excepting only a few hypocritical Ministers amongst vs or profane Lawyers amongst our neighbours But as God would haue it neither the Ministers in France are of that opinion for they professe the contrary nor yet the Lawyers of England if you put the case home to them for howsoeuer it costes them nothing to sweare that the Pope can neuer come to depose a King because he is a protestant it would trouble some of their consciences if they haue any to sweare that if an Vpper and Lower house of the English Parlament should condemne a King who might happen to be so great a Tyrant as that he would abrogate all the Statutes and Common Lawes of the Realme bring in by force a summary course of Iustice as is vsed in Switzerland confiscate all the Common Lawyers of England who are able to spend aboue a thousand poundes per annum and in a word dispose of their wiues and children as if they were his owne it would trouble them I say to sweare that such a King might not be deposed by the Houses of Parlament and that themselues could not be so far discharged from the Oath of Fidelity which they made to him when they were sworne Iustices of Peace as to make some personall resistance in their owne defence There is nothing more certaine then that many a man reades ouer the Oath of Allegiance and diuers take it who consider not the importance of those fearefull generall clauses which include and exclude all particuler cases of No Pope No King neither by his owne nor by any other Authority for any cause whatsoeuer can Depose or Absolue subiects c. And yet as I said before there are so many Protestantes who by occasion of this Oath haue entred so deeply into the consideration of Kingly Authority as it is euident to all such as freely and familiarly liue with Protestantes and vnderstand sincerely from them what they think that thousands of them are growne to a lesse adoring conceipt of Royall Dignity then they were wont to haue And though his Maiesty can hardly come to know the preiudice that he hath susteyned by yeilding to them who haue vnfitly sought to help him or rather to help themselues by propounding this Oath because he is a King and cannot equally conuerse with his subiectes nor can he from his seruantes expect but such newes as will be pleasing to him yet it may be hoped for at the Handes of so Excellent a Iudgment as his Maiesty is endued withall that he will one day fall vpon the true account of these businesses by other meanes and not cōtinue his Catholike Subtectes in his so ill conceipt for professing of that beliefe which is now in terminis auowed by the learned and noble Catholikes euen of France the contrary whereof is not auowed by any Protestant Church vpon earth if we chaunge the name of Pope into the name of Common wealth and the sequele whereof hath done nothing but disseruice to him I beseech God of his infinite mercy giue his Maiesty such light of mind wherby to discerne the distempered thoughts of his Ministers who are in such a rage against Catholikes and to vs that he will vouchsafe so much strength of mind as that whatsoeuer happeneth we may rather obey God then Man AN ADVERTISMENT TO THE READER translated out of the French THE Author of this Discourse vnderstanding that some had put in print two seuerall Speaches in his name far different both in sense and wordes from that which he by word of mouth deliuered he was constrayned to bring this to light as an Antidot or Countermaund to those other Neither did he much wonder to see such peeces of changeable colours clapt togeather some true some false according vnto euery ones passion without resemblance to the originall for he doth thinke that no pen could follow nor memory retayne two Speaches wherof the shortest lasted three houres although swiftly pronounced But he was much astonished at the liberty of this tyme that within Paris himselfe being present any should publish two Speaches in his name without acquainting him with it therby to vnderstand whither he would acknowledge them for his owne It is true indeed that he was not the only man who had byn so dealt withall for some other Prelates had lyn handled after the same manner and found as litle of theirs in those remnantes bestowed on them as Euphorbus in Pithagoras Now therefore it doth suffice him to present thee with that he pronounced in the Chamber of the Third Estate For that it was in a manner all one with that he made in the Chamber of the Nobility the reasens being the same and no difference at all but in the beginning conclusion and ornuments By reason wherof the publishing of the one might serue for a generall remedy of the suppositions of the other two As soone as he had therefore signified to the Gentlemen of the Third Order that being to speake in their presence he thought himself obliged to make the same prayer to God which Pericles was accustomed to do being to speake to the Athenians that nothing might passe from him vnbeseeming those that had imployed him neyther of those that were to heare him Psal 50. he directed his words to God saying with the Psalmist Domine labia men aperies and then began as followeth THE ORATION IT had byn to small purpose Noble Gentlemen to honour the dignity of those that make profession to minister Iustice It had byn to litle purpose that which Aristotle taught vs by saying that Iustice is beautifull and admirable like to the starre Lucifer and it had byn to as litle purpose to haue taught vs that in iustice all vertues are summarily conteyned And the answere of Agesdaus King of Sparta had byn vnto as litle purpose which he gaue vnto the King of Persia who tooke to himself the title of the great King that he could not be greater then himselfe valesse he could proue he were more iust And that fable of the Poets had byn to as litle purpose faigning Minos the Patron of iust Princes to haue byn the sonne of Iupiter and that Themis and Dicas were placed on either side of Iupiter if the Scripture did not teach vs that by iustice Kings do raigne if the Sonne of God had not chosen him who was to be his figure called him Melchisedech that is to say King of iustice and that the same Melchisedech whose name doth signify King of Iustice had not been also King of Salem that is King of peace to shew that of iustice dependeth peace which is the mother of all good in heauen and earth And seeing the oracles of diuine scripture agree in cōmendation of this vertue with the testimony of prophane authors it seemes in giuing her the first place of honour and dignity amongst humane vertues is to put in execution the will both of God and men Now Gentlemen if euer there were any Nation in
the dishonoring and abusing of his Church to giue the greatest contribution that could be wished to the Dignity and Maiesty of the same Who knowes not that the holding of these Estates in France was pursued only in effect by certaine irreuerent semi-Catholikes who loue nothing lesse then the splendour and vigour of Ecclesiasticall discipline and â—urisdiction Who knowes not that as soone as the said Estates were opened that rotten member which tooke the name of the Third Estate discouered that Canker which hath been feeding gredily vpon it especially since the introduction of heresy into that Kingdome by plodding vpon some course how to make an Idâ—ll of the temporall power of Kinges in respect of the reuerence due to Popes and so far to abuse the authority of the Apostolike Sea as that they would redoubt it no more then a meere Scarcrow or Chymera And yet we see God hath fetcht the Treacle of which I haue spoken from the poyson that grew in the festred bowells of his Enemies for if that French Oath had not been propounded by those Lawyers the contrary doctrine and beliefe of the Church of France had not beene protested by those Prelates Shall the prouidence therefore of God be able to watch so fruitfully ouer the Catholike Church of France and shall the narrow seas be broad inough to keepe him from shewing his power in England to our comfort and the confusion of such as either know him not or care not for him nay rather let vs learne by this that when our persecuting Ministers do most conspire our ruine then shall we be surest of Gods present help when the graue shal be finished wherin they hope to bury vs aliue incident in foueam quam fecerunt it is then that they are likeliest to die in the same ditch which they made for vs. Courage therfore is that which we are to beg at the hands of God who knowes not how to forsake but such as confide not in him It was said long ago by one who had no supernaturall â—ssistance wherby his crosses were to be asswaged Si longus leuis si magnus breuis but we haue infinitly more reason to assure our selues then he that if our persecution linger on it wil be lightned if it increase it wil be shortned Nor ought we be without hope but that it may be both short and light when his Maiestyes Excellent Iudgment shall haue obserued which in all likelihood he hâ—th already done by he ensâ—ing Oration and other bookes that his Catholiâ—e subiects hoâ—d no other opinions in fauour of the Sea Apostolike but such as are common to those Cathoâ—iâ—es that are accounted euen the most remisse iâ— Europe That there is no Protestant Church which hath declared this proposition to be true That a King can neuer be deposed by any authority vnder heauen nor his subiects be absolued from the Oath of Allegiance which once they made for any incorrigible crimes whatsoeuer That on the other side rebellions of sâ—biects against their naturall Princes haue growne familia since â—rotestancy brake loose and haue been as it were haâ—cht by that sect in England Scotland Holland Sweueland Germany Switzerland Geneua and most often in France wherof truâ— histories makâ— particuâ—e mention And 〈◊〉 that should not be able to read or vnderstanâ— a booke might see the matter verified euen at this instant in the Kingdome of France where the Prince Protestant of them all is vexing his King by all the power he hath either of credit or other meanes hauing drawne to his lure many others of both Religions That since his Maiesty hath beene ill counselled and vâ—ged by Ministers amongst all whome there hath nâ—uer yet beene any one good man of State he hath gotten nothing lesse then that they aymed at which was That Regall Authority now that it is imployed in their defence should be as superstitiously adored as in Queene Maries dayes both of England and Scotland when their religion receaued a check it was irreligiously decried and disgraced For now insteed of being held a kind of Diuinity vpon earth which notion mens mindes were fitter for before they were opened by such Oathes they are growne to lookeâ— abroad vpon that light which they were wont to be afraid would dazell their eies and at last are come so neere vnto it as that they touch and handle it by the discourse of reason and experience which tells them that Kingly Authority cannot come immediatly from God to any man but by miracle That all the Kinges whome we know do either rule by force of conquest and in that case the authority of the CommoÌ„ wealth if it be vsurped may be resumed or by Donation Election Marriage or Succession of bloud in which cases Kings forfait by not performing the conditions vnder which either they or their first auncestors did enter whether they were expressed or necessarily implied Necessarily I say implied for supposing that a people who was without question the first owner of supreme authority vpon earth should cause a King to gouerne them without obliging him in particuler to do this or that it were a Barbarous conceipt to thinke that it were in his law full power to Tyrannize ouer them at his pleasure without hauing respect either to their defence in time of warre or the administration of Iustice in tyme of peace for which only respectes they made him King If this discourse be true in case of Kinges euen by the Law of Nature and of Nations how much more shall it be so amongst Christian Kinges who in their Baptisme do their homage to the Faith of Christ and at their Coronations do sweare the mayntenance of Religion and Iustice which are the conditions expressed whereupon the progenitours of the most absolute Christian Kinges were placed in their Royall Throne These thinges I say are growne into the consideration of men and strikes the reasonable part of their soules with such an euidence and demonstration of truth as no formulary of an Oath though perhaps for feare or fashion sake they may chance to accept therof will euer be able to wipe out Some questions there may be betweene men of different Religions as hath beene toucht to whom the iudgment ouer Kings for their offences may belong some holding that this Iurisdiction resides in the Church some in the Common Wealth some in both together and some others other seuerall opinions which are not so much worth the specifying but all the Christian Congregations of all Religions in the world do agree in this that all Kinges for hideous crimes may fall from their dignity and their subiectes may be absolued from their Oath of fidelity Nay I haue not heard euen in England where our Oath of Allegiance was enacted nor in France where the like was offered that when the generall propositions which were conteyned in both the formularies were well deduced into particulers men would be drawne to subscribe and sweare thereto otherwise then forced by feare
and that the tradition of the Fathers obserue the tradition of the Fathers to giue to vnderstand that it was not then any new inuention or deuise did warrant that he could not be deposed if he erred not in faith (d) Epist Henr. 4. ad Greg. 7. à Protestant edita vnà cum alijs Refertur à Centuriat Cent. 11. c. 8. de Schismate The tradition of the Fathers saith the Emperour hath taught that I ought to be iudged by God alone and that I could not be deposed for any crime so I declined not from the faith which is not pleasing vnto God And when Philip Augustus the litle sonne of Philip the first was fallen into the like contempt and dislike of his wife Engeberge sister to the King of Denmark that his Grandfather was of his wife Bertha and had caused his mariage to be dissolued disaunlled by Cardinal William his vncle Archbishop of Rhemes and Legate in France in preiudice of his former mariage he tooke to wife the daughter of the Duke of Morauia The Pope thereupon tooke notice of the matter as of the violating and transgressing of a Sacrament vnder pretence of religiō And seeing the resistāce that the King made he excommunicated him interdicted his Realme (a) Du Tillet en la vie de Philip. August The sentence of Cardinall William was sayth the Lord of Tillet reuoked by Pope Innocent the third as giuen without order of iustice And because the King presently after the sentence giuen holding himselfe vntied and free married Agnes daughter of the Duke of Morauia the King and the Realme were interdicted And hereunto the Cronicle of Foiz cited by Vignier hath addeth (b) Viginer liure 3. de Phist de Prance en Panne 1200 en la Biblioth hist pag. 3. That during the time of this interdict they did put in France to the publique contracts not in the raigne of Philip but in the raigne of Iesus Christ. And when Iohn King of England who was not yet at that time obliged by any temporall acknowledgment to the Pope (c) Act. in t Bonif. 8. Phil. Pulch. fol. 91. p. 1. had driuen the Bishops out of his Realme and seized vpon their goodes the same King Philip Augustus held an assembly of his Estates at Soysson where he proposed to make warre vpon the King of England for that he persecuted the Church and for that the Pope had discharged and absolued his subiects from their oath of Allegiance to him (d) Du Haillan li. 10. de Phist de France en la vie de Phil. Aug. Rigard lib. de vita Thil. Aug. adan 1212. The King sayth Du Haillan notwithstanding he be an historiā very passionate against the Popes at the intreaty of the Pope at Soyssons held an assembly of the Prelates and Peeres of his Realme to take aduise and consult about the meanes how he might passe euer into England against King Iohn to make war vpon him as a persecutor of the Church whome the Pope had then excommunicated acquiting taking away and discharging his subiectes of the Oath of allegiance they did owe vnto him And a litle after The greater part of the Nobility were of opinion that he had iust cause so to do as well being thereunto moued by authority of the Pope as for the reestablishing of the Bishops and other the Prelates in their Churches from which they had beene thrust and driuen out by Iohns Tyranny whome the Pope had excommunicated And againe all the Nobility with one accord promised Augustus to serue him with their owne persons in this enterprize Ferrard the Count of Flanders only excepted And when the Emperour Otho nephew of the said Iohn King of England meant to take his part and to make warre vpon France the said Philip Augustus sent vnto the Pope to sollicite and mooue him to declare Otho depriued of all the rightes of his Empire and for the execution of this censure he bestirred himself and vsed his courage and his Armes so effectually as vnder the conduct and fauour of the Popes cause and quarrell he wan the greatest battavle that euer King of France had gayned against any Emperour to wit the battayle du Pont de Bouuines where the Emperour had aboue an hundred and fifty thousand fighting men The King sayth du Haillan aduertised of the threates of the Emperour Otho Du Haillan la mesine Rigard ibid. vsed such expedition in the busines and wrought so effectually with the Pope as he declared the said Otho enemy of the Sea of Rome and depriued him of his Imperiall titles And the Electors of the Empire at the sollicitation and incitement of Augustus who sent to them Ambassadours to make his way elected and chose Frederike the King of Sicily Emperour And a litle after he putteth downe King Philip his speach to his army in these wordes My Friends saith the King let vs take good courage Du Haillan ibid. Rigard ibid. Let vs not be afraid Let vs haue honour before our eies and the feare of God in the first place to whom we must recommend our selues VVe haue to fight against an Enemy condemned censured and excommunicated by the Church and for his impieties and wickednes separated and cut off from communion with the faithfull And when Reymond Count of Tholouse and the greater part of Gaule Narbonoise became to be infected with the heresy of the Albigenses began to persecute the Catholikes there assembled first a Councell of French Bishops at Montpellier (a) Histoire Albigeoise rapportèe par Vignier en son hist de France liu 3. en l'ann 1214. and after that the Councell of Laterane for heresy depriued both him and Reymond his sonne of the County of Tholouse and adiudged it to Symon Count of Montfort who had taken armes against him and of this came the vnion of the County of Tholouse and of the adioyning Prouinces to the Crowne of France By decree of all the Councell of Laterane saith du Haillan (b) Du Haillan en la vie de Philip August Rigard ibid. whom I do often cite because it is euery where in the handes of all Reymond the Count of Tholouse his sonne also named Reymond were excommunicated c. And the County of Tholouse was adiudged to Symon Count of Montfort And againe Simon shewed vnto the Estates of the County of Tholouse the decree of the Councell by which he was declared Count of the said County And there opposed not any one against it but all with one accord tooke the Oath of fidelity to him And the Lord of Tillet saith in his Memorials these wordes En la vie de Louys 8. The County of Tholouse came to the King by good right the said Reymond and his Father being confiscated that is to say hauing lost it by confiscation for heresy and Symen Count of Montfort hauing procured and gotten it and Amaulry his Sonne hauing transferred and made it ouer to
the King he was so gratious to the said Reymond by the treaty of peace as to restore it vnto him conditionally that it should returne to the said King if his said only daughter had not issue by Alphonse of France the Count of Poittou And when the same vniuersall Councell of Laterane which may worthily be called the most Vniuersal Councel for so much as besides the Pope and the foure Patriarkes of the East Matth. Paris in Ioan. adâ— an 1215. Magdeburg Cent. â—â— cap. 9. de Synod who were there present some in person as the Pope and the Patriarkes of Constantinople and of Hierusalem and the other by their legates as those of Alexandria and of Antioch there were seauenty Archbishops 412. Bishops and more then 800. Prelates and more then this all the Monarches and Kinges of Christendome were there assistant eyther by themselues or by their Ambassadours and the Emperour of the Fast the Emperour of the West the King of Hierusalem the King of France the King of England the King of Arragon the King of Castile and others When the Councell I say intended to prouide for the extirpation and rooting out of the Reliques of the Albigenses it ordeyned that the Princes who should become contemners of the Councell that condemned the Albigenses should be depriued of the obligation of their subiectes fidelity towardes them And this I remember not for an example to disturbe or trouble the publique peace and tranquillity sith the Heretikes be in so great a number as they make a notable part of the body of the Estate but to shew that we cannot hold that for hereticall which was pronounced and decreed 400. yeares since by the mouth of the Vniuersall Church For as touching them who for the frustrating of this decree do alleage and cite (a) Plat. in vita Innocen 3. what Platina and after him the (b) Suppl Chron. l. 13. ad an 1215. Supplement of the Chronicles affirme that the Councell proposed many thinges but resolued nothing they are more worthy of pitty then answere For who sees not that those Authors there speake of the preparatiues of the army for the warre of the holy Land and not of matters of Doctrine or Ecclesiasticall discipline Otherwise a man should impugne as false that therin was resolued the Article of Transubstantiation the Article of the Procession of the holy Ghost of the Father and of the Sonne the precept of annuall Confession to all the faithfull the condemnation of the errours of the Abbot Ioachim together with all the writinges of the Schoole Doctours alleaging these things the practise of all the Iurisdictions of France followed in the searching and finding out of heretikes We should impugne of falsity the Decretals of Gregory the ninth (c) Decret Gregor l. 5. tit 7. de haeret c. 13. Excommunicamus compiled twelue yeares after the Councell of Laterane where that decree is repeated at length vnder the title of the Councell of Laterane the writings of Matthew Paris (d) Math. Parisanâ—e ad ann 1215. a Writer of the same age and a great enemie of the Popes who sayth that the Councell of Laterane made 60. you must reade 70. Decrees the Bul of Pope Clement the 5. in fauour of King Philip the Fayre who returned the readers to the decrees of the Laterane Councell the Centuriators also (a) Acta inter Bonif. 8. Philip Pulch. who inserted all the 70. Articles of the Laterane Councell into their Centuries Finally we should impugne of falsity the coniunction of the County of Tholouse to the Crowne which was founded vpon that Councells Decree and the reasons and declarations of the Court of Parlament to King Lewis the Eleuenth touching the extinguishing of that pragmaticall Sanction or Decree where the Court prayeth the King to order the Elections according to the Councell of Laterane in these wordes In the Councell of Laterâ—ne saith the Court which (b) Refertur à Biblioth lib. 4. decret Eccl. Gall. was assembled held at Rome by Pope Innocentius the third in the yeare 1215. where were assistant and present 1333. Prelates there was prescribed a certaine forme of Election and thereunto was annexed that in case of the Electors negligence the right and power of prouision for the Church should fall to the Superiour Prelate Cap. (c) Cone Lateran c. 24. Quia propter Cap. (d) Ibid. 〈◊〉 23. Ne pro defectu But I haue made to far a digression let vs returne to our Historie Wherefore when the Generall Councell of Lateran which represented all the Christian Common wealth both spirituall and temporall meant to prouide for the extinguishing of the reliques of the Albigensian heresy it conceaued made and published this (e) Conc. Later c. 3. Canon If any Prince neglect in his landes and territories to extirpate the heresy of the Albigenses let him be excoÌ„municated by the Archbishop of the Prouince And if he continue obstinate let it within the space of one yeare be signified to the Pope that he may absolue his subiects from their Oath of fidelity And when Pope Innocentius the 4. did at the Councell of Lions absolue the Subiectes of the Emperour Frederike from the fidelity they owed vnto him I dispute not now whether iustly or vniustly for so much as my scope drift and intention is not but to shew how the Kinges of France haue in such occasions carried themselues the King S. Lewis took vpon him the protecting of the Popes cause against the Emperour The King of France saith Paulus (a) Paul Aemil. in vita S. Ludouici Aemilius being come to Lions by zeale of office of Religion for the assisting of Innocentius and hauing made a protestation that both himself his forces and the Counsel of his Realme were ready to maynteyne defend the power and authority of his Holines added strength and dignity to Innocentius his cause And euen those who to make the Pope the king S. Lewis odious write that the Pope offered to cause Robert Count of Artois the Kinges brother to be elected chosen in place of Frederike but that the Barons of France refused it add that the Barons themselues protested that the Emperour could not be deposed if he erred not in faith You shall heare the Barons wordes be they true or be they faigned deliuered after many inuectiues against the Pope by Matthew Paris an Englishman (b) Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. ad an 1239. who fauoured the Emperour was the Popes heauy enemie and taken out of him by Vignier (c) Vignier en la 3. p. de la Biblioth hist Pan. 1239. who yeilded not a whit vnto him in that behalfe And thus he sayth But to the end we may not seeme to contemne the Popes commandement though it be euident that it came from the Church of Rome more vpon hatred to the Emperour then for a loue to our Nation we will send men of prudence on
he ought when he assayeth to bring in a Schisme and diuision in ours But shall it be said that what the King of Great Britany doth in England against the Catholikes doth serue vs for a law and an example to do the same in our Catholique Countrey Shall it be said that France that hath for so many ages beene honoured with the name of a most Christian Realme Hier. contra Vigil and in which S. Hierome said there were no monsters is brought to this that it permitteth not Catholike religion but with the same conditions and seruitudes that be imposed vpon it in England Shall it be said that Ecclesiasticall persons be not suffered to liue in Frāce but vnder the stipulations conditions vnder which it is permitted them to liue in England Shall it be said that the Catholikes of France and especially the Clergy enioying security and freedome shall be enforced to sweare and binde themselues to belieue the same thing which with groaning and sighes thereby to gayne some litle breath is done by Catholiques in England And if there be found in England Catholikes constant inough to suffer all sortes of punishments rather then to consent vnto it shall there not be found those in France to doe the same rather then to subscribe to sweare an article that putteth the raynes of the faith into the handes of the Laytie and bringeth a diuision and Schisme into the Church Yes certainly Gentlemen such will be found in France And all we who are Bishops will rather go to martyrdome then giue our consentes to the deuiding of Christes body Apud Euseb Eccl. hist lib. 6. cap. 37. remembring this saying of S. Dionysius of Alexandria That the martyrdomes that men suffer for the hindring of the Churches diuision be no lesse glorious then be those that men endure for absteyning from sacrifising to Idolls But we are not God be thanked vnder a King who maketh martyrs he leaueth the souls of his subiectes free and if he doth it to those of his Subiectes that be strayed from the Church how much more will he do it to those soules of his Catholike subiects we liue the one and the other vnder the shadow of the Edictes of peace in liberty of conscience And wherefore then should we be constreyned to sweare that which we forbeare to make others to sweare There is not one only Synod of Ministers who would haue subscribed to that article which they would bind vs to sweare There is not one Consistory of others but beleeueth that they are discharged of their Oath of fidelity towardes Catholike Princes when they shal be forced by them in their consciences Of this come those modificatiōs that they haue so oft in their mouth Prouided that the King forceth vs not in our conscience Of this come these exceptions in their profession of faith So the Soueraigne Empire of God abide in his owne integrity Of this came the taking of arms so many times against the Kings when they would take from thē the liberty of religiō Of this came their insurrections and rebellions both in Flanders against the King of Spayne Sweden against the Catholike King of Polonia whome they spoiled of the Realme of Sweden his lawfull inheritance and therin established Duke Charles a Protestant Neither yet do they restrayne these exceptions to the only case of religion of conscience but they further extend them to secular matters The writinges of Buchanan Bruse and infinite others giue testimony who will that if the Kinges fayle in temporall conuentions and accord which they haue made with their subiects their subiectes be free to reuolt from them Not considering that there is great difference as we haue already declared betweene faylinge in a simple accord made by Oath and destroying the Oath by the which the accord was made For when a Prince doth of frayltie or of humane passion commit some iniustice he doth indeed against the Oath he hath made to his people to do them iustice yet he doth not thereby destroy his Oath But if he make a contrary Oath that is to say insteed of what he hath publiquely and solemnly sworne to his people which was to do them iustice to wit as far as humaine frailty will permit he should sweare and bind himselfe by another publique and solemne Oath that he would neuer render them iustice but rather sweare that he will minister nothing but iniustice he should then destroy his Oath renounce his owne Royaltie in renouncing by a contrary Oath the clauses and conditions of his former oath for which and by meanes and occasiō wherof his Royalty was instituted And therefore Barckley the Achilles of the doctrine of your Article hath had most iust cause to reprehend and find fault with the aforesaid authours but in reprehending them he hath reserued an exception of two cases which make much more to the preiudice of Kinges then do the Churches censures from which he would exempt them For he affirmeth expresly that in two cases the people may shake off the yoke of Kinges Guil. Barcl lib. 4. cont Monarchomach c. 16. arme themselues against them Behold his wordes What then Can there not occurre any cases in which the people may rise take armes by their owne authority and assaile a King insolently raigning None indeed so long as he contynueth King For this commaundement of God contradicteth it alwaies Honour the King c. who resisteth power risisteth God The people then addeth he cannot haue by any other meanes power ouer him but when he doth some thing by which he ceaseth of right to be King For then for as much as he spoyleth and depriueth himself of his principality and maketh himself a priuate person the people remayneth free and becommeth superiour And these two cases as he saith be when a Prince laboureth and hath intention to exterminate and ouerthrow the Kingdome common wealth as Nero and Caligula did or when he will make his Kingdome feudatary to another Ibidem I finde saith he two cases in which a King by fact maketh himself of a King no King and depriueth himself of his royall dignity and of power ouer his subiectes The one is if he goeth about to exterminate the Realme Common wealth that is to say if he hath a designe and intention to destroy the Realme as it is recorded of Nero that he had a deliberation to exterminate the Senate and the people of Rome c. And the other if the King hath a wil to put himselfe vnder the clientele and protection of some other But who seeth not that this is a thing tooto vnworthie for a Christiā to admit these exceptions in case of the destruction of a Cōmon wealth and not in case of the destruction of Religion and otherwise the iudgment which the people may make of the one is much more perilous to Princes thē that which the vniuersall Church may forme of the other And
all this while that French Catholikes were in this poynt agreeing rather with the Parlament in England then the Church of Rome But God be praised the curtaine is drawne at length which heretofore hath parted the stage from the attyring house and now the spectatours who are as many of our Country as can write and read may seâ— that such as plead the partes of ciuill rich and religious persons are many of them no better then insolent beggarly and lewd companions This worke is performâ—d in this Oration following wherewith I haâ—e thought good to present the courteous Reader composed and prâ—nounâ—ed by that ornament of our age the Cardinal of Peron a man so well knowne to the world for the great childes portion which the father of all good thinges hath allotted out vnto him of incomparable learning prudence and zeale towardes the Catholique Faith It pleased God by his meanes long since to conuert the last King of France from his erroneous beliefe to make the said Cardinall amongst others an Instrument of compounding that busines of the Venetians whereupon the peace of the Church did in some sort depend and now this honour was only wanting to him that he should be the meanes to restore one of the noblest members of the Church for so we may without any vanity to the glory of God esteeme the English Catholikes who with so admirable grace and strength are stil swimming through the bitter waues of persecution to the honour of only suffering for that faith which other Catholike Countries do professe wherof our Aduersaries haue studied so earnestly to depriue vs whilest they say the doctrine conteyned in the Oath of Allegiance is impugned by vs out of singularity or seditious humour and that our next neighbouring Churches of the same Communion would acknowledge and confesse the same But I must not reflect so particulerly vpon the dignity of the Cardinalls person and the extreme obligation which al good English Catholikes haue to him as therby to neglect the setting forth of the aduantaâ—e which our cause hath got by his Oration For although it were not a matter of small importance if it had beene deliuerâ—d by himself but as a priuate man yet it ought to rise to another manner of accoumpt when it appeareth that as the stile thereof was ordered by his eloquence and the sound thereof pronounced by his voyce so also the substance and strength of it did spring euen from the hart roote of the whole Clergy of France represented by those Archbishops and Bishops and other Prelates there assembled and was both ioyfully receaued and clerely auowed by the whole Nobility of France assembled also and represented in lik maÌ„ner Now to the end good Reader that thou mayâ—st runne through with moâ—e facility and be able with more syncerity to discerne of that which is conteyned in the Oration I will make thee acquainted with the occasion therof and premise also some few other thinges whereof perhaps thou art ignoranâ— and which may serue to set thy iudgment straight in that which followeth The Parlaments in France haue no resemblance to ours in England but are certaine sedentary and supreme Courts of Iustice compounded only of Lawyers who iudge without appeale within their seuerall precinctes of Iurisdiction Of these Courtes there are eight in France all independant on of another though the Parlament of Paris haue a Country vnder it of greater extent and by residing in that Citty which is the ordinary habitation of the French Kinges it hath growne to that kind of amâ—ition and vsurpation which some Patriarchs of Constantinople and some Bishops of Rauenna haue been subiect to in different causes but vpon like occasions That which in France doth answere the nature of our English Parlament is the holding of the three Estates Generall the Clergy the Nobility and the Communalty which last is called the Third Estate but it is with this difference amongst others that they sit in three seuerall Chambers whereas the two former of ours sit in one and wheras with vs an Act is not presented to the King vnles the maior part of both our Houses or Chambers do finde it good in France if the maior part of two Chambers do resolue vpon any proposition it is to go vnder the name of all the Three Estates although one of them should dissent therin This supposed I wil proceed to informe thee courteous Reader that the greater number of the deputies of the third Chamber in this last Assembly of the Estates in France did conceaue frame the forme of an Oath which they wished might be ministred in that Kingdome as that which beares the name of Allegiance is in ours whereby the same principall Article is â—biured namely that no French King can be deposed nor his subiects absolued from their obedience by any Pope for any cause whatsoeuer and that the contrary opinion is Hereticall and repugnant to the doctrine of the Scriptures But this difference is found betweene the two Oathes that whereas the English one in one of the clauses seemes to exclude not only the authority of the Church ouer Kinges but euen of the CoÌ„mon wealth also yea though it should be accompanied with that of the Church that of France shooâ—es only at the abnegation of the Churches authority Nor is there a man in that Kingdome who appeares to h ld that Kinges in certaine cases are not subiect to the censure of the Common wealth And as for the Parlament of Paris in particuler who knowes not that diuers of that body haue now helped to animate the Prince of Condé and his complices to take armâ—s against the King and Queene of France vpon the supposall which they make of the ill Gouernment of that Kingdome But howsoeuer thaâ— case standes this Oath was drawne by the Chamber of the Communalty which in France is called the Third Estate and reiected as conteyning false and wicked doctrine by both the Chambers of the Clergy and Nobility and coâ—sequently for the reason that I gaue before by the Estate Generall Some man perhaps amongst oâ—r English aduersaries may obiect that notwithstâ—nding the custome and stile of France doth beare that whatsoeuer is authorized or reprâ—oued by any two of the Chambers doth take the name of all the threâ— yet it makes exceedingâ—y for the credit of our Oath of Allegiance that they of the Third Estate in France which is the greatest member of that body should c nspire in opinion with the Authours of our English Oath though they be of a contrary Religion to the Protestant in other thinges and esteemed the most deuout professours of it in that Kingdome I answere that this argument may looke fayre a far off but with such as know how thinges were carried it will fall out to be of no force at all It is to be vnderstood that this Chamber of the Third Estate was wholy in effect compounded of Lawyers most of them belonging to the Court of Parlament