limit him lawes at their pleasure The French Iesuite sheweth a reason For maiestie saith he is rather seated in the kingdome than in the King Like to Stapleton his glosse People are not ordained for the Prince but the Prince for the people But more finely Reinalds A King is but a creature of mans creation Secondly the Pope To auouch his preeminence these men goe beyond the Moone as first Bozius The Pope the head of the Church hath power in all temporall causes and states This is true saith Bellarmine vnderstood indirectly as it may auaile for the spirituall good In briefe This supremacie of the Pope saith Stapleton is a doctrine to be holden of all Christians vpon paine of damnation and separation from the Church of God We demaund how farre thâ—se pretended powers may extend and hereupon we argue The third Reason Whosoeuer vpon any pretended supremacie whether of Pope or people dâ—e denie the necessarie right of Election or of succession of Protestant Princes are to be holden amongst all Protestants seditious but all popish priests doe vtterly abolish the title of succession in all Protestant Princes by pretended prerogatiue of Pope and people Ergo. The Minor prooued by their positions In Election 1. The Romish Cardinall There is no election whether of King or Emperour of any force if he that is elect such they esteeme all Protestants be excommunicate In Succession Reinalds The right of Kings Christian must depend rather vpon their religion than vpon order of succession and therefore all Christians are bound to cut off all hope least that any such speaking of Protestants may aspire to the Throne Otherwise saith Stapleton what do people else but euen preferre man before God Hereupon doth Simancha conclude that the kingdome of an Heretique departed doth lineally descend vpon his sonne but if the sonne in the race royall be heretical the Catholique Common-weale may chuse a Catholique Prince but if also the kingdome be hereticall then the choice of the King belongeth to the Pope and so the kingdome may be taken by Catholiques And least peraduenture any should consent to the lawfull succession Father Parsons doth pronounce sentence Whosoeuer shall consent to the succession of a Protestant is a most grieuous and damnable sinner Thus farre of the position Now behold their Practise 1. In France Reinalds doth forewarne the French Will ye proclaime Nauarre a Caluinist King of the most Christian kingdome of France What is this else than to aduance a dogge to be soueraigne ouer men Shall Catholiques pray God saue that King whom they may not admit into their houses For suppose saith Father Creswell that hee professe to bring in a more sound religion what is this to the purpose he is bound to defend the Romish faith From France we will returne home where Father Parsons busieth himselfe to disable the title of succession of our most dread Soueraigne King Iames with intent to aduance the Infanta of Spaine thereunto Thus much of Successors now of possessors The fourth Reason When the King is established in his Throne by common consent of the kingdome whosoeuer shall manacle the hands of his subiects detracting all obedience may iustly by order of law be challenged and condemned for a disordered and rebellious person But all popish priests doe dissolue the oath of obedience to all Protestant gouernours Ergo. The Minor proued by Their Positions First one of their Bishops resolueth that As soone as a Christian King becomes hereticall foorthwith people are freed from subiection Secondly their Cardinall As long as the Prince continueth excommunicate the subiect is freed from the oath of subiection By whom are they freed By the Pope saith the Iesuite who vpon iust cause hath power to absolue from oathes both himselfe and all others Sometime the Prince is personallie excommunicate what then Then saith their Lawyer subiects are freed from their allegeance and all his hereticall assistants to be rooted out and their land to be exposed to be possessed of Strangers Catholiques But how if he be not excommunicate by name Yea what though not excommunicate If saith another his heresie be publiquely knowne there needeth no pronunciation of the sentence of excommunication So that saith the Iesuite subiects may lawfully denie him obedience How so For the euidence of the crime saith their whole Schoole doth inferre a sentence of condemnation because as the more common opinion defineth there must wee vnderstand the Pope his will is to haue him excommunicate whom vpon the knowledge of his fault he would excommunicate Say Father Creswell is this true It is certaine and of faith auouched by the vniuersall voice of Schooles Satisfie vs yet in one question more Suppose that the Protestant Prince haue a iust quarrell what then No warre can be lawfully denounced or waged by the Queene being excommunicate by name though otherwise in it selfe it were most iust because her power is vnlawfull Thus farre of the Positions Practise First Pope Gregorie the 7. alias Hildebrand beginneth his Pageant We by Apostolicall authoritie doe absolue al from their oathes which they haue giuen to persons excommunicate And another Gregorie vseth the like tenour We absolue c. in the same case Lastly Pius Quintus their successor in place but superiour in malice We commaund all subiects saith he c. and absolue them from the faith they haue plight with Elizabeth their Queene We haue alreadie vnderstood how they forbid obedience to Kings Now will we examine how they also inforce violence and in this case we argue thus The fifth Reason Whosoeuer suggesteth a doctrine of forcible deposing of Princes from their Thrones are therein manifestly rebellious But all Popish priests defend violent deposing of Kings and Emperours Ergo. Their positions Costerus This power saith he of deposing Kings of their Crownes and Emperours of their dignities in behalfe of the good of the Church was alwaies peculiar to the Pope Who hath no lesse authoritie as Christs Vicar ouer Christians than the hireling hath ouer his beasts So the Pope hath authoritie ouer the Emperor saith Molina because the Emperour is but the Popes minister and is to vse his temporall sword only at his beck But what if Kings will not inthrall themselues to the Popes authoritie It is not lawfull for Christians saith the Cardinall to tolerate anie King who draweth his subiects vnto heresie But subiects ought saith Saunders to endeuour to set vp another in his place Yea they ought saith Creswell to expell him out of his kingdome as the enemie of Christ. An vndoubted doctrine among the learned and agreeable to Apostolicall truth Yea which is more Although the Pope saith Bannes should tolerate an hereticall King yet may the Common-wealth remoue him And yet behold a greater mysterie of this
AN EXACT DISCOVERIE OF ROMISH DOCTRINE IN THE CASE OF CONSPIRACIE AND Rebellion by pregnant obseruations Collected not without direction from our Superiours out of the expresse dogmaticall principles of Popish Priests and Doctors ISAY 29. 9. But stay your selues and wonder they are blinde and make you blinde AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for C. B. and E. W. and are to be sould in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swan 1605. TO THE SEDVCED BRETHREN WHOSOEVER GRACE and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. MArueile not beloued brethren that I salute you in the name of brotherhood whom I acknowledge seduced It pleased our Sauiour to call some Sheepe wheÌ„ as yet they were wandring and his Apostle nameth them Brethren whom hee esteemed bewitched With whom giue me rather leaue to marueile in your behalfe Why are you so easily remoued from the Gospell of Christ and in the earnest desire of your blessed conuersion to expostulate in the same tenour Who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth in whom Iesus Christ was described that is liuely preached among you It is not then any Who who may either preiudice a truth or priuilege an error because if truth then Doe as they say although 〈…〉 be a Pharisie If any other doctrine not receiued from Christ then Hold him â—â—cursed although the Minister be an Angell And seeing brethren it hath pleased almightie God who bringeth light out of darknes and life out of death from this late sinfull attempt as namelesse for vglines as matchlesse for example to draw this inspiration of grace that you through the detestation of their practises are now brought to a suspition of their inchantments I thought it therefore my bounden dutie to discouer vnto you positions and practises of your Priests whereby as with tongues and hands they conspire together in like mischiefe nothing doubting but when you shall perceiue the damnablenes of their doctrine you will Christianlie auoide the danger of their charme Now then let vs beloued ioyntly examine these spirits and not till in the end of this tract take our mutuall farewell A PLAINE DISCOVERIE OF THE REBELLIOVS DOCTRINE OF THE Romish Church PRegnant Obseruations directlie proouing Romish schooles to be Seminaries of Rebellions in all Protestants gouernment and Popish priests as also their adherents to be worthily executed for seditious and traiterous persons proued by many Reasons collected from their owne publique positions and practises The first Reason Their generall Assumption whereupon all their rebellious positions are fâ—unded is this that All Protestants are Heretiques and Excommunicate Now then we may argue first They who by their slanderous doctrine make all Protestants in their common censure Heretiques so odious as vnworthie of any Ciuill or naturall societie must necessarily be iudged Seditious and intolerable amongst the Protestants But the Romish Seminaries and Iesuites doe brand all Protestants with detestable crimes thereby to denie them all ciuill or naturall respects Ergo. The Minor hath two parts Crimes slanderouslie obiected All humane societie detracted both proued The first part proued FIrst a Stranger saith that Protestants beleeue not one Article of the Apostles Greede Our Countriman more strangely Protestants haue no faith no religion no Christ but are meere Infidels The Master of the Seminarie at Rhemes writeth and inâ—ituleth his booke Caluinish-Turcisme and plaine Mahometisme Which booke Deane Gifford doth no lesse impudently than impotently mâ—â—ntaine saying that Caluins doctrine is worse than the Alcoran of the Turkes The Iesuite Possiuinus with the same spirit of blasphemie doth câ—mpile a booke wherein he calleth Protestants doctrines concerning Christ to be meere Atheismes And all to this end that all humane societie with Protestants may be vtterly dissolued The second part prooued as first the societie in Neighbours Neighbours if Heretiques may lawfully be spoyled of their goods by force though it be better to be taken from them by authoritie 2. Jn Parishioners Where the question is concerning paying of Tithes it is resolued Parishioners may lawfully defraude Protestant Ministers of their tithes 3. Jn Debtors and whosoeuer haue any matter of trust committed vnto them Such are not bound to restore that which they haue receiued or to satisfie their Creditors who are Heretiques They are not bound hereunto This is an ancient Decree 4. Jn Seruants Also Keepers of Forts and all other vassals and slaues are freed from the oath of subiection to their Lords 5. Jn VViues Wiues are not bound to render due beneuolence vnto their husbands if heretiques 6. Jn Parents The father must disinherit his sonne if he will be a Protestant 7. Jn Children A Priest returning into England if his father bee a Protestant hee may denie him to bee his father meaning that hee is not such an one as hee ought to acknowledge his father For by the heresie of the father the child is freed from obedience 8. Jn all Kinred Heretikes may not bee termed either Children or Kinred but according to the old law Thy hand must be against them to spill their blood 9. Jn Natiues If any finde his natiue Citie to be most part infected with heresie hee may denie it to be his Countrie Finally by Pope Gregorie his Constitutions By heresie a man is depriued of all his iurisdiction whether naturall ciuill or politique So that the tenour of the oath of the Leaguers in France is this If ever I make marriage vse traffique yeeld aide hold friendship giue credence vnto heretiques or once salute them then let God confound me Shall we call this Religion which dissolueth the dutie of Seruants Subiects Deâ—tâ—s and strangleth the vitall spirits of humane societie and by not acknowledgement of naturall duties of Wedlocke naturall Parents naturall Children naturall Countrie doth bowell vp nature as it were and depriue men of humanitie it selfe O Babylon 〈…〉 this in all particulars were needlesse one kinde may satisfie Practise The Papists in France did libell against Henry the 3. as hereticall a manslayer so likewise against this Henry the 4. calling him a Kitchin-dogge long-bearded Iulian most heathenish Apostate and the very excrement of Satan No lesse was the ranckor of our Cardinall Poole against his Soueraigne Desirous to diuert the Emperors forces from the Paganes and to inforce them vpon Henry the 8. as vpon an enemie more pernicious than the Turke The second Reason Whosoeuer doe professe any Ciuill power soueraigne ouer Kings whether directly or indirectly are to be accompted seditious But all popish priests doe professe a double prerogatiue ouer all Kings Democraticall and Monarchicall namely both of people and Pope both which are proued by the positions First of the People Parsons The Common-wealth hath authoritie to choose a King and to
Monke doth murther his King The best word the Pope affoordeth the murthered is An vnhappie King and one perishing in his sinne The worst he â—oth bestow vpon the murtherer is Religious man And thus in not condemning but rather commending one traitour he hath made vp two Lastly this Henrie a note very materiall was a Papist onely he fauoured the Protestants and especially Prince Nauarre because a Protestant excommunicate By this Pope this was his crime vpon which ensued This fact to paraphrase truly of the Popes words rare for the attempt notable for the wickednes memorable for the shame of the Sect. The eighth Reason Those Snakes that do naturally sting as soone as they get warmth may not be harboured in the bosome of the Common-wealth But all popish priests professe rebellions as soone as they can presume of their strength Ergo c. The Minor proued by Their Positions Bannes maintaineth this as a necessarie parenthesis Subiects before sentence of excommunication if they haue sufficient force may then depose their King This Father Creswell addeth as a warie caution Let subiects take heede saith he that they haue competent strength in such case otherwise it may preiudice the Catholique cause And least any taking an Antidote against their poison should obiect the condition of the Church of Christ primitiue and of the glorious Christians in those times who intended not killing of Kings the enemies of the Gospell but to be willingly killed for the profession of the holy faith marke with what vntemperate morter these men daube vp the consciences of Christians Then saith the French Defence the Christians did only suffer because the Church was not yet perfect and because their enemies were more in number Againe It is commendable to suffer when thou canst not resist Which is the last miserable refuge of their desperate cause Whereunto notwithstanding their grand Cardinall is glad to betake himselfe I answere saith he that Christians in ancient times did not beare armes and seeke to depose Emperours and Kings enemies to the Catholique faith because they wanted power Whereby the now Romish faith doth seeke to make wicked men excuseable By this second conclusion saith Bannes the English Catholikes who now doe not take armes against the Protestants are excused because they want sufficient power Hence we may perceiue that that as long as Protestants liue safe they must acknowledge theÌ„selues beholden to the Popish faction because they haue no power to hurt them otherwise they may heare of theÌ„ before they can see them peraduenture in such manner as to Receiue a terrible blow and yet not know who did them the hurt Yea they must perish for Christian people saith Creswell are bound in conscience and hazard of their soules whensoeuer they can make resistance These are yet positions Now Their Practise In the yeere 1580. when Campion and Parsons came into England they procured a dispensation from the Pope that all Papists in England notwithstanding the excommunication of the Queene might professe a large obedience in all temporall causes but with this addition Rebus sic stantibus The case thus standing that is as the sequell did interprete till you waxe stronger for in the yeere 1588. when the Spanish Armado was a flote when by doubling their strength they might presume of the better then our Countriman Allen doth write an Admonition to the Nobilitie of England making his booke the Popes Nuncio to expound his former parenthesis Though the Pope saith he hath tolerated obedience vnto the Queene in temporall conditions yet now our holy Father Xistus Quintus doth discharge all men of their faith and loyaltie vnto her This is the Popes common guise when he doubteth his faction shall be ouermatched then to inioyne obedience but it is onely in policie to gaine his souldiers a breathing as Clement the late Pope dispensed with the Irish for their fidelitie to the Queene till that he had some confidence of Tyrones successe For then in the 20. of Ianuary the yeere 1601. writ a letter for incouragement Fili dilecte nobilis vir salutem c. My deare sonne all health c. After he calleth the rebellion SacruÌ„ foedus An holy league promising in the way of blessing an happy successe Deus pugnabit pro vobis conteret inimicos suos ante faciem vestram God will fight for you and tread your enemies vnder your feete But he God be thanked prooued a false Prophet The ninth Reason Whosoeuer doth perfidiously either denie or violate with men of diuers religion an oath the most sacred bond that God hath allotted vnto men as the most secure confirmation of all fidelitie with men and end of all contention must necessarily be esteemed of them as a person perfidious and treacherous but Popish priests are guiltie of such perfidie Ergo c. The Minor will appeare in these three 1. In the manner of disallowing 2. Of deluaing 3. Of dissoluing of a necessarie oath From the manner of denying a requisite oath we reason Whatsoeuer seruant being demanded of his master to say or sweare whether if he saw his master assaulted by his professed enemies he would defend or betray him would either dislike the article or deferre his answere he should euidently bewary a treacherous disposition But all Popish priests in like articles concerning loyall subiection to Protestant Kings are in like manner affected Ergo all their other kinde of Haile Master is but to kisse and betray The Minor prooued By their positions and practises When as it is demanded of Priests a necessarie article in ciuill states what if the Pope should authorise the Queenes subiects to rebell or other forraine Princes to inuade her realme whether they would take part with the Queene or her enemies First they dislike this interrogatorie Allen calleth it An vnlawfull vnnaturall intolerable search of mens consciences This kinde of examination which Princes make for preseruation of the liues of themselues and subiects Creswell termeth Vniust and bloody demands And these questions Stapleton nameth Captious questions wicked and full of all impious subtiltie As though Sampson were bound to put his head in Dalilahs lap Nay but their answere sheweth that this interrogatorie was as necessarily inuented as it is wicked impugned For this being an inbred law of Nature to studie for a selfe preseruation these men call iniust and vnnaturall But how sensleslie let the very Heathen iudge Theeues watch to murder doest thou not awake to saue thy selfe Now secondly their delaying When the question is vrged whether if the Pope or any by his appointment should inuade the land which part they would take then they shift footing and some as our Gouernours haue obserued haue answered I wil then take counsell when the case shall happen others I will answere then and not before others I am not yet resolued lastly I shall then doe as
God shall put in my minde As though these maskes were large enough to shadow their faces which their Creswell hath alreadie discouered saying that If by the Popes command the warre should be vndertaken to the end of restoring religion then to answere that he is bound in conscience to hold with the Romish This man speaketh without parables make then but a pretence of religion and farewell all subiection The second point is their deluding of an oath by a new tricke of equiuocation as they vnproperly terme it Others call it reseruation but most fitly we may name it Collusion Their Position in the Maior When any Iudge saith one shall demaund an oath vniustly then may the examinate sweare by an aequiuocation as for example being thus demanded whether didst thou that fact or no he though he did it may answere I did it not vnderstanding secretly in his minde at this time or I did it not meaning to tell it to you or some such like euasion If you desire to know the author it is Cardinall Tollet if his authoritie Vasques the Iesuite sheweth he hath a speciall priuiledge from Pope Gregorie 13. writing thus vnto him We so approue of your singular learning that wee hold it vnmeete that your bookes should be subiected to the censure of others Now their Assumption in this case of our English iustice concerning examination of Priests The Officers of the Queene of England saith Martin cannot challenge answers and oathes iudiciously because an hereticall Queene is no Queene Vpon this sand is builded that which they conclude namely Allen Parsons Gregorie Martin that If a Priest shall vpon suspition chance to be asked either in any Hauen or elswhere concerning his ancient name his countrie kinred or friends he may denie all And againe When a Priest is conuented before a Iudge after the oath taken concerning such questions he may answere by the foresaid aequiuocation because those that aske this oath are not to bee accounted Iudges but Tyrants which point of aequiuocation saith Parsons is not only to be allowed by all Diuines but iudged necessarie also in some cases for auoiding lying and other inconueniences This man we see as if he would driue out Satan by Satan teacheth by lying how a man may auoide a lie Yet this is the generall doctrine of their Schoole more than heathenish for among Pagans this was a decree of conscience Craft in an oath doth not lessen but strengthen periurie Now the practise The practise of this deuice of aequiuocation in Priests hath been found to haue been common of late by experience of Magistrates It may be thought to haue crept out of their S. Francis sleeues For He as Nauar writeth being asked which way the murderer did flie which runne by him putting his hands in his sleeues answered he went not that way meaning thorow his sleeues The third abuse of oathes is in dissoluing them That thâ—ugh they take an oath of allegeance in cases temporall yet their common interpretation is still with respect of their more supreame head During the will of the Pope who say they hath power to free both himselfe and others from the bond of an oath which is their old Glosse saying That the case is so to be interpreted namely Except the Pope shall release him from his oath because in euery oath the authoritie of a Superiour must be excepted Practise Their practise we haue showne in the former reasons we may here adde a more ancient example A Canonist saith a Iesuite did inueigh against Pope Gregorie the 12. who in the time of a great schisme did openly and solemnely sweare that if he were made Pope he would giue it ouer again but being elected hee performed nothing lesse The Canonist doubtlesse wanted not a Canon to condemne this periurie though the Iesuite vpon presumption of iusta causa doth defend it Who also in the same volume holdeth their generall position saying Other mens oathes may be dissolued by the Pope so that when the Pope shall send but his Bull of freeing of our English the bond of their oath will prooue as strong as the knot of a bulrush The tenth Reason Whosoeuer is so possessed with these former seditious positions that ex Officio that is as he is a Romish priest he must professe them such an one is to be iudged a most desperate traitor But al Romish priests as priests professes me and othersome all of those seditious positions Ergo c. The Minor 1. Prooued 2. Confirmed Prooued by an argument of Relation That seeing the authors of this rebellious doctrine are the principall Rabbies of that sect and publiquely authorized with the ordinarie priuiledge of that Church it may not be imagined but the schollers are infected with the leuen of their professors and Doctors aboue named to wit 1 Tollet a late Cardinall whose writings haue this speciall priuiledge by Pope Gregorie the 13. That saith Vasques the Iesuite they may without censure or examination of any be published to the world Now the booke wherein these positions or rather poysons are contained is intituled De instructione Sacerdotum That is The booke of Instructions for Priests 2 Cardinall Bellarmine publique Reader in Rome in his booke intituled Of the Pope of Rome dedicated to Xistus Quintus Pope of Rome and authorised by the same Pope of Rome to no other end but as he confesseth To instruct those schollers whom his Holinesse did send for from beyond the Alpes that is All Scottish Polish Flemmish Danish and English extrauagants 3 Cardinall Allen created of the same Pope Xistus Quintus Anno Dom. 1588. to the like end for in the same yeere when the Spanish Inuasion was intended against England he published his booke intituled An Admonition to the Nobilitie of England as a trumpet of rebellion to take armes against their Soueraigne 4 Molina Diuinitie Reader in the Vniuersitie of Ebor. 5 Gregorie of Valentia Diuinitie Reader in the Vniuersitie of Ingol 6 Doctor Stapleton Diuinity Reader in Louan 7 Dominicus Bannes Diuinitie Reader in the Vniuersitie of Salma another much infected with the same leauen and yet priuiledged in Spaine with these commendations A worke admirable and profitable for all Diuines Dignified also of the Colledge of the Friers called Minors in these tearmes A glorious worke which least it want his deserued obedience this wee challenge in the power of the holy Ghost vnder our formall command without all exceptions in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost Amen We haue also alleaged The Resolution of the Iesuites Colledge of the Vniuersitie of Salamancha in Spaine Anno 1602. as likewise Creswels Philopater printed at Rome Licentia Superiorum By the licence of the Superiours signifying the Iesuites there What shall I neede to mention Reinolds in his Rosaeus a Doctor of Diuinitie and chiefest man in the