the Kings Keeper till his returne Then his Maiestie demanded of that man who was a seruant to the late Earle of Gowrie his name Andrew Henderson whether he was appointed to be the murderer of him and how far he was vpon the counsell of that conspiracy who with a trembling and astonished voice and behauiour answered with solemne and deepe protestations that he was neuer acquainted with that purpose being put in there perforce and the doore locked vpon him and indeede all the time of Alexanders menacing the King this Henderson trembled and requested him for Gods sake not to doe the King any harme The King commands him to open the window on his right hand which hee did for Alexander had made the King sweare not to cry out nor open any window Wherein behold the miraculous prouidence of almighty God that he who was put in there to vse violence on the King should be an Instrument for the Kings safety vppon the sight of the King as Belshazzar did when he saw the hand writing on the wall trembling and quaking rather like one condemned then an executioner of such an enterprize VVhile the King was all this while like Daniel in a Lyons den and by the Lord so assisted strengthened that afterward hee was deliuered like Paul out of the mouth of the Lyon his Maiesties Trayne rising from dinner the Earle of Gowry with them one of the Earle of Gowries seruants comes hastily saying His Maiesty is horsed and away through the Inshe which the Earle reporting to the Noblemen and the rest all rush forth in great haste and enquiring of the Porter which way his Maiesty went the Porter affirmed the King was not yet gone whereupon this Gowry reuiles the Porter and turning to the Duke and Earle of Marre said He would presently get certaine word whether the King was gone or no and so ranne through a close and vp the staires hauing a purpose to speake with his Brother Presently the Earle returnes and runnes to the Noblemen telling them the King was gone out at the backe gate to which place all of them repaired This inhumane wretch Alexander hauing had a little pawse and parly with his bloudy brother comes backe againe to the King Ingrediturque domum luctus comitatur euntem Et pauor terror trepidoque insania vultu Casting his hands abroad in a desperate manner said he could not mend it his Maiesty behoued to die Traytors haue bloudy hearts and hands they will not abstaine a sanguine suffocate from bloud and strangled not one word falls from his foule mouth but dismall hee had promised before to preserue the King safe but they who haue made a league with hell will neuer keepe league or promise with any on earth neyther great gifts or good turnes can turne their mindes to mercy oportet mori is the foote of the fatall song the death of Patroclus saith Achilles the death of my Father saith Alexander will not suffer me to thinke of mercy Therefore this treacherous Philistine comes with a garter to binde our Soueraigne as the Philistines bound Sampson swearing hee behoued to be bound Accursed caitife to threaten the King descended from as royal predecessors as any Prince liuing with an inglorious death he must not dye by the hand of a woman which Abimelech held dishonourable and therefore willed his Page to runne him through with his sword he must not die fighting cominus eminus hand to hand but hee would haue him die as a condemned Malefactor or as a foole goeth to the stockes bound hand and foote though hee ruled with glory yet goe to his graue with ignominy It behoueth you to be bound saith this abhorred wretch but died Abner as a foole dieth Thy hands were not bound nor thy feet tied in fetters of brasse but as a man falleth before wicked men so didst thou fall His Maiesty hearing this villaine talke of binding said he was borne a free King and should die a free King Beholde the worke of the Lord animating our King Iames as the Lord did Ioshua Be strong and of good courage feare not nor be discouraged for I the Lord thy God will be with thee c. He can make fiue to chase an hundred and an hundred to put ten thousand to flight little Dauid to kill Goliah our Salomon void of weapon to ouercome anned Gowrie and indeed how can he fall in fight whom heauen earth assists God and his Angels beheld this fray and heard the secret petition of our Soueraignes soule Saue mee from him that persecutes me and deliuer mee lest hee deuoure my soule like a Lion and teare it in peeces while there is none to helpe The Lord did heare him in the day of his trouble the name of the God of Iacob did defend him deliuering his soule from the sword his desolate soule from the power of the dogge This Alexander degenerating in nature from the signification of his name which signifies as Ierome auxiliator virilis an helper of men he rather to be tearmed with his Masters Title Abaddon or Apollyon destroying and comes to his Maiesty griping him by the wrist of the hand to haue bound him his Maiesty relieued himselfe suddenly of his gripes whereupon as he put his right hand to his sword his Maiesty with his right hand seazed vpon both hand and sword and with his left hand clasped him by the throat like as he with his left hand claspt the King by the throat with two or three of his fingers in his Maiesties mouth to haue stayed him from crying out In this strugling the King perforce drew him to the window which Henderson before opened and vnder the which passed O rare most singular prouidence of God the Kings traine and the Earle of Gowrie with them The King holding out the right side of his head and right elbowe cryed They were murdering him Virg Aeucid lib. 2. Quaevâ—n vt voâ—it adâ—â—reâ— Obstupuere animi gelidusâ— perima 〈◊〉 Ossa Tremâ—â— The Kings voyce instantly heard and knoweâ— to the Duke of Leâ—noâ— Earle of Marre and the other Court-traine no winged Pegasus could poast more speedily to doe their best seruice for their Soueraignes safety all of them then like Asahel as light on foote as wilde Roes but Gowrie the vnworthy and wretched Earle euer asking what it meant taking no notice of any voyce heard The Duke of Lennox and Earle of
anathematized but neuer others Can Gods Church be wonne or woed with swords and armes Indeed Phillip of Macedon led an Army against Bizantium and said that hearing of the beauty of the City he was come to make loue to her but the Otator tels him It was not the manner of Louers to wooe with instruments of warre but musicke The City of Gods Church will be wonne with no warlike Engines the weapons of our warfare are not carnall saith Paul The Church of Christ was neuer planted by blood except passiuely and so Semen Ecclesiae fuit sanguis Martyrum The blood of Martyrs the seed of the Church But these parties would build vp their Church with blood actiuely as if lately they had passed from Mount Gerizim to Mount Eball to curse and consume all It is a weighty and worthy worke to plant the Gospell the glad tidings of peace and no better way to doe it then by prayers and peace but in this worke the Papists euer vsed the wrong toole labouring to make men Haeredes vineae exhaeredes vitae Dispossesse them of life here howsoeuer hereafter If their arts faile their armes follow fit souldiers for Bacchus who is described with Buls hornes Semper paratus ad feriendum Alwayes prepared to strike and fight but it is a pretty saying of one Nemo ita tenetur inter duo vitia quin ei exitus patet absque tertio No man is so included betwixt two vices but he may get out without making a third If these men were so confident of the truth of their Religion and none more confident then the ignorant why did they not follow the Counsell of truth it selfe if they persecute you in this City flie into another yet they had no cause to say so truly why did they not forsake all and flie to Rome there were their hearts what did their bodies here or if with him they would first kisse their Father and Mother before they would follow Christ had a naturall affection to the things on earth yet why were they not willing with the Apostles to submit themselues to the higher Powers in bodily obedience but in spirituall seruice to say with Peter and Iohn Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge ye But how comes it to passe that such Lay-Papists of small knowledge and lesse grace should take vpon them to be reformers of Religion Were they extraordinarily called to this worke as Ehud was to be a Sauiour to Israel in destroying King Eglon or as Iehu in killing Ioram and the stocke of Achab had the Lord said vnto them as to Ioshua Arise goe ouer this Iordan feare not nor be discouraged for I the Lord thy God wil be with thee c. They write indeed that God and man had concurred rather the diuell and his Angels had consented Iudas heart Esawes hand and Achitophels head had all conspired Concurrêre homines sed quales quippe profani Impuri infames scelerati sanguinolenti Horribiles medici funesti seditioss Tales demissi coelo censores A crue combind but who prophane impure Infamous wicked such as all would cure With blood and fire Phisitians that with powder Would blow vp all diseases cry yet lowder Heralds from heauen these sent the Church to plant If God sent such then God good men doth want If such be good in hell ill men are scant But the Lord gaue such no Commission for such wicked and him that loues iniquity doth his soule hate the Lord will iustifie no wicked men nor imploy them in any wicked action But these had their Commission from the deuill and were at his command set to this worke and might say with Chrysalus in Plautus Insanum magnum molior neg otium Verâ—… possim rocte vt emolier A mad peece of worke I goe about And feare I shall not doe it as Iought And because they failed in the performance of it therefore manus manum fricat one Traytor bemâ—nes an other alas vnfortunate Gentlemen grieuing that it was their ill fortune to haue their hopes frustrated for it is very true which 〈◊〉 obscrues conspiracies discouered will not be credited or will be impayred by report 〈◊〉 occisiâ— principibus vnlesse the Princes the obiects of their mischiefe be slaine which if at any time it come to passe and the conspirator escape how highly he is magnified imitating a people of whom I haue read who worship Iudas for a God because he did betray Christ to the Iewes to be crucified by whose death comes saluation Thus this Catholicke cause should haue produced a Catholicke curse vpon our Common wealth but when they cursed vs God blessed vs defeated the deuises of the wicked dispersed these fogges and mistes of Sathans spirits and made it manifest to all the world that both their cause and course was bad Causa mala est fructus edidit illa malos For a corrupt tree bringeth forth euill fruit and therefore were they cut downe with the axe of Iustice and were not Gods mercy aboue all his workes cast into fire CHAP. IX Fourthly the Ends. WE are come to the last act of this intended Tragedy the ends of it which is almost without end In their expectation though frustrated in the execution they had set vp Hercules Pillars Nil vltra no humane malice or mischiefe could reach any further Hoc Scelus Abyssus ex Abyssu natum A boundlesse prodigy sprung from the bottomlesse pit I will not nay cannot fully finish this taske onely touch it Magnum opus hoc moueo maior reliquis datur ordo Perficere in captum This point I onely touch and leaue the rest To them who are with greater gifts possest And so many learned men by Preaching and Printing haue laboured in this worke and still out of the store of matter this Subiect affords will annually spend their breath in the declaration of this deuillish mischiefe and deliuery by Diuine mercy that I may forbeare any large discourse And truly if all of vs were as some say the seauenty Interpreters appointed by Ptoloms were put in diuersas cellulas â—aman sio diuisi eadem scriptitarunt into seuerall Roomes yet all separated they writ the same things which S. Ierome thinkes a fabulous figment So if all of vs were put apart heerein we should agree and sing with Ananias Azarias and Misael Blesse yee the Lord praise him and exalt him aboue all things for euer for he hath deliuered vs from the hell and saued vs from the hand of death and deliuered vs from the furnace and burning flame of powder euen from that fire hath he deliuered vs. Therfore coÌ„fesse vnto the Lord that he is gracious and his mercy endureth for euer wherein for better order sake to touch the Tragicall ends and dismall effects of this confused Babell a monstrous and multiplying Hydra of
Church that is the Pope concerning any place of Scripture although he neyther know nor vnderstand whether and how it agreeth with the words of Scripture yet notwithstanding he hath ipsissimumverbum Dei the very word of God saith Hosius voices most odious to all the Fathers whom they boast of to name but one S. Chrysostome saith Scripturis sacris potius credendum quam omnibus hominibus in mundo VVe must beleeue the Scripture before all the men of the world and not to cleaue to the Popes exposition for as the same Father Sacra Scriptura seipsam exponit auditorem errare non sinit the holy scripture expounds it selfe and will not suffer the hearer to erre Their Cardinall Cusanus hath written a booke which he entitleth De Authoritate Ecclesia Concilij supra contra Scripturam of the authory of the Church and of a Councell aboue and against the Scripture with many others who haue vomited out blasphemous speeches and would infringe the authority of the worde of God robbing it sacrilegiously of her all-sufficiency and bestow it vpon their Pope the Master of the mystery of iniquity and herefie 4 They prohibit the people to read the Scripture and odiously exclaime against vs as Bellarmine the Rhemists because our translated Bibles be in the hands of euery husbandman artificer prentise boy girle mistresse maide man and for the maintaining of their practise to depriue the people of the worde they would colour it with certaine paradoxes 1 The Scripture makes heretickes 2 Ignorance is the mother of deuotion 3 Images are the Lay-mens Bookes 4 They must belieue as the Church belieues implicitly Christ commands all Search the Scriptures but they say The Scripture makes heretickes Paul saith Let the worde of Christ dwell in you plenteously but they say Ignorance is the mother of deuotion Iohn saith Babes keepe your selues fram images but they say They are the Lay-mens bookes Abakuk saith The iust shall liue by his faith but they say You shal liue by another mans faith beleeue as the Church beleeues and doe not know what the Church beleeues Their doctrine to the Scripture is as opposite as heauen is to hell and therfore would not haue the people acquainted with the Scripture It is lamentable to reade how impiously they write in this kind their great Cardinall and president in the Trent Councell Hosius saith It was fitter for women to meddle with their distaffe then with Gods word So Duraeâ—â— God hath left them not the bookes of the Scriptures but Pastors and Doctors They take away from the Christian Souldier his weapon scriptum est and in stead thereof giue him traditum est a wooden dagger pictures legends and fables forsaking the fountaines of liuing waters and digge them broken pits that can hold no water They imitate the malicious Philistims who stopped the wells of Abraham and filled them vp with earth to put their memoriall out of minde so that they might challenge the ground so these stop the veines of life found in the Scripture with the earthly drosse of traditions legends Sathans songs to make a merchandize of ignorant soules and to starue them with a famine of Gods worde as if the contents in the Scripture were like the mysteries of the goddesse Ceres which might not be reuealed making the bread of life like the shew-bread whereof it was lawfull for none to eat of it but the Priests onely To colour this Gorgon with a cleanly vizard they say Ignorance is mother of deuotion Pessima mater est saith Austen itidem pessimae duae filiae falsitas dubietas illa miserior ista miserabilior illa perniciosior ista molestior Ignorance is the worst mother and her two daughters worst falshood and doubtfulnes that very wretched this more miserable that more pernicious this more troublesome but they make much of this mother for she is the vpholder of the Popes chaire Pythagoras said well Aboue all take care to keepe thy body from diseases the city from sedition and thy soule from ignorance But we may say to these popish Interpreters of the Law as our Sauiour did to the Pharasaicall ye haue taken away the key of knowledge yee enter not in your selues and them that came ye forbad I haue the longer insisted vpon this marke a red lattise to shew the house of the great whore which sits vpon many waters by which signe I may say Pulchrum est digito monstrari dicier haec est The second meretrician marke is her outward face pontificall pompe and gouernment How vnlike is her Pope to Peter Peter arrogated no primacy no Episcopall vniuersality painefull to preach the worde neuer medling with the temporall sword To feed Christs sheep was all his ioy he neuer had Emperor hold his stirrop or kisse his toe neuer deposed King from his Crown neuer freed subiect from obedience hee gaue himselfe no other title but an Apostle of Iesus Christ He neuer gloried in these smoaky titles Vicarius Christi sponsusecclesiae the Vicar of Christ the husband of the Church Vniuersalis Episcopus caput Ecclesia Vniuersall Bishop Head of the Church or as others stile him lumen orbis the light of the world or vice-deus in the roome of God not a meere man but mixt with other Luciferian titles which by me are elsewhere touched his vsurped prerogatiues and power they may that will finde in Bellarmines bookes de Romano pontifice yea as some say the Goates of Candie haue al their eyes fixed vpon the canicular star when it ariseth in the Horizon so all popish eyes fixed vpon this star of Rome homagers to his chaire all their tongues saluting with Gallinae fillus albae Peter and the Apostles were no fishers of Gold as it may be said of these Popes praedam quaerunt non animas they fish for siluer not for soules Innocent the third a Pope of Rome told Aquinas being in his Gallery among his gold that Peter could not shew so much gold when he said siluer and gold haue I none to whom Aquinas gaue a good answere and saide your Holinesse cannot doe that which Peter said and did to the cripple surge ambula arise and walke How vnlike are Romes Cardinalls to Christs Apostles State pride ambition and policy are their foure cardinall vertues Their stile ego Rex I and the King their purple hat and scarlet habit will scarce giue way to regall robes The pride ambition and vaine-glory of the Romane prelacy hath beene taxed in most histories yea their owne side hath condemned them for these sinnes and are branded with these markes by Cusanus Zarabella Marsilius Occham Duareaus c. Their selling of Pardons symoniacal corruption hath made it a common by-word omnia venalia Romae Templa sacerdetes altaria sacra coronae Ignis thura preces coelum est venale deusque