the Beasts number very ominous But Deus omen auertat Also in the third yeare of his Popedome Popes yeares are as precious as that day which Medea begged of King Creon before her banishment wherein her womanish malice so bestirred her selfe that by 〈…〉 shee consumed the Kings house with fire and made a cruell massacre of sundry Noble personages yea most vnnaturally euen of her owne Sonnes And what massacres may not this present Pope the head of that Antichristian Beast yea of that Babylonish woman drunke with the blood of the Saints atchieue in three yeeres and a halfe the time which the Antichristian Church though most absurdly limiteth for Antichrists Tyrannie for whose blood-thirstie crueltie neyther the Kings owne house no nor yet the Popes owne though most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can secure themselues Let vs conclude then with that prayer as it was once intire in our English Liturgie in King Edwards dayes of blessed memorie 〈◊〉 seditions and priuie Conspiracie from the Tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities from false and 〈◊〉 opinions from hardnessse of heart 〈…〉 and Commandements Good Lord deliuer vs. And let all England say Amen An Aduertisement to those my Countrymen whom the Pope calleth his Catholicke sonnes MY natiue brethren Countrymen or if you will Romane Catholickes 〈◊〉 wherein you so much glory and and which not onely distinguisheth but euen deuideth you from all true Catholickes such as Rome accounts Heretickes although my desire to speake vnto you bee greater then my hope to be heard such is the vaile of 〈…〉 obedience wherein they have shut vp your eares and closed your eyes that you should not heare or 〈…〉 more grieuous Babylonian or Egyptian Captivity spirituall than those temporall typicall were to Gods people yet 〈◊〉 this present necesssity inforced to assay at least what coÌ„mon humaine prudence or English spirit is left in you as not altogether eaten out with that spirit of lethargy and benumbednesse wherewith the Mystery of iniquity hath so wholy possessed many And if at the worst my purpose herein shall proue frustrate yet it shall 〈◊〉 that we would have cured Babylon but she would not be cured and hereby I shall howsoeuer discharge the duty of one that hath obtained mercy to be faithfull deliuering mine owne soule whither ye will heare or whether ye wil forbeare Yet I will hope the best praying God to giue a blessing Yea why should I not rather be most confident herein that all of you will be ready to harken to such a businesse as this which I am to propound vnto you Only as I have premised in the Inscription I except and exclude the Iesuites from my least hope of perswading them because the Arguments and Motiues which may and ought strongly to preuaile with you are directly contrary to the very principles and Grounds of their Iesuiticall Order They haue altogether cast off all hope of heauen all faith in Christ and in steed thereof haue made choice of that offer which Christ refused namely the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them men they are of pragmaticall and worse then 〈◊〉 spirits plotting either to 〈◊〉 all Kingdomes and States or which is as good to subiugate them to the Tyranny of Rome and Spaine Rome's fishers they are who euer find it best fishing in troubled waters by stirring vp coÌ„motions factions rebellions treasons arming and animating Subiects against their lawfull Prince this is their doctrine this their practise who so ignorant as knowes it not so that to goe about to perswade them to imbrace peace loyaltie fidelitie to leave off all their treasonable practises in vndermyning 〈◊〉 were as much as to inferre a new Article of faith to belieue a possibility that a true Iesuite should euer be conuerted to become a true Christian such and vnreconsileable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue they put betweene the order of Iesus and the 〈◊〉 of Christ and they that are once of the societie of Iesus should neuer come to bee of the blessed Communion of Christ so that such is the renoâ—e of their factious society that no maruaile if they set the Sonne against the father the subiect against the Prince when they haue made Iesus to be at vtter defiance and enmitie with Christ Iesuiticall doctrine is such a Dye as will not easily giue place to any other colour otherwise then as Sathan who can change himselfe into an Angell of light in appearance onely The reason why so few or rather neuer any specially English Iesuites renounce their diabolicall professions to imbrace the Truth is beecause they cannot enter into that Profession but with a kind of reluctancy at the first before they be hardned and their consciences seared not onely against the light of their conscience but euen against the light of reason and nature it selfe ceasing to be reasonable men to enter into a new order of Incarnate Deuills whose order is to put out of order the whole course of Nature ouerturning the very foundations of all humaine societies and all under the name of Iesus as if Iesus were no more a name to signify the 〈◊〉 of his people but were as much as Abaddon or Apollion in the Iesuites sense so that a Iesuite being one whose faith and profession is an habituall and vowed wilfull Rebellion against God and Christ against the very light of Nature and of his owne conscience becomes thereby so inuincibly obiurate that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were to iudge whether Satan or he were likelier to renounce their religion sauing onely that the one is a Deuill the other a Man or in mans shape at least For we know Christ hath said that t he sinne against the Holy Ghost shall neuer be pardoned And the reason is giuen by Diuines because it can neuer be repented of no more then that of the Deuill whose sinne was that against the Holy Ghost when he first forsooke the truth to betake himselfe to that order wherein for his Antiquity and pregnancie hee merited long before the 〈◊〉 and last Saint Ignatius to be the Grand-Father and Founder of this new society Leaue we these therefore as Christ did the wilfull blind Pharises to perish together of whom he said Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind leade the blinde they shall both fall into the Pit and let me speake vnto men to English men to wise men such as haue not so farre vowed themselues captiues for Babylon in their blind obedience as to disauow their common sence and reason Tell me if there be euer be among you all so farre besotted and infatuated with Iesuiticall Illusions that treason or rebellion against your Soueraine Prince should be so meritorious as to merit some better Kingdome then this of England yet can your common sense reason be so farre transported as to think you shall be in happier case vnder the Spanish yoake then vnder the gouernmnet of your owne natiue King What nations
THe Triple crowned Vicar horn'd Lamb-like Pretends Christs soveraine pow'r ov'r Kings and States These hornes but borrow'd proue Rammes hornes to strikâ— Even Christ himselfe ruling in Potentates Strong spells that come in Iesus name and finde Blind credulous zeale to captivate the minde Who might this Monster bee his speech bewrayes T is like the Dragon's who to Christ durst say All worldly power is myne I rule I rayse Whom pleaseth mee and my behests obey Such the Popes voyce such is his practise too Kings he vnkings that will not kisse his shooe How comes it then that sith the Papall power Is from the Dragon all men doe not see The Pope is Antichrist to overâ—ower All that is called God By reason hee Makes showes by Lambes hornes seeming innocence His power is from divine Omnipotence His Triple-crowne three Kingdomes notes what three Pope reckons fower three are controversorie Heaven hee despaires for surety Earth must be His heaven the while vsurpt tho Purgatorie He holds by blind beleife but never any Question'd the fowrth due to him and his Meiny Loe vnderneath a Romish Prelate placed With teh Popes Bull Romes Catholicks absolving From th' Oath of their Allegiance but not imbraced By th'wiser truer English most resolving Clossely to cleaue vnto their soveraine head Least forraine tyranny might on them tread The noble Charles with sword and scepter armed Ready to'ffend his foes defend his friends Victorious proues and Papall charmes vncharmed While royall throne justice and truth defends How can that state but vndivided stand In spite of foes where loue and lawes command THE BAITING OF THE POPES BVLL Or An vnmasking of the Mystery of iniquity folded vp in a most pernitious Breeue or Bull sent from the Pope lately into England to cawse a Rent therein for his Reentry With an advertisement to the Kings seduced subiects By H. B. My Son feare the Lord the King meddle not with them that are giuen to chang Pro. 24. 21. Bernard ser 3. in dedicatione Ecclesiae â—avendum ne quis pusillanimitate deiectus fugias a munitione vbi trepidaus timore vbi non est â—imor vbi vero summum periculum insana temeritate securus Imprinted at LONDON by W. I. for MICHAELL SPARKE 1627. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLES BY THE GRACE of God King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Dread Soveraigne I ACCOVNT it my greatest misery that being to present Your Maiestie with a busines of such consequence so neerelie concerning the safety of Your sacred Person and Crowne I am inforced to adventure so rich a fraight in so brittle a barke so ticklish to be overturned with the least disgust or blast of displeasure wherein yet I should bee happy if miscarying herein I might but perish alone Mine owne experience might be sufficient to teach me to feare For if the noble Queene Hester so gracious in the Kings eyes yet feared to hazard her person into the Presence vncalled how much more a poore Out-cast yet betweene feare of the yron law and hope of the golden scepter shee pressed in with this resolution And if I perish I perish chusing death rather then not to discharge the duty she owed to Gods people now destinated and doomed to destruction Only this is my comfort looke what advantage that excellent Queene had of my despicable person as a Petitioner no lesse haue I of her in regard of the royall Person petitioned Shee had to deale with a heathen King the Captiuer of Gods people and who had already consigned their Massacre and that by a Decree irrevocable according to the Law of the Medes and Persians though a it appeared without his speciall knowledge Haman hauing abused the Kings hand and seale to his owne wicked purposes as chap. 5. 7. besides which might be not the least discouragement she was to passe the Pikes of a most tyranni all and vnkingly law forbidding any vpon paine of death to enter into the Kings presence vncalled as Hester now had beene for 30. dayes Haman in the meane time hauing the onely Monopoly of the Kings care who like the vast lunary body eclipsed the beames of his favour especially from Gods owne people whose cause the while lay a bleeding and became the more desperate through the inaccessiblenesse of intercessors to moue Kingly compassion vpon their iust complaints such were the difficulties which the noble Hester was to incounter with yet poore I liue vnder a more benigne Climate vnder a Christian Prince a Protector of Gods people Defender of the faith one whose royall presence is not by any seuere law locked vp from the free accesse of the poorest sutors whose naturall disposition also like the Sunne vneclipsed is freely to impart light and heate to the inferiour Creatures yea whos 's owne deare Person and crowne is imbarked in the same adventure of Gods people and His to reioyce or suffer together all these giuing mee incouragement and as it were reaching forth the goldeÌ„ scepter while I humbly present to Your sacred Maiesty the dangerous condition wherin the royal scepter it selfe by all the prognosticating signes of a Papall Bull or Breeue lately come into England is like without speedy preueÌ„tiues to be involved Dauid now desolate and disconsolate about Ziglag was willing to harken to a poore starueling Amalekite lad giuing him intelligence where his enemies were I acknowledge my selfe vnworthy to doe Your Maiesty the least seruise and I could haue wished this Task rather to any other yet the indeleble character of my fidelity so often reimprinted in my heart by sacred Oath in Your Highnesse service besides the habituall affection of a loyall subiect deeply ingaged me rather then it should be vndone in this addressement And God forbid that by ouercautelous or rather cowardly silence I should contract the guilt of Misprison of no lesse then high treason against Your Maiesties Crowne and Scepter Yea otherwise I should be also vngratefull to God who of late hath mercifully if not miraculouslie preserued my life from a Iesuited Assassin The causes with the Circumstances I here omit to trouble Your Maiestie withall Onely I take occasion to mention it as not altogether vnworthy of Your Maiesties knowledge For what assured confidence may not Your Maiestie haue in the protection of that God whose eyes runne to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect toward him If his diuine vigilant eye watcheth ouer the life of the poorest yet faithfull Ministers to deliuer them euen in the midst of danger how much more ouer the more precious persons of Kings and Princes while as Gods Vicegerents they faithfully and diligently execute his will by iustice and iudgement It is for the Infidell Virginians for feare of the Devil to adore and please him with their gifts neglecting God because he is good but faithfull Christians doe by the true feare and worship
least I should offer both violence and wrong with my vnskilfull pensil to limme out more largely this most beautifull and well proportioned Image of a Princes vertuous mynd But I dare say which I referre to the best judgement of Your Majestie ablest to judge of Your owne noble sayings it is an exquisite Aphorisme or Abstract of that divine Rule prescribed to Kings by the Lord and Iudge of Kings It shall be when the King sitteth vpon the throne of his Kingdome that he shall write him h copy of this Law in a Booke out of that which is before the Priests and Leuites and it shall bee with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that hee may learne to serue the Lord his God to keepe all the words of this Law and these Statutes to doe them that his heart be not lift vp aboue his brethren and that hee turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that he may prolong his dayes in his Kingdome hee and his children in the midst of Israell Now what is the summe of all this but Honesty is the best Pollicy From this Root to wit Honesty the heathen deriued all the branches of vertue As those foure Cardinall vertues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance the subiect of those three bookes of Offices Tully draweth from the force and nature of Honestie as himselfe expresseth And those foure also Iethro Moses father in law in his direction to his Sonne requireth to bee in all Magistrates saying Thou shalt prouide out of all the people men of Courage such as feare God men of truth and hating Couetousnesse Still the summe totall is Honestie is the best Policy Thus neede wee goe no further then Your Maiesty to learne the rule of all good policy whereof Honestie is the ground as containing all duties both to God and man in Prince or people Thus haue I though slenderly for the which I most humbly craue Your Maiesties generall pardon discharged my faithfull dutie in discovering so great a danger towards Your Maiestie It pertaines to the wisdome of Your Maiestie to provide speedy meanes for the prevention that Your Kingdomes may not become a prey to the enemie nor Your sacred Person exposed to the perill of beeing forsaken by Your owne Subiects whom the Pope instigateth by the authority of his Bull and by the incessant industrie of his Iesuites to stand closse to his Holinesse against Your Maiestie when occasion serveth His Breeue also mentioneth what anxious prayers the Church of Rome now maketh for hir Catholicke Sonnes in England There is some waighty cause in hand sure Wee poore Ministers hope that Your Maiestie will bee pleased to call a generall Fast to frustrate all Romes prayers Wee haue all fared the better for the last publicke Fast which Your Maiestie proclaimed for the averting of vnseasonable weather against the last harvest And it is memorable that on the same day wherein the Fast was kept generally over all England began the heavens to cleare vp their clowdy countenance and so continued till they had brought vs in a plentifull harvest in stead of a feared famine Not that wee place any vertue in a Fast but because a Fast with humble prayer preuaileth much with God not onely as being commanded by him and hauing a promise annexed but for the necessity of it to bee joyned with true repentance and reformation not onely of mens manners and all raigning sinnes publicke and private but also of the worship of God being purged from all the pollutions of Idolatry and superstition which are an abomination in Gods sight and especially a clearing the Coast of all Romish Iesuites and Idolatrous Priests whose religion is treason against Your Majesty and God himselfe When the good King Hezechiah had received the blasphemous letter of Senacherib King of Assyria he went into the Temple of the Lord humbled himselfe and prayed spreading the Letter for the Lord to read and revenge all the blasphemies contained in it both against God and the King perswading his subjects to defection from him But loe here a letter sent into England from the King of the spirituall Babylon full of most impious blasphemies against Your Maiesty most Antichristianly vsurping a power over Your subiects charging them to disavowe their fidelity vnto Your Maiesty shall not this iustly provoke Your Maiesty with Hezechiah to go into the Lords Temple and there publickly intreat the Lord to take revenge on such blasphemies and to turne the mischiefe which Rome and her confederates now intend and machinate against Your Person and Crowne vpon their owne head as Ezechias obtained of the Lord yea Your Maiestie thus doing all Gods faithfull Ministers as so many Esayes to King Ezechiah as so many Azariahs to King Asa dare promise Your Maiestie both certaine victory ouer Your enemies and a constant peace with prosperity while You constantly follow the worthy examples of those religious Kings of Juda which grace the Lord giue vnto Your Maiestie in abundance Amen Your Maiesties most loyall subiect though vnworthy servant HENRY BVRTON TO THE LORD DVKE OF BVCKINGHAM his Grace Right Honorable THE Dutifull zeale I beare to the safety of my dread Soueraigne and deare Country inforceth mee otherwise loth to put my finger into the fire in the second place to sollicite Your Grace to bee the more carefull to preuent the danger When King Saul and Abner with the whole guard were in a dead sleepe so that Dauid had the opportunity to take away the Kings speare and Pot of water by him onely to testifie his fidelity to the King hee called alowd to Abner and awakening him said Art not thou a valiant man and who is like to thee in Israell wherefore hast thou not kept thy Lord the King surely yee are worthy to dye c. But neither can I say so altogether nor neede I cry so loud to your Grace vnlesse these many businesses which will scarce suffer you to sleepe so soundly as did Abner will neither suffer such a dwarfe as my selfe easily to bee heard But speaking for the King I hope I shall not be denied Audience Nor are they good subiects persecuted as Dauid of whom the King is in danger but such as though they haue small cause to complaine of persecution yet are instigated to deny vnto their Soueraigne that loyalty and Allegiance which all true subiects owe vnto their lawfull Prince Doth not your Grace erect your most earnest attention to this But who dare thus instigate the Kings subiects against him No lesse then the Pope and that by a Breeue or Bull lately sent ouer into England wherein he straitly chargeth his Catholique Sonnes as hee termes them vpon no termes to take the Oath of fidelity to the King inciting and animating them as against their Enemy as the Breeue can testify Nor had I I confesse beene thus bold to meddle in such a matter if
of God secure themselues from all Devills and Devills incarnate as the bloudy Iesuites His Promise is which is specially made to Christian Princes Hee hath giuen his Angells charge ouer thee and they shall keepe thee in all thy wayes which In all thy wayes teacheth vs how necessary it is to haue the wisdome of the Serpent combined with the Doues simplicity in the vse of due meanes to prevent dangers For if Iesuiticall malice will not spare the lowly shrubb how much lesse the lofty Cedar If a poore subiect may bee the obiect of Popish revenge for standing for the truth much more a noble King the Defender of the Faith Which hath possessed me with the greater iealousie and feare for your Maiesties safety Nor is it a Panicke or causelesse feare If I did but dreame of any danger towards Your Maiesty how should I feare it waking But here is neither Dreame nor Diuination but plaine demonstration of imminent if not rather present danger such as is worthy to possesse Your Naiestie with a most prudent and vigilant feare such as the learned Bishop in his Tortura wished to abound in your royall Father of famous memory and wee no lesse in Your Maiestie The cause I say of all is the Popes Bull or Breeue even now perswading and straightly charging his Catholique Sonnes in Enland as hee calls them vpon no termes to take the Oath of Allegiance to Your Maiestie as being not their King but their enemie Such Breeues never come but they betoken some notable mischiefe not farre off Like the Coote which flying to the shore crying prognosticates a sharpe storme at hand or as the Owle which being seene in the City portends destruction to it or as a prodigious Comete presaging the fatall periods of Princes or States specially where they exercise theyr maliguant influence Yet howsoeuer these may proue vncertaine as being Signes only but no causes of future euents yet the Popes Bull being not only a Signe but a cawse conducing to and producing mischiefe and that even exprofesso ought not slightly to be regarded Omne malum à Breuibus Breuia a Pontifice sayde the foresayd Bishop vpon the same occasion A Breeue was sent from the Pope to prepare the way for the Spanish Inuasion in 88. Another for the Gunpowder Treason Remarkable instances sufficeent if any to admonish England euer to looke for a terrible thunderclap vpon such a flash of Lightning Nor euer came Bull from Rome more cunningly couched and fuller of subtill insinuations then this as being the expresse Image and Modell of the Mistery of iniquity Formerly in the darker night of ignoraÌ„ce the Owle of Rome durst fly and flutter about seasing pluÌ„me vpon the prey but here where the Gospell shineth she is faine to winke with her eyes and to retire her selfe in the reserued corners of her ambiguous and twi-light Equiuocations Such is the curious frame of this Breeue being such as Paul 5 said of his written post lâ—ngam et grauem deliberasionem de omnibus quae in illis continentur adhibitam No doubt but this Beere was a long time a licking into this forme it hath But the summe is the Breeue containeth nothing but matter of high Treason against Your Maiesty inciting Your Subiectes to defection from You and erecting their hopes for Trophees and triumphs which the Pope plentifully promiseth to them I haue adventured the weakest of ten thousand to vnty this Gordian knot vnmasking the mystery thereof in a convenient brevety but all is of no force without Your Maiesties sword like that of Alexanders to hew it in sunder The lesuits at this present like Sampsons foxes with their firebrands are busy kindling combustion every where in your Kingdom vsing this Breeue as Bellowes to blow to the fier A man would thinke that seeing the foxes woules are so rife the dogges should be muzzled and tied vp Or when theeues are so briefe and bold the sword of Iustice shouldly rusting in the sheath But howsoeuer wee are sure Your Maiesty hath not beene wanting in publishing Proclamation vpon Proclamation to banish them the Land Only they learne thereby to walke the more invisible hoping by Gyges his Ring to obtaine their desire And when they are taken no ligatures of lawes can long hold them but Proteus like they haue their evasions Something is the reason that our Lawes haue lost their sting and become Drones and the Iesuites proue the waspes to robb vs of our honey It was wittily sayd of Polydor Virgil Regnum Angliae Regnum Dei his meaning was because none seemed to take care of England but God And true it is his diuine Prouidence hath from time to time beene a miraculous preseruer of it Yet some meanes must be vsed In 88 that Masculine Queene slept not At the Powder-plot Your royall Father by commanding dililigent search prevented the blow God gaue a happy successe to both And no doubt but he will be the same God to defend Your Majesty blessing Your pious zeale in the rooting out of his and Your enemies whose prime Article of their faith is treason to Kingdomes and States Salomon sayth How shall a man carry fire in his bosome and not bee burned What should I need to propouud to Your Majesty the examples of those noble and religious Kings of Iuda who setting themselues resolutely to reforme the decayed and disordered state of Gods worshippe proued through Gods speciall blessing miraculously victorious ouer all their enemies Your Majestie knowes them of a childe which imitating now being a Man and a King God shall bee with You as hee was with them and You with him King Ahashuerus setting apart but one night to more sad contemplations and reading ouer the Chronicles a worthy Precedent for a prince sometimes so to breake his sleepe how was it a meanes to cawse the light of Gods people to breake forth from obscure darknesse Wee poore swaines espying the storme comming to whom should we runne but to our Pilot Or being sicke but to the Phisitian Vnder God Your Maiesty is the great Pilot of this Iland which like a goodly shipperides at Anchor in the midst of the Sea now in danger to be tossed with terrible stormes which the leakes will hardly brooke yf they bee not the sooner stopt You are vnder God the great Phisitian who onely can cure as the Kings euill so the inveterate Gangrene of this body whereof Your Maiesty is the head Giue vs leaue dread Soveraigne in our extremity of danger to cry out to Your Maiesty for helpe We know as God hath dignified You with a Diademe so he hath qualified Your Maiesty with most excellent Princely indowments For instance vouschsafe leaue to Your poore old servant to remember a most Princely speach vsed often by Your Highnesse HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY A Motto for a King and worthy to be ingraven in the lasting Monuments of Your Kingly Actes even with Your owne royall hands I may not presume
first before she him the Basiliske dyeth the man is preserued Thus such prodigious Comets may spend their malignant matter and bee frustrate of their force and influence where wise men make right vse of them Sapiens dominabitur astris for as the learned Zanchy obserueth well Comets cannot cause but may occasion onely State-ruines and changes as when they inflame the ayre the ayre mens bodies the bodies distempered worke vpon the minde and all this taking impression in the most delicate and tender bodies of Princes working vpon their spirits causeth oftentimes such combustions as hasten some fatall periods while in the meane time sage and moderate Princes can easily preuent such importent operations such and no other is the malignant influence of Papall Breeues which cannot possesse generous Princes with an imbellious feare of such bruta fulmina which cannot scare nor scratch any but Brutes The sword of good Lawes drawne forth well burnished and brandished to the cutting off but the maine pipes by which these poysoned waters of Marah of working dissention betweene the head and the members Prince and subiects are deriued from the Papall spring to his Cotholique sons will through Gods grace giue a speciall defeate to whatsoeuer Papall designe this Breeue clossely intendeth As followeth To his beloued Sonnes the Catholiques of England HAuing spoken of the father Papa now to his sons a father and sonne are of neerest relation and this relation a strong combiner of affections and ingager of mutuall offices Sonnes are either by naturall generation or by legall adoption or by common appellation or by spirituall generation such here in a spirituall meaning As for the Popes naturall sonnes those he calles his Nephewes Euphoniae gratiâ as it were a degree once remoued His spirituall sons we shall better discerne of their kinde not onely by their father but by their mother of whom they are begotten namely the Church of Rome which if it bee that great Whore described in the Reuelation as what more euident he that runnes may reade hence it appeareth how legitimate they be So that in a spirituall and mysticall sence he may as well call these also his Nephewes as his sons But in naming them sons it imposeth on them that filiall or rather baby blinde obedience which none but such a father as the Pope can or will exact of his children This father if they obey not aboue contrary to God they are none of the Popes true bred sons But to sweeten their rigid obedience he styleth them his beloued sonnes Yet rather louing then beloued for in naturall affection loue rather descends then ascend in this contrary therefore vnnaturall I dare sweare such babes more dote vpon their father in their blind affection then he vpon them all the world seeth what be the grounds and ends of the Popes loue to his sonnes But to passe by that he calles them the Catholiques of England all the rest then are Heretiques But Catholiques they are not simply but in the compound Romane-Catholiques a right Babylonish word And such are no true Catholiques as the learned Bishop hath proued in his Tortura for he is a true Catholique that holds the Catholique faith professed in all ages according to the Scriptures not hee that holds faith none otherwise but with limitation to the priuate sense and meaning of the Church of Rome such is a Romane-Catholique no true Catholike But to proceed Beloued Sonnes greeting and Apostolique benediction A Forme of salutation farre vnlike that of the Apostles farre from Apostolique The Apostles as Peter and Paul in all their Epistles write to Gods elect to his Saints by calling recommending vnto them grace and peace in Iesus Christ that is a right Apostolique salutation But in the Popes salutation nothing sounding to that of the Apostles but the bare word Apostolique which putteth the greater difference for Paul and Peter came in Christs name the Pope in his owne name they salute the Saints with the the Grace and Peace of Christ he with his owne Apostolique benediction An other note of Antichrist that commeth in his owne name As Christ said to the rebellious Iewes If another come in his owne name him will ye receiue Now he comes in his owne name that comes in his owne vsurped authority as here the Pope doth with his Apostolique benediction Yea although the Pope pretend and claime neuer so much to be Christ Vicar and so may seeme to come not in his owne but Christs name yet vsurping that power which Christ neuer vsed as contrary to the dispensation of his ministery The Popes power being to erect and support an earthly Monarchy whereof he may say as that proud King Is not this great Babylon which I haue built for the honour of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Maiestie he therefore commeth in his owne name So here His benediction is of himselfe who in this Breeue cals himselfe that Apostolique one such is his Apostolique benediction to wit Antichrists benediction Thus in stead of Christs grace he hath Apostolique greeting in stead of Christs peace Apostolique benediction and to whom not to the elect Saints in Christ Iesus but to the Popes sonnes not to the faithfull in Christ but to the Popes Catholiques in England such as his father-hood goes about to strip of all the cognizances of Christs faithfull ones who as they are truely faithfull towards God so they expresse the same towards man and as to Christ in the first place so in the next to the Lords annoynted their Leige Lord immediately vnder Christ It followeth Terrene felicity is not alwaies the benefit of heauen and the patrimony of piety for the Church seeing the peace of sinners hath often found by proofe that the power of mortals is the stipend of impiety Wherefore we preferre the chaines of Martyrs before the spoyles of the triumphant and the King eternall promiseth heauenly principalities not to them that trample the lawes vnder their prood foote but to those that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Answer NOt to insist vpon euery particular but noting by the way throughout the Popes egregious hypocrisie and prophanesse in peruerting and abusing the Scriptures and the sacred name of God wee will touch onely vpon the principals Onely by the way how doth the Pope come to put a difference betweene terrene felicity and the benefit of heauen seeing that all the benefit hee either hath or can hope for of heauen is his terrene felicity This is the Popes heauen vpon earth this is his Peters patrimonie which in his owne papall sense is farre from the patrimonie of piety Or what hath the Church of Rome to doe with peace what peace shee seeâ—h the peace of sinners A phrase borrowed from Ezechiel 13. 16. And it agrees well with the Pope For as those false Prophets saw visions of peace where there was none so the Pope Is he about to stirre vp
purgatorie and those subterrestiall or infernall kingdomes according to that Phil. 2. v. 10. Psal 8. 7. v. 8. which places they familiarly apply to the Popes vnlimited power in these places vnderstanding by the Beasts men on earth by the Fishes soules in hell and purgatorie and by the Fowles the winged Angels ouer all which the Pope saith he hath dominion Thus all power is giuen him in heauen and earth Thus hee runnes away with Christs power but leaues the charge of Christ to his Disciples to preach the word and administer the Sacraments But in the meane time all this arrogant and blasphemous vsurpation of the Pope what doth it but most clearely conclude him to be that Great Antichrist described in the Scripture This is hee that exalis himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped This is hee that sits in or vpon the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God to wit inuested in all the power of God and of Christ in heauen and earth as the Vicar of God almightie Herein hee is not Christs Vicar who would not meddle in matters of the world but indeede his Vicar that said to Christ All this power will I giue thee and the glory of them for that is deliuered vnto me and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it The Dragon spake this and of Antichrist it is said that he hath two hornes like a Lambe but speakes like the Dragon The Pope speakes iust like the Dragon here See this verified in the Pope to an haire to a very letter Pope Hadrian saith Vnde habet Imperator Imperium nisi à nobis c. From whence hath the Emperour his Empire but from vs that which the Emperour hath he hath it all of vs c. Loe it is in our power to giue it to whomsoeuer we will Therefore wee are appointed of God ouer Nations and Kingdomes that wee should destroy and plucke vp See how like the Sonnes voice is to the Syres Hee speakes iust like the Dragon onely in a more loftie stile wee for I. Also Pius 5. in his Bull against Queene Elizabeth of happy memorie vsed the like speech in Ier. 1. v. 10. So that the Pope and his clients conclude that all Emperours and Kings hold their Empires and Kingdomes but in fee of the Pope Thus Henry 1. King of England was glad with much paying and praying to obtaine of Pope Alexander the 3. that he and his successours should haue the title of the King of England This held till King Iohns time when the Pâ—pe againe resumed the kingdome of England into his own power but was content at length to let King Iohn haue it to farme So Pope Celestine 3. crowned Henry 6. Emperour and his Empresse with his holinesse feet and when he had done so strucke it off againe with his foot to signifie it was in the power of the fame foot to take away his crowne that had put it on Thus we see Antichrist exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God and that in the highest degree So that it may be admired that any man hauing but his eyes open to compare the Pope with his owne picture can doubt that he is that Antichrist vnlesse such men be giuen vp to a strong delusion because they receiued not the loue of the truth But it is lamentable to see learned men so blind-folded as not to see this Mysterie of iniquitie But more pernicious that not seeing it themselues they would perswade the world also that the Pope is not Antichrist Is it time now to make Apologies for the Pope not to be Antichrist when he so egregiously plaies the Antichrist euen vnder our noses when hee goes about to seduce and withdraw the hearts of subiects from the King from our gracious Soueraigne It was Tortus his speech noted by the learned Bishop in his Tortura to be Romes Doctrine that at the hissing of a slye which is in Babylon namely at Rome the subiects would reuolt from the obedience of their Prince and so by the window treason immediately entreth The Pope is the flye of Babylon who can make of the Prince no Prince of the subiect no subiect and the no subiect against the no Prince what may he not attempt But this is in case the Prince bee an Hereticke or Schismaticke And what is it for the Prince to be an Herticke forsooth if hee doe not yeeld himselfe the Popes Vassall which saith the Bishop is else to deny one of the prime Articles of the Christian faith It was the case of Philip le Bell. Thus the Bishop To proceede the Pope mentioneth a graue Decree of his Predecessor Paul 5. no doubt he meaneth that Bull sent hither into England inhibiting his sonnes the oath of allegiance The Pope calleth it a Decree of truth which must be diligently obserued For a taste I will insert one sentence of it cited by the learned Bishop Vobis ex verbis ipsis Iuramenti perspicuum esse debet quod huiusmodi iuramentum saluâ fide Catholica salute animarum vestrarum prestari non potest From the very words of the oath it ought to bee cleare vnto you that saith an oath cannot be vndertaken with the safetie of the Catholike faith and the saluation of your soules If so good reason their tongues should rather cleaue to their gums then they take it great reason that neither threats nor flatteries extort it from them rather part with life then faith yea this they must bee so vndoubtedly resolued of that If an Angell from heauen teach otherwise then this Apostolike truth let him be accursed Here at last breakes forth the thunderbolt it selfe which were enough to blast the very Angels of heauen if for subiects to denie due obedience to their lawfull Princes were an Apostolike truth But can a Christian eare heare such blasphemie without horror with any patience This an Apostolike doctrine an Apostolike truth Papall it is Diabolicall it is raked out of the pit of hell Apostolike it is not neither from Paul nor Peter from Paul 5. but not from Paul the Apostle Paul teacheth the contrary Rom. 13. Peter the contrary 1. Pet. 2. 13. how durst you you blessed Apostles preach such a doctrine as is contrary to the Apostolike truth of Rome either you must recant your doctrine or loe a smoaking Anathema is breathed out against you But lest those holy Apostles lest God himselfe lest Iesus Christ lest the holy Ghost lest the whole sacred word of God should come within the danger of the Popes curse and all for the mistaking of one word Apostolike for Apostaticke We are rather to thinke that as Manicheus writing himselfe Apostle hence hee would conclude his damnable doctrines to be Apostolike so the Pope calling himselfe that Apostolike one therefore all his lying Oracles must be taken for Apostolike truths And see here also how impiously the Pope goes on to peruert and prophane
tels vs plainly he will keepe no faith with heretickes neither will he make any faith with them Onely herein he is most vniust that not onely those who are the onely true and orthodox Catholikes he cals heretickes and those that are his sonnes and consequently the limmes of Antichrist Apostates from the faith of Christ he calleth Catholikes but more especially that hee goeth about to perswade subiects not to enter into couenant of fidelitie by oath to their rightfull and onely Soueraigne King ouer them vpon earth next vnder God which couenant they ought not onely to make being demanded but betweene God and their owne heart religiously to vow and before all the world faithfully auow He that shall perswade men from this naturall bond of dutie is a traitour and vsurper ouer God and man euen the great Antichrist Howsoeuer I am perswaded the Pope hath no one Catholike Sonne in England so impious if he haue but a true English heart in him vn-Iesuited that he will refuse but rather most willingly take the oath and be ready whensoeuer there shall be occasion to hazzard his person and all his power against any Romish Spanish Inuasion They cannot be so farre blinded and besotted with Popish spels and Iesuiticall charmes but that they will euer put an infinite difference betweene their English and a Spanish King But if any be otherwise minded hauing exchanged his English for a Spanish heart if he may not trust himselfe to take the oath for feare of periurie neither I trust will his bare promise be taken lest whensoeuer the great flye should hisse out of Babylon he should forget his promise turn hornet or waspe to set against the Master Bee of this hony-flowing hiue of England But I trust for all the Popes charge here to the contrary that no English Papist will so far preferre his breath before his life that rather then spend the one in taking the oath he will expire the other It followeth But that your vertue may be found more precious then gold which is tried in the fire teach that Kingdome that there is no such force in the crueltie of enemies that it is able to extinguish the eternall fire of charitie in your hearts Pray for them that persecute you humilitie patience concord fasting prayer are your weapons which in the cruell conflict ye ought to draw forth that the palmes of coelestiall triumph may flourish in your hands for seeing blessed Peter was forbidden to smite with the sword the cruell assailants of Christ wee exhort you hauing the present good of the Church before our eyes that in the meane time you thinke the thoughts of peace and that yee pray for eternall life euen for the King while he takes away your mortall life So must the souldiers of Christ make warre vnder the banner of the Crosse the mouth of them that speake wicked things shall be confounded seeing ye know not to hate those who torment you But the Lord who is able to turne your sorrow into ioy shall be at your right hand that yee be not moued and may not forget his testament wherein he had bequeathed the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen to his Imitatours Answer Wee may say of this whole clause in generall as the learned Bishop in his Tortura vpon the very like purpose where bringing in Tortâ— his obiection that the holy Fathers the Iesuites as Father Garnet c. sent a good exhortation from the Citie to the Catholikes in the Countrie here in England he speakes it about the powder treason that they should containe themselues from all tumults saith Vetus ea techna est saepe quidem detecta proin semper suspecta vt non alio magis tempore scribant inde Pontifices in eum finem quam cum maleficium maximè meditantur Mulcere hîs volunt Argos nostros vt sibi ipsis dicant Pax tuta omnia qua sic repentina clades irruat in eos nil tale suspicantes Nan erat certè cur monitionem illam nominares que nobis nuncia est procellae certò tum semper imminentis Quin alia tum erat monitionis huius ratio Tam enim placuit tam certe spes erat Negotium hoc de puluere vt nollent illud interturbari tumultâ—â— vllo iuberent verò quiescere alios omnes vt huic vni locus esset in quo reposita illis spes omnis That is an old peece of craft often detected and therefore alwayes suspected that at no time more the Popes doe write to such a purpose then when most of all they intend mischiefe Here they would sweetly impose vpon our sharpest wits that they may say to themselues Peace and all safe that so sudden destruction may take them tardy while they suspect no such thing There was no cause why yee should mention that admonition which to vs is the messenger of a storme certainely then alwaies imminent But there was also another reason of this admonition for this businesse of the powder-plot was so pleasing so certainely hopefull that they would not haue it interrupted with any tumult but should command all others to bee quiet that this one businesse might take place wherein all their hope was lapped vp Thus by the iudgement of our graue and experienced Fathers wee may learne what interpretation to make what to expect when Romes holy Fathers in their Buls exhort their Sonnes to be quiet and to containe themselues from tumult as here the Pope doth If thus they did vpon the Gunpowder-plot all husht till the sudden blast doth not this extraordinary sun-gleame foretoken some such hideous storme ready to fall vpon vs Is not this a sprinkling of water vpon lime or with oyle to suppresse the flame The token which Iudas gaue to the apprehenders of Christ was a traiterous kisse and Romes signall to her treacherous attempts is Peace peace But as the French say in their Prouerbe When the Spaniard comes to parle of peace then double-bolt the doores so I hope England will be so wise as when they obserue the Popes morning sun-shine of peace from vnder a cloud they will prouide for a rainie day But to the words in more particular In the forefront of this clause here is twice mention of fire And how great matter a little fire kindleth This very word in the Lord Mounteagles letter of fire was that which through Gods prouidence kindled in King Iames his conceit a suspition of such a like plot as indeede it proued Vpon whose iudgements wee may the more boldly suspect by the Popes twice mention of fire that without doubt some fiery triall is now in hand euen fire and sword Here againe the Pope puts his Sonnes in minde of their vertue and prowesse as also of their enemies the King and State enough to blow the coales of their hatred and so to exercise the eternall fire of their vnquenchable charitie A fiery charitie indeede of the nature of wilde-fire or
his body The like Decree hath Pope Boniface in his Commune Extraugaâ—â—â—â— 1. de Maior obed c. vnam sanctam making Peter and the Pope one and the same Head with Christ lest otherwise sayth the Pope the Church should bee at a Monster with two Heads Thirdly it cannot bee denied but that Antichrist is that Man of Sinne described by the Apostle 2 Thess 2. who exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God who sitteth in vpon for or ouer the Temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is God Fourthly the Pope himselfe preveth that he is that man of 〈◊〉 for hee exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God namely aboue all Kings and Princes and Powers of the world who 〈◊〉 called Gods Psal 82. 6. I haue sayd Yee are Gods That he that exalteth himselfe witnesse this present Breeue or Bull. 〈◊〉 though Pope Boniface 3. with importunate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wicked Tyrant and Murtherer Phocas that Rome should be the Head City over all so that this supremacy might claime its foundation from humaine Constitution Imperiall yet the Popes Personall supremacy over Emperours and Kings came in by the By by his owne meete vsurpation which though it might seeme to bee grounded vpon the same foundation of the Cities Supremacy yet it was never the intent of Phocas the Founder that the Bishop of Rome should haue a personall or reall Supremacy over the Emperour as we haue shewed This learne of the Beast grew out afterward in Hildebrand Pope Gregorie 7. who himselfe being a Conjurer and getting the Popedome by the Deuils meanes hee now began to exercise the Dragons vsurped power over Emperours Kings and Kingdomes of the world as the Dragon sayd to Christ All this power and glory of the Kingdomes of the world is deliuered to mee and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it which very speech Pope Hadrian 4. vsed to the Emperour Fredericke Thus doth the Pope exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God To so little purpose is it to shift it off by saying hee hath this power deliuered to him and therefore hee doth not exalt himselfe For so sayd the Devill All this power is giuen mee and yet was hee not a most shamelesse vsurper But more of this in the Answere to the Breeue Againe doth not the Pope sitt in or vpon or for or ouer the Temple of God For all these the Greeke phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth And what other Temple of God doth the Pope allow but the Church of Rome whereof himselfe is the Head the summe and only Oracle Insomuch as hee sheweth himselfe to bee God by assuming to himselfe the whole vnlimited power of God as if hee were the same with God and Christ as being assumpted into the individuall vnity with Christ as Pope Nicolas decreed O all yee learned Papists that doe adhere to such a Head even to that man of sinne Antichrist which while you doe what remaineth for you but according to the holy Ghost owne doome even damnation and perdition both of soule and body for evermore In the name of Iesus Christ therefore open your eyes put off that Egyptian vaile which this Man of sinne hath cast over you that you should not set the truth shake off those Babylonian chaines wherewith you are so miserably captived by Antichrist and quit your selues like men Hearken diligently to the voyce of Christ in his word who from heaven cryeth vnto you saying Come out of Babylon my people that yee be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receiue not of her plagues Reuel 18. 4. This Babylon is the Church of Rome so plainly described in the 17 chapter that the most learned Iesuites themselues know not how to shift it off This Babylon chap. 18. 2. is fallen An Angell cryeth mightily Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Deuils and the bold of euery foule spirit and a cage of euery vncleane bird c. Is fallen is fallen What is the meaning of this fall twice repeated Some fearefull and strange fall sure even an vrtet apostacy and falling a way from the faith of Christ She shall one day fall externally but in the meane time shee is vtterly fallen internally and become the habitation of Deuils c. where the Devil now domineereth in that Antichrist in his full pride and rebellion against Christ Let not these my words seeme tart to your more tender palate I dare say you abhorre Antichrist whosoever and wheresoever he is And doe but open your eyes and you cannot but plainely discerne even the Pope to be the selfesame So that we need not further quarrell Rome about other points as the rubbidge of her infinite idolatries and doctrins of Devils whereof that Tower of Babylon is built vp when as the very foundation of it is rotten and the whole body altogether Antichristian from top to toe when as from the Crowne of the Head to the sole of the foote there is no whole part yea when as the Maine Head of that body is Antichrist and the faith of that Church apostacy No more is to be said I will conclude therefore not with a disswasiue from that damnable practise of disavowing loyaltie to your King for I suppose no true Englishman wil be either so vnnaturally and degenerously impious yea or so vnreasonably sottish as to be ready to betray their sweete natiue country to Rome and Spayne but in the name of Iesus Christ be exhorted to abandon and abhorre such a Father as the Pope being that Antichrist and so that lawlesse one who leading with himselfe Millions of soules into hell to be tormented with the great Deuil yee none must presume to blame him for it as it is in his owne Decretalls hee who is the author and abettor of conspiracies and treasons of treacheries and rebellions as in this Breeue hee professeth he who is that sonne of perdition and that head whose members must necessarily perish being damned for not receiving the loue of the truth but belieuing lyes as 2 Thess 2. and fly with speed unto Iesus Christ high you into the bosome of the Church of England your Mother who reacheth vnto you the pure milke-flowing brests of salvation in the Word and Sacramens As for those that wittingly and wilfully adhere to the Pope as their Head they shut themselues out of the Kingdome of God and of Christ Nor let any English-Roman-Catholicke plead ignorance while they shut their eyes at the bright Sun before them The poor people in Spaine that are shut vp from the light may if any finde some excuse but not so in England He that loueth not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Now the Lord open all your hearts eares eyes that hearing you may see belieue in Iesus Christ to your eternall saluation Amen Your truely loving Country-man H. B. Errata Pag. 31. line 21. for describe read ascribe p. 40. l. 2. for Powers r. Pioners p. 46. l.