and abound with that price wherewith they purchase the Diademe of Eternity Indeed we had rather being mindfull of humane frailty that glory and riches were in the tabernacles of the righteous but when we contemplate your miseries Beloued Sonnes wee put so much confidence in your vertue and Christs defence that we dare congratulate vnto you plenty of triumphs The Church well hoped indeed that the minde of the most potent King who of a Catholique wife wished to beget heires that might rule his Countrey Kingdomes being mollified by the fighes of his Wiues ✚ piety would permit the dowry of royall wedlocke to bee the liberty of faith but now the vowes and counsels of your enemies are feared and whereas the Orthodox religion is crowned with a royall Diadome in that most excellent Queene yet there are not wanting those which dare threaten imprisonments and punishments to our sonnes We belieue there are among you those who desire to carry about in your owne body the mortification of Iesu Christ and would contemne the blandishments of pleasure and titles of ambition in comparison of the butcherie of hangmen and ignominy of bonds yet if any be there who are possessed with a desire of the prosperity of the present Church we desire they should take notice that the Pontifician charity is wonderously sollicitous of their safety No one duty is of vs omitted which may conuert the menacing cloud of the growing tempest into a wished calme of consolation yet if Hell inlarge her mouth and mortall cruelty thirst after the blood of Martyrs yee ought to bee armed with the inuincible buckler of a good resolution and meditate of Heauen in the prison of a Crowne in the Racke of immortality in death Among the British Rockes of their shipwracke religion Christs Crosse hath beene a Planke and hath brought you into the hauen of your desire This Crosse you must imbrace by the vertue whereof the bitternesse of punishments is sweetned Consider beloued Sonnes in what station ye stand and to whose eyes you are made a spectacle the Angelicall Legions do flutter about you which receiue in their golden violls the desires of the faithfull and present them at the sanctnarie of the mercy of the Omnipotent heauen gates being set open Christ not only a beholder but a Rewarder sheweth you the sacred triumphs of your Citizens whom purpled in their owne blood England hath brought into the heauenly assemblies The anxious prayers of the mournefull Church desire of God for you the spirit of charity and fortitude The Counsels of the Apostolique Senate and the prayers of Christendome take care of your safety in so large a theater of heauen and earth what rigour of your constancy what sublimity of a triumphant minde becomes it you to haue in you The Counsels of your Predecessers haue beene in the like ieopardy the lights of the holy Ghost and the Armor of light be your wise Oracles and your actions the examples of fortitude And if violence preceed so farre as it compell you to that permitions and vnlawfull oath of Alleagiance of England remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assembly of the Angels beholding you and let your tongue cleane to your gummes before you cause the authority of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath For that is not all that fidelity be kept vnto the King but that the sacred scepter of the Catholique Church be wrung from the Vicars of God Almighty that which our Predecessor Paul 5. of blessed memory in so graue a deliberation decreed that ought ye altogether to obserue as the Decree of truth Beloued sonnes this Tribute due to the Prince of the Apostles no threates of men or flatteries ought at any time to extort from you they that perswade you otherwise those prophesie vnto you a lying vision and a fraudulent Diuination For sooner ought the sword of the mighty to take away from a Christian man his life tken his faith Yea if an Angell from heauen teach you otherwise then the Apostolique truth let him be accursed We in the meane time will intreate the Father of lights that he suffer not the heart of the English King to bee blinded who shall certainly learne how great credit is to be giuen to the Catholique subiects in those things which you may promise who least they should make themselues liable to periury they had rather breath out their spirit then their voice But that your vertue may be found more precious then gold which is tried in the fire teach that kingdome that there is not such force in the cruelty of enemies that it is able to extinguish the eternall fire of charity in your hearts Pray for them that persecute you humilitie patience concord fasting praier are your weapons which in the cruell conflict ye ought to draw forth that the Palmes of eclestiall triumphs may flourish in your hands For seeing Blessed Peter was forbidden to smite with the sword the cruell assailants of Christ we exhort you hauing the prejent good of the Church before our eies that in the meane time you thinke the thoughts of peace and that yee praie for eternall life euen for the King while he takes away your mortall life So must the soldiers of Christ make warre vnder the banner of the Crosse the mouth of them that speake wicked things shall be confounded seeing yee know not to hate those who torment you But the Lord who is able to turne your sorrow into ioy shall bee at your right hand that ye be not moued and may not forget his Testament wherein he hath be queathed the inheritance of the Kingdome of heauen to his imitatours Let vs imbrace you in the Armes of Apostolique Charitie Beloued sonnes to whom we promise the Fathers patrocinie and most louingly bestow our benediction Giuen at Gome St. Peters vnder the signes of the Fisher May 30. 1626. the third yeare of our Popedome THE BAITING OF THE POPES BVLL ✚ EVer blesse your selfe when you see the Popes Crosse This is the beasts Marke Reuel 13. 17. It vsually stands in the forefront of mischiefe like Mysterie in the Whores forehead Vnder this standard the Beast warreth against the Lambe Without this Marke none may buy or sell as by the Bull of Pope Martine 5. prohibiting Wickliffe and Husse and others of the same faith this liberty of common commerce or trade The like prohibition was in the Bull of Paul the third against K. Henry 8. for shaking off the Popes yoake And Innocent 3. in the Lateran Councill grants a speciall Indulgence to all his Catholiques thus signed with the signe of the Crosse as the speciall badge of difference betweene Romes Catholiques and Heretiques as if no Catholiques that want and doe not avow this marke Also Pope Clement the 6. in his Bull willed that all thus signed should haue power to deliuer two or three friends out of Purgatorie Wonderous feates doth the Pope with this marke no lesse then
rebillion and speakes he of peace Or what peace can all popish doctrine put together giue vnto a poore sinner None at all For either they puffe a man vp with pride or possesse his heart and conscience with fearfull perplexities Peace it giueth none neither in life nor death But passe we by that too The Pope here making mention of Martyrs chaines cannot but put vs in minde of Father Garnet that damned crew Romes Martyrs and so may giue vs not without iust cause strongly to suspect there is some exploit towards which his Holinesse by subtile insinuation animates and armes his sonnes vnto whereby though they should at the worst miscary yet they should merit no lesse then the honour of Martyrs such as father Garnet for abetting the Powder Treason hath attained to in Romes Catologue of holy Martyrs Againe speaking of those that trample the lawes vnder their proude foote heere hee subtilly glanceth at Christian Magistrates to aggrauate their subiects hatred against them as proud violators of the Lawes But what Lawes Gods Lawes or mans Lawes God forbid But it sufficeth if they trample vpon the Popes lawes to expose them to the iust hatred of their people But if the Kingdome of heauen and the Principalities thereof bee promised not to the violaters of all lawes what part then hath the Pope therein who is the arch contemner of all lawes can breake them at his pleasure without checke can dispence euen against the Apostle In a word who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that exlex or lawlesse one Let him make much of his earthly principality for part of those heauenly according to his owne speech according to his owne practice he hath none Which no doubt is the reason that he so labours tooth and naile to haue his heauen here vpon earth turning his Church militant into Triumphant as in that irrefragable decree of Pope Nicholis the 3. verifying to an haire that of the Reuel 18. verse 17. I fit a Queene c. onely militant against Christ and his word against Kings and Princes This is that which he addes But to those that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake And who are they I pray you namely such as suffer for treason and rebillion against their Prince such as seduce the people of the land Noble and base to acknowledge and admit a forraine power aboue their owne Prince as wee shall see further anone To suffer for these nefarious impieties is with his Holinesse of Rome to suffer for righteousnesse sake ô blasphemous mouth ô whores forehead that dares so diabolically and shamefully prophane Christs sacred words Woe be to him that thus calleth euill good and good euill that putteth bitter for sweet and sweete for bitter that turneth the truth of God into a lye putting rebellion for righteousnesse that dare thus make a mocke of sacred Scriptures Call you this Christs Vicar Nay tell me is not this that scarlet coloured Beast full of the names of blasphemy Reuel 17. 3. for to fill vp the measure of this shamelesse blasphemy he goeth on This truth deriued out of the treasures of antiquity into the earth the Apostle considering did not only not cast away his hope but was super abundantly ioyfull in all the tribulations of the faithfull for they which are accompted worthy to suffer reproaches for the name of Iesu those seeme to possesse the bill of exchange of Gods loue and abound with that price wherewith they purchase the diadem of eternity Answer STill the Beast full of names of blasphemie all along He addeth the example of the blessed Apostle in reioycing in his sufferings This truth What truth that to suffer for Treason for rebellion is to suffer for righteousnesse sake surely your Holinesse must either egregiously equivocate meaning by for righteousnesse sake to suffer righteously or iustly for Treason and the like as the penitent Theife confessed on the Crosse or else you goe on most shamelessely to blaspheme But out of what Treasures of antiquitie I pray you it this truth of yours deriued into the earth or when when Terras Astraea reliquit in that age when truth forsooke the earth Rome and went into heauen then succeeded this truth of yours in stead thereof Or when that greate Starre called Wormewoode a true type of your Luciferian Apostacie fell from heauen which so imbittered the waters of the sanctuary that many thousands haue died thereof after which followed a great ecclipse of the heauenly bodies euen to a third part of their light which by degrees at last as in the next chapter for so in that booke is described the graduall growth of the Mysterie of Iniquitie through the smoake of hellish doctrine ascending out of the bottomelesse pit were wholly darkned through your Egiptian Church as we see this day the Sun shining onely in Goshen by the beames of the Gospell then then I say began this Romane Catholique truth to be deriued into the earth from no other treasues of Antiquitie can you deriue it We know what a treasure you haue of Antiquities but wee haue vpon better search espied your Gibeonitish iuggling pretending vnto vs you come from farre with your old shooes torne bottles and mouldie bread Or tell vs out of what Antiquities or Monuments euen among the heathen Grecians or Romans with whose old superstitions notwithstanding idolatries you fully symbolize onely you are more grosse and mad vpon your Idoles then euer were they yea fetch vs if you can some Antiquities out of the Turkish Alcaron that hold this Romane truth that a subiect playing the Rebell and Traytor against his Leige and lawfull King and suffering death for the same did as an holy Martyr suffer for righteousnesse sake No Heathen but abhorreth this cursed truth of Rome Or if ye will needs plead antiquitie for it take it then we yeelde you this truth came from the old serpent who was the first that moued mankinde to rebell against his King in disobeying Gods commandement Here is antiquitie for you But will you hereupon inferre that the punishment of the serpent is for righteousnesse sake yet this antiquity was but in fact the old serpent durst neuer avouch it for a truth but it lay antiquated and buried in the ashes of hell vntill the Pope and his societie of Iesuites of latter times raked it vp againe and with the force of Apostolique power armed with fiery arguments haue perswaded their first blind folded vulgar that this is a truth deriued from the treasures of antiquitie that to suffer as Romane Martyrs do for treason and rebellion is with the Apostles of Christ to suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake But what is their reward for all this suffering yes saith the Pope for they which are accounted worthy to suffer reproches for the name of Iesu Stay A man by this phrase Accounted worthie might take the Pope for a piece of a good Gospeller in the point of Iustification vnto eternall life for
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
the sacred Scripture If an Angell from heauen teach you otherwise let him be anathema This was the Apostles speech to the Galathians rightly applyed The Pope vsurpes the same words but to his most wicked purpose Herein also hee shewes himselfe that great Antichrist who was of old noted to be an egregious falsifier and peruerter of the Scriptures Take one example Origen saith Omnis sermo qui profitetur c. Euery speech that professeth the expositions of the Scriptures and the faith of them and hath not the truth is iustly to be vnderstood to be Antichrist comming in Christs name and saying I am Christ lying and not able to shew the forme of truth in himselfe How truly this is verified of the Pope among infinite other instances of his audacious peruerting of Scripture this one here taken from the Apostle may sufficiently euince But the Oath is preiudiciall to the Catholike faith to what Catholike faith you must vnderstand there is a twofold Catholike faith the one that of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New of Christ and the Apostles and Prophets of the whole Church of God in all ages in all places of the world which is therefore called the Catholike faith because it is vniuersall and this is the onely true and proper Catholike faith There is another faith that hath the name of Catholike but with an addition either expressed or implied to wit the Romane Catholike faith and because Romane Catholike therefore indeede not Catholike no true but a bastard Catholike faith The obiect of this Romane Catholike faith is together with the History of the Scriptures for the mysterie of the Gospell contained therein to euery true beleeuers saluation they exclude from being so much as a partiall obiect of this their faith but in generall onely as an History the Apocryphall Bookes Which Saint Ierome saith are for instruction of manners not for instruction of faith all their Traditions which they call Apostolicall all their Decretales and Extrauagants and aboue all that which is the summe of all the rest the Oracle of the Popes owne breast inerrable and so whatsoeuer his Holinesse either hath taught or shall hereafter teach as he seeth to be most commodious for the present state of the Church all these are the adequate obiect of this Roman-Catholike faith Among which Doctrines Apostolike this is one to denie fidelitie to Kings and Princes when the Pope commandeth This is an Article of the Romane Catholike faith not to be violated vpon paine of damnation So that to take the oath of Allegiance and keepe it as it cannot stand with the safetie of Romane Catholike faith so neither of their owne saluation Why so By the irrefragible decree of Pope Boniface 8. Porrò subesse Romano Pontifici c. Finally to be subiect to the Pontifie or Pope of Rome we declare determine define and pronounce that euery humane creature is bound vpon necessitie of saluation But by what authoritie The glosse giues the reason from the very first word Porrò Porrò id est Certè quia sic est Truely because it is so A most Papall reason for as the Glosse saith sententiam c. that which is no sentence he maketh a sentence iniustice he can make to be iustice yea of nothing something quia in his qua vult et est pro ratione voluntas In those things which he will his will is for a reason Nor ought any to aske him a reason of his doings sic volo sic iubeo is sufficient quia plenitudinem obtinet potestatis because he possesseth plenitude of power nor is he pure homo and if hee shall carrie with himselfe millions of soules into hell there to be punished cum prime Mancipio with the great Diuell of bell yet let none presume to blame or iudge him for it So that though he should deceiue many here in England perswading them that disloyaltie to their Prince that rebellion and treason are Apostolike doctrines and so leade them with himselfe into hell they haue their amends in their owne hands as the Pope hath the Law in his It followeth We in the meane time will entreat the father of lights that hee suffer not the heart of the English King to bee blinded who shall certainly learne how great credit is to be giuen to Catholike subiects in those things which you may promise who lest they should make themselues lyable to periurie they had rather breath out their spirit then their voice Answer How after all these blasphemies against God and his word dare the Pope intreat the Father of lights vpon what confidence vpon what hope to be heard Will the Father of lights heare the prayer of the man of Sinne of the Sonne of Perdition of the great Antichrist the Beast full of blasphemies yea rather as Christ forbad the diuell to confesse him to vsurpe his name to preach of Iesus so we intreat the Pope not to intreat for our King the Lords Annointed hee needeth none of such prayers Hee hath daily thousands of good Christians of his louing and faithfull subiects to entreat the Father of lights for him for his life Crowne Kingdome happinesse which prayers no doubt will preuaile with God to defeat all Romes prayers and plots and practises against our noble King Church and State We know the Popes prayers to be meerely pharisaicall in stead of praying to prey vpon vs vnder the colour of many Pater nosters to deuoure our habitations Against the Popes prayers here our most humble and harty prayers and shall be to the Father of lights in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ that hee will not suffer the heart of our dread Soueraigne to be blinded with Popish bandishments and faire promses that so he may not too dearely buy the certaine knowledge how great credit is to be giuen to Romane-Catholikes in those things which they may promise For note how his holinesse in the very next words bewrayeth how little confidence is to bee giuen to such promises as his Catholike Sonnes may make for saith he least they should make themseles liable to periurie But it is something that the Pope had rather his Catholike Sonnes should by making faire promises hazzard their fidelitie therein then by taking the Oath incurre the danger of periurie Although a good Christian makes conscience as much of his solemne promise as of an oath But it seemeth if his Catholike Sonnes should take the oath the Pope puts them in minde they should thereby expose themselues to periurie so that if they doe but promise fidelitie he teacheth them the very ready way to perfidiousnesse and breach of promise for if an oath cannot preserue them from periurie how shall a promise from breach thereof seeing both periurie and perfidiousnesse grow from the same root of Iesuiticall doctrine Nulla fides seruanda cum hereticis no faith to be kept with heretickes Herein therefore the Pope is to be commended that seeing he
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
this is the holy Ghosts vsuall phrase to say They that shall be accompted worthie of that life not They that shall be worthie thereof But this accompt here mentioned is not according to Gods account but the Popes accompt such as the Pope accompts worthie to suffer reproches for the name of Iesu to wit for his Iesutish doctrines teaching the lawfulnesse of rebellion against Princes For vnder this name of Iesu doth that society of the Iesuites the more easily play the Iudasses as hee did with Haile Master no man easily suspecting that there should bee the least affinity betweene that sweet sauing name of Iesus and the massacring Abaddon or Appollyon But the reward of such is They seeme to possesse onely The Pope dares not say They do possesse it c. for then he should seeme to grant the certainty of saluation if men in this life were in possession of it But he must not ouerthrow that Canon of Trent which dischargeth a sulphurious Anathema against the doctrine of the certaintie of remission of sinnes as an Arch-enemy vndermining the golden mines of his Purgatorie Well what seeme they to haue The bill of exchange of Gods loue and abound with that price wherewith they purchase the Diadem of eternitie Here the Pope fals downe right vpon his doctrine of selfe merits so derogatory from yea so destructory of that most precious and pearlelesse ransome payde for the purchase of those Diadems of glory Although the Church of Rome makes little difference betweene Christs paying of our debts himselfe and his inabling vs our selues to pay them sauing that they choose rather to haue the fingering of the money themselues then to trust to Christ for the payment of it As here the Pope they pretend Gods loue Christs merits but all is to enable them by graces infused their Bill of exchange to merit ex condigno the kingdome of heauen or thereby to purchase the Diadems of eternitie Well But ô yee Pontificians doe you not teach that those graces of yours infused may bee altogether and irreuocably lost if then by the way as you are trauailing to make your purchase and so to take possession of those heauenly diadems yee chance to meete with theeues that robbe you of your treasure and take your purse from you what will become of your purchase then were it not therefore safer for you to follow Christs counsell Lay not vp your treasures on earth where the moth and canker corrupt and where theeues breake through and steale but lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen where it is out of all danger what is this to lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen Is not Christ our treasure Is not he in heauen is not the laying vp of this treasure for our selues in heauen our laying hold on Christ by faith aske the ordinary Glosse In Goelo 1. Omnem spem in calestibus ponite lay vp all your hope in heauen fide gradientes charitatem amplectantes walking by faith imbracing charity or following the Apostles practise 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day Aske Lyra the meaning Depositum meum c. my pledge that is my reward which by faith I haue laid vp to be kept with him against the day of my dissolution when my soule shall be glorified against the day of iudgement when my body shall be made immortall So the ordinary glosse excellently quia potens est Dominus Depositum meum seruare spe c. the Apostle is secure in the hope and magnificence of his Sauiour because what he committeth vnto him is in safety and that which he committeth vnto him is his saluation This was the ancient Catholique doctrin of the Church to trust in Christ wholly for their saluation But now from this ancient faith the present Church of Rome is vtterly fallen trusting her selfe for saluation which being in hir owne custody she confesseth not without iust cause that she may come vtterly to loose it No doubt of that yea they haue altogether shut themselues out of the kingdome of heauen already by this their doctrine of Iustification by their grace infused For betweene faith and justification they make such a separation as they decree in their Trent Councill that though by euery mortall sinne the grace of iustification receiued is lost although faith be not lost calling it a Doctrine of Gods Law which excludeth not onely vnbeleeuers but the faithfull also such as they call their fideles fornicarios adulteros molles masculorum concubitores fures c. out of the kingdome of God This is that doctrine of Romes Apostacy from the faith shutting hir selfe out of Gods kingdome as hauing expressely renounced and abandoned that faith in Christ the onely purchase of our saluation as might more abundantly bee shewed But this may suffice for the present occasion so punctually offered by the Pope in this place and that in his owne expresse words which no doubt were throughly scanned in his Conclaue betweene himselfe and his Cardinalls before they should come to see the light as Paul the fift confessed of the contents of his Breeue sent hither Anno 1607. So that in nothing doth the Pope vary from himselfe but in all points shewes himselfe to be that great Apostate that Antichrist from toppe to toe But to conclude this clawse if Treason if rebellion if disloyaltie of subjects against their Prince whereat the Pope here aimeth be so meritorious as to purchase the Diadems of Eternitie then let no malefactor neuer so notorious feare hell or iudgement so hee can but intile his villanies as committed for the Catholique cause The old heathen Rome had hir Culleus for Parracides but Catholique Rome his Diadems would not this startle and astond the very Indian when he should be told that the Kingdome of heauen is full of such gracelesse vnnaturals as for betraying their lawfull Soueraigne their natiue sweete Countrey for blowing vp the beautie and glory of their Nation yea of the whole world at a blast doe now raigne in heauen wearing eternall Diadems would not he make a solemne vow neuer to come there Nay more would Iesus Christ trow you trust such Parricides and Traytors to come neere his person now in heauen lest with Iudas they should againe betray him and with the Iewes and Romanes kill and crucifie him afresh for how could he be perswaded that such would spare his person in heauen who accounted it the speciall point of their religion to Martyr and massacre him in his members heere on earth or that they would yeeld obedience and reuerence to his Royail Majestie in heauen that stucke not to deface and defile his image imprinted vpon his annointed Vicegerents here below Certainly that heauenly Ierusalem is compassed with higher and stronger wals then to be scaled by such Gyant-like assaylants Lucifer was cast out
your Romane Law-giuer found and father his Lawes vpon his familiar conference with his fained goddesse Egeria Such is your Holy Ghost I quake to repeat the words of your blasphemies And for your Armour of light what is it but Pistols Stellettoes Poysons your vsuall weapons whereby you perpetrate those hellish workes of darknesse which who so putteth not off can neuer put on the Armour of Light Yet notwithstanding all these blasphemies which shall certainly hasten confusion to Babels pride notwithstanding their vaine confidence in many prayers which for all their number want weight yet forasmuch as at this present they set all their Counsels a worke for the bringing to passe of some damnable plot against this Church and State which by all apparant signes so farre as wee may gather from the language of Babell in this Papall Bull wherein his Holinesse is still vp with Constancy and Fortitude animating his sonnes to a sublimitie of a triumphant mind and to be ready to vndergoe imprisonment the racke death whereof for ought that wee can see there is no such occasion giuen to speake but rather the contrary in regard of the great mildnesse vsed towards them and the large libertie they enioy cannot bee any other designe but some strong and sudden Inuasion whereby to subiugate this poore Church and State to Papall thraldome and to the Iberian in plaine English Spanish crueltie this may bee a sufficient warning to awaken vs out of our sweet slumber and to buckle on out Armour to defend our Religion Countrey Liues Libertie the noble England against this proud Antichrist and all his Confederates It followeth ANd if violence proceed so farre as it compell you to that pernicious and vnlawfull Oath of Alleagiance of England remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assemblies of the Angels beholding you and let your tongues cleaue to your gummes before you cause the authoritie of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath For that is not all that fidelitie be kept to the King but that the sacred Scepter of the Catholique Church be wrung from the Vicars of God Almightie that which our predecessor Paul the fifth of blessed memorie in so graue a deliberation decreed that ought yee altogether to obserue as the decree of truth Beloved sonnes this tribute due to the Prince of the Apostles no threats of men or flatteries ought at any time to extort from you they that perswade you otherwise those prophecie to you a lying vision and a fraudulent divination For sooner ought the sword of the mightie to take away from a Christian man his life then his faith Yea if an Angell from Heaven teach you otherwise then the Apostolique truth let him bee accursed Answer Aâ—ter the skirmish all this while at length his Holinesse comes to the maine battell wherein the sinewes of Pontifician strength consists and wherein Antichrist shewes himselfe in his Colours displayed Here he valiantly cuts in sunder the Gordian knot of all ciuill societie not as Peter cutting off onely the eare but the whole head from the body For the summe of this clause is to charge his sonnes by no meanes to suffer the Oath of Allegiance to bee imposed vpon them eyther by flatterie or by force But why should his Holinesse bee so streight laced for the taking of the Oath seeing hee can with a wet finger absolue or dissolue it at his pleasure Henry the third King of England knew this too well when trusting still to the purchase of Papall absolutions hee would not sticke to sweare and seale to solemne couenants made with his Nobles in Parliament which to breake at his pleasure it was but sending to Rome But the case it seemeth standeth now vpon more tickle termes Something is to bee done out of hand which eyther will not admit of the Oath as being a clogge to resolution or admitted cannot tarie for an absolution from Rome as being an impediment to speedy execution But come wee to the words as they lye If violence proceeded so farre as to compell you to that pernitious and vnlawfull Oath of Allegiance of England c. Surely such oathes of fidelitie as must bee extorted from subiects to their lawfull Prince are scarce worthy to bee trusted Slaues and not subiects require such violence Yet indeed if an Oath be pernitious and vnlawfull not violence it selfe should extor it But the Oath of Allegiance of England saith his Holinesse of Rome is pernitious and vnlawfull Pernitious to whom To his Holines vnlawfull By what law by none But his Holinesse owne law When till the Pope broached it was an Oath of fidelitie betweene Subiects and Prince vnlawfull let the Pope show this I say not in the sacred but in any prophane storie yea or in the Turkes Alcoran But it is enough if the Pope saith it But if violence c. Remember that your prayer is heard of the whole assembly of the Angels beholding you Remember Since when Or whence know they this The Pope tels them so But why the Angels Were it not more comfort to bee heard of God then of the whole assembly of the Angels But what if the Angels bee otherwise other where imployed as in remotest parts of heauen or earth farre from the sight of England What if the Popes sonnes doe not pray lowd enough as to be heard of the whole assembly of Angels They had need cry a loud as Elias told the Priests of Baal But least as Elias wee prouoke their Zeale too much to launch their flesh we will passe ouer this only noting againe being occasioned a fresh that this Angell seruice so much esteemed and commended by the Pope to his sonnes is a most infallible marke of that Antichrist and great Apostate from Christ the Head as Col. 2. 18. 19. And let your tongue cleaue to your gummes before c. It was a part of Israels song in Babilon If I remember not thee O Ierusalem let my tongue cleaue to my gummes c. And loe here the King of the spirituall Babilon vsurpes this Scripture and would haue his sonnes conversing in Iury rather to suffer their tongues to cleaue to their gummes then suffer the honour of Babylon of Rome to be impeached Yea but the Pope saith not so but Rather then you cause the authoritie of blessed Peter to bee diminished with that forme of Oath What is this to Babylon Yes For Peter from Babylon writ his Epistles What is this to Rome Yes saith the Pope Peter was now at Rome which he calleth Babylon A sound proofe that Peter was at Rome Rather shall Rome be Babylon then the Pope will want Proofe that Peter was at Rome For else how shall the Pope be Peters successour But admit Peter was at Rome must therefore the Pope bee Peters Successour But Peter was Byshop of Rome To omitt invinsible arguments against it suppose that too Yet the Pope can neuer prooue that Peter was Pope of Rome Great difference
Ecclesiasticall are subordinated to God almighties Lieutenants here on earth as all supreame Magistrates so that in this regard those that are Christs Vicegerents in common as all faithfull Ministers of the Gospell who are Christs Legats or Ambassadors 2. Cor. 5. 28. are for their persons and outward estate subiect to God almighties Lieutenants set ouer them So that if you will confine your selfe to the title of Christs Vicar first as no man is capable of that title as you challenge it so neither can you by vertue thereof shew you haue any such power deriued vpon you from Christ for Christ left or bequeathed no other kinde of power to his Church but such as himselfe as he was the Minister of the Gospell exercised in his Ministers here on earth Now Christ in that dispensation of his exercised no such power or iurisdiction ouer Kings and Princes yea he practised the contrary he submitted himselfe to pay tribute to Caesar yea to be iudged at Caesars barre from which the Pope hath exempted himselfe and Clergie by his papall decrees And was it because Christ wanted power to vindicate and defend himselfe from Caesars power No surely With the breath of his mouth his apprehenders fell backward to the ground Hee had twelue legions of Angels in readinesse to defend him Object But had not Christ as being God soueraigne power ouer Kings and Princes to dispose of their kingdomes and the like if it had pleased him Answ Christ the Mediatour the office whereof he came to execute is to be considered not simply as God but as hee was God-man In that regard the power of his dispensation was limited by his Father that sent and appointed him So that Christ said I came to doe not mine owne will but the will of him that sent me Not that Christs will was contrary to his fathers but subordinate onely as Mediatour to doe that which the father appointed him and no more Christ would not must not goe beyond his Commission receiued of the father Now the Father gaue him no such commission of a temporall iurisdiction no not so much as in small causes When those two brethren came to him intreating him to diuide their inheritance betweene them hee refused saying Who made me a Iudge or a diuider ouer you Hee had no commission in such things from the Father And if not in smaller matters as that was how much lesse ouer Emperours and Kings Obiect But although Christs power was limited during his abode on earth in the state of his humiliation yet after his resurrection hee receiued an absolute and vnlimited power as he saith All power is giuen mee in heauen and earth from this power doth the Pope as Christs Vicar challenge a Supremacie ouer Kings and States to depose dispose c. Answ When Saint Iohn in that vision saw the great where that Beast full of the names of blasphemie hee wondred with great admiration But when wee see this blasphemous Beast not in a vision but with open eyes how can we choose but greatly wonder for this very speech of Christ the Pope assumes as spoken of himselfe and that in as full yea more ample māner then Christ applied it to himselfe For although by this speech Christ declared himselfe to his Disciples and so to his Church to be the Sonne of God consecrated for euer Lord ouer all to the great comfort of his drooping Disciples now at his departure yet herein doth not Christ show any alteration in the dispensation of his Ministery deputed to his Disciples Hee doth not hereby inuest his Ministers with a larger power and commission then himselfe executed in his owne person while hee was with them for what followeth All power is giuen me in heauen and earth go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them c. Hee saith not Goe yee therefore and exercise this power of mine ouer the Kings of the earth and if they will not obey your Ministerie depose them or absolue their people from their allegiance and dispose you of their Kingdomes to whom you will Much lesse said he any such thing to Peter alone Goe Thou therefore and haue thou all power in heauen and earth for thee and for thy successour in the See of Rome No such thing All the power that Christ delegates to his Disciples and that in common men is for their Ministeriall function to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments Herein Peter had but his share with the rest of his fellowes They were ioyned in equall Commission none aboue another much lesse aboue others in any Temporall Iurisdiction To this their function Christ to animate and arme them against all difficulties and discouragements either in regard of their owne infirmities and naturall disabilities or of the worlds malice and might in opposing them hee tels them All power is giuen me in heauen and earth Goe yee therefore c. Feare nothing for I who haue all power giuen me in heauen and earth am with you and will be with you to the end of the world And it is worth the noting that this last charge which Christ now leauing the world and so his Disciples as concerning his bodily presence gaue vnto them hee gaue it in common to them all without putting difference which plainly sheweth that Christ left no Supremacie to Peter ouer the rest of his fellowes as the Pope vsurpeth which otherwise no doubt hee would haue expressed if it had bene such an Article of faith whereupon depended the necessitie of saluation as Pontificians teach Yet for all this the Pope will needes as Christs Vicar challenge these words to himselfe and be an equall sharet with him in them All power is giuen mee in heauen and earth For they say Christ and the Pope haue but one Consistorie and saith Bellarmine Nomina omnia quae in scripture is tribuuntur Christo vnde constat cum esse supra Ecclesiam eadem omnia tribuuntur Pontifici All names which are giuen to Christ in the Scriptures whereby he is declared to bee ouer the Church all those same are attributed to the Pope Thus in the Councell of Latera they called Pope Leo 10. the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah and many other names of Blasphemie which are spoken personally of Christ yea the Pope himselfe saith Boniface 8 That Christ Peter and his Successour are all one head of the same Church And Pope Nicolas 3. goes a little higher Christ saith he hath placed the mysterie of the Apostolike function principally in blessed Peter the chiefe of all the Apostles that from him as from a certaine head he might diffuse his gifts as it were into all the body for taking him into the fellowship of the indiuiduall vnitie the Lord would haue him named that which he himselfe was saying Tues Petrus super hanc Petram c. In a word the Popes triple crowne is to signifie his triple Dominion and iurisdiction in heauen earth and