Antidote against this moderne poyson For not onely great and learned Captaines as Alexander and Caesar haue attained to the Empires of the world but also Generals of warre haue profitably vsed the Counsell of learned men for to execute great designes To this purpose Pyrrus said hee wanne more Citties by the industry of his Orator Cineas Plutar. in Pyrrhus then hee tooke by force of armes Yea a sillie Scholler following Regilianus profited him to obtaine the Empire by meanes of his declining Rex Regis making allusion to the name of Regilianus Trebel Pollio in Regill for the Souldiers which were in the Campe taking that for good presage proclaimed him Emperour Such men Alphonsus the Phenix of the Spanish Kings vsed calling vnlearned Princes Golden Flecees added that the dumbe were his best Counsellours meaning bookes that flattered not Kings but told them the truth and reprouing the opinion of one of his Predecessors who thought it vnbeseeming a noble and generous minde to haue learning saith It was the voyce of a brute beast rather then a man The want of which register hath caused that the most generous actions of our ancient Gaules haue remained buried in obliuion or haue bene much lessened by the writings of such as enuied their greatnesse For military actions are renowned to posterity according as the penne of hystory hath extolled the same thus are Achilles and Aeneas made famous by Homer and Virgil and Caesar himselfe by his true testimony And contrariwise they that haue had learning for aduersary remaine in opprobry to posterity Thus the iniury that the Vniuersity of the Athenians receiued by the cruel imposition of foureteene children sent to the King of Creta though otherwise he were in such reputation of iustice that antiquity made him a Iudge in the Elizium yet could hee not obtaine against pen and inke weake instruments in apparance Quaesitor Minos vnam mouet but that hee was dishonoured in his bed and his children Icarus and Minotaure the one an example of vanity the other a prodigious monster and himselfe taxed in his person as perishing miserably It is a worke worthy your Maiesty to establish the Kings Colledge the building vp whereof God hath reserued vnto your Maiesty as hee did the building of the Temple to wise Salomon and doubt not my Lord but that there will bee found Regents sufficiently capable honour nourisheth Artes they haue not hitherto appeared because the Muses could not bee heard during the noise of the Trumpet and sound of the Drumme The nurse-children of the Muses shut vp themselues in the caues of Parnassus and come not at the Court vnlesse they bee sent for But my Lord seeing it is a matter of peopling a royall Colledge there should not bee any Doctors not royall or not for the King nor any that haue taken oath of blind vow to any out of the Kingdome for saith the Gospell No man can serue two Maisters And why should the King maintaine at his charge Professours that will corrupt the syncerity of the affections of his subiects by the poyson of the new Canons of which wee haue quoted some By these two meanes euermore profitable for the State the State shall be preserued till it please God to encrease your Maiesty in age and in all sorts of Spirituall and Temporall blessings that you may gouerne the same in person and remoue away the cause of this euill which I hope for by Gods grace so much the more assuredly as your Maiesty is a liuely purtraiture of those great Kings that haue commanded the people of God succeeding as a yong Iosias to a father murthered by the disloyaltie of some of his subiects as a Salomon to triumphing Dauid his father as a Saint Lewis vnder the Regency of his mother God grant that your Maiesty may accomplish the posie of King Lewis the twelth your predecessour Perdam Babylonis nomen That is I will destroy the name of Babylon seeing that they now renew the like attempts as they did then vnder his raigne To the end that as the most high Monarch of heauen and earth would not employ to such a worke the mighty arme of flesh Henry the Great your father no more then hee did that of Dauid whom hee had destinated vnto battels your Maiesty as a Salomon his sonne by the workes of peace may restore the Gallicane Church by the common voyce of which with bended knees hands lifted vp to heauen and heart to God your Maiesty heareth the like blessing as the Queene of Sheba gaue to Salomon 2. Chron. 9.8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which loued thee to set thee on his throne as King to execute iudgement and iustice And let the Prophesy of Nathan in the highest heauen bee ratified in your Maiesty 2. Sam. 7.13.14 I will stablish the throne of his Kingdome for euer I will bee vnto him a father and hee shall bee my sonne Amen Mart. 9.104 Prima tuo gerito pro Ioue bella puer FINIS
40. can nemo causa 9. q. 3. Gal. 2. Act. 11. assembled together or separately who dare not say to him why doest thou whatsoeuer seemeth him good Against the practise of S. Peter who receiued the reproofe of S. Paul rendred a reasoÌ„ to the Church of Ierusalem for that he had Preached the Gospell to the Gentiles Wherefore Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome in the yeare of our Lord sixe hundred and foure compared such a (b) Greg. li. 4. Epist 82. ad Iohan. â—eâ—unatore Pa riarch Constantinopolit Idem lib. 6. c. 194. registro ad Mauritiâ— man to Lucifer who said in the 14 of Esay that hee would mount aboue the starres For saith he what else are the Bishops of the Vniuersall Church thy brethren but starres of heauen before whom thou wouldest preferre thy selfe by a high name to wit Bishop of Biâ—hop what other thing sayest thou but that which Lucifer said I will ascend vp to heauen and will exalt my throne aboue the starres of heauen For this great Gregory knew that which Saint Peter from the Lord IESVS had commanded in his Catholike Epistle 1. Pet. 5. Bee yee subiect one to the other and enioineth Pastors to feed their flocks not as hauing domination ouer the Churches 1. Cor. 14.12 and Saint Paul declareth that the Spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Spirit of the Prophets But these Doctors of nouelty puffe vp the pride of a man and hurt charity saying Can. si Papa dist 40. Let no man presume to reproue him though hee leâ—de infinite companies of soules with him for to suffer eternâ—ll paines with the first slâ—â—e of hell These are the very wordes of the Cannon Because saith Bellarmine Bel. de Pont. l. 4. c. 2. God permitteth not that the Pope should define any thing without reason insomuch that they hold that if the Emp rour the Kings Can. Nemo iudicabit Can. 9. q. 3. the Clergy al the people were together they should not haue the power to iudge such a man 2 The second degree is to set himselfe aboue the CouÌ„cel aboue the clergy in body for seeing God promiseth to be present in the midst of them which are assembled in his name Mat 18.20 Moscon de maiestat milit Eccl. l. 1. c. 1. p. 27 Ioh. Selua li. de Beneficijs part 4. pag. 8. in 28. tract tomo 15. part 1. fol. Iacobatius de Concil lib. 1. art 1. num 36. That man which setteth himselfe aboue this company whereof the holy Ghost is president and moderator exalteth himselfe aboue that which is called God So Mosconius holdeth that the popes opinion must rather bee stucke vnto then to the opinion of all the rest of the world besides contrary thereto And that one may appeale from the Councell to the pope but not from the decree of the pope to the decision of the Councell this is said by Iohannes Selua a Spaniard Baron in paraenet 3 Angels are said to bee of God and his messengers of these same writeth Cardinall Baronius against the Venetians Know yee not that wee shall iudge the Angels Abusing the place which speaketh of all the faithful and not of Church-men onely which faithfull as assistants of the Iudge IESVS shall sit at his right hand in the day of iudgement shall assist at the condemnation which our Sauiour shall pronounce against the wicked and against the euill Angels saying Go yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels 4 The Apostles are also said to bee of God hee which receiueth you receiueth mee Neuerthelesse they exalt this power aboue the Apostles saying that according (a) Cap. pro pasuit 4. li. 3. decreta tit 8. de coÌ„cession praeb gl verbo dispensare c. to the fulnesse of power of right he may dispense aboue the Law yea that hee may dispense (b) Gl. verbo fiat Can. lector 34. dist against the Apostle Item against the Canons of the Apostles (c) Can. Presbyter dist 82. Although saith that Canon according to them same a Priest that is a fornicator ought to bee deposed neuerthelesse not without the authoritie of Syluester Neither can that euasion serue their turne which say that the pope (d) Vide gl cap. authoritatem cau 15. q. 6. dispenseth of the Gospell in interpreting it For first of all who euer heard dispensation called an interpretation of the Text Secondly if it be by way of interpretation why is it rather deferred to the pope then to Sorbonists of Paris who haue better skill then hee But I deny that such interpretation as he giueth by dispensation is lawfull neither yet for the whole Church in body seeing it is God alone that commandeth and the Churches part is to obey to heare the voyce of the Bridegroome and to learne of him in silence and this the Iuris-consults can tell It pertaineth vnto him alone to enterpret the Law which hath the * L. 12. Si Impeâ—tis c. de legibus Si enim in praesenti leges condere soli Imperatori concessum est leges interpretari solodignum Imperio esse oportet Nehem. 8. right to make it The reason is because he that enterpreteth it maketh himselfe aboue the Law for after hee hath giuen his opinion hee will bee followed rather then the Letter which shal no more be enquired after Wherefore Nehemias made the people vnderstand the Scripture not after his owne fantasie but by reading the same that is to say by the Scripture it selfe 5 The Law likewise is of God being written with his owne finger and forbidden to adde to or diminish it as touching the substance and matter neuerthelesse the second commandement is cut off in many Masse-bookes and Popish Psalters Synod Ausburg anno 1548. and that by the decree which the Pope caused to be made in the Synode of Ausburg quite racing out this commandement Thou shalt make thee no grauen image neither any similitude of things that are in heauen aboue c. 6 The Gospell likewise is of God For it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth Rom. 1.16 Neuerthelesse these seducers hold that against (a) Can. Ideo permittente can 25. q. 1. v. glos capitis proposuit de concess praeb tit 8. lib. 3. decret in verbo dispensare the generall Law the Pope may giue priuiledges They also esteeme it a greater crime and they punish him more seuerely that transgresseth the Popes decree in eating flesh without dispensation in time of Lent then if hee were a theife murtherer and adulterer altogether Wherfore these wordes are inserted in the Canon (b) Cap. Honoratus 74. dist not making account of the commandements of God but euen despising our letters And that becausé they make so great estimation of the Canons and doctrines of the Pope that such as dare voluntarily transgresse the same Can. violatores
of nouelty which trouble the present state which transforme thēselues Iesuita omnis homo as the prouerbe is and do that which our Sauiour blameth in the Gospell compasse sea and land to make a proselite these I say are not fit men to instruct our children in the feare of God and seruice of the King The fourth meanes to conuince this new opinion is taken from the practise of the orthodoxall for by such workes we may know the workmen whereby we shall see that no particular faithfull persons haue euer resisted the King otherwise then by patience witnesses of this are the Israelites captiue in Aegypt and the answere and behauiour of the Iewes when Petronius would bring the Emperours Image into their Temple So that Zedechias Eze. 17.16 the last king of the house of Dauid was punished of God for not keeping his oath of a tributarie King As for the example of Constantine against Maxentius it cannot bee drawne into any consequence for it was a fact of one Soueraigne against another Soueraigne And as touching the subalternal Magistrates called the officers of the Crowne though the defensiue right bee grounded on the law of nature constant and vnchangeable yet they neuer came to that point but in case of all extremity So Dauid is said by Abigall 1. Sam. 25.28 that he fought the battels of the Lord hee fortified himselfe with men and armes enquired if the Inhabitants of Keilah would deliuer him to Saul 1. Sam. 23.11 for there can none other thing be gathered there-from but that hee would haue opposed the walles of the Citty against his enemy if hee had bene the stronger in the Citty With like modesty did the Priests behaue themselues towards King Ioram against whom they resisted and shut the gates of Libnah onely for that he would haue forced them commit idolatry for it is written that hee had not onely forsaken the Lord God of his fathers 2. Chron. 21.10.11 but caused the inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit fornication and compelled Iudah thereto Examples far from attempting against the person and state of Kings whose seruants they were the Hebrews in the time of Pharoah the Apostles in the time of Nero the first Christians vnder Iulian the Apostata our Sauiour himselfe the patterne for all the faithfull to imitate was enregistred from the wombe of the holy Virgin payed tribute answered before Pilate and his Apostles before Nero appealed vnto Caesar without shunning the Royall iurisdiction And if it had bene lawfull to attempt against the life of naturall Princes among so many constant Martyrs which haue suffered persecutiō would there not haue bene found some that would haue tryed this meanes for the deliuerance of their brethren Was there not zeale enough in the Apostles to stirre vp their Disciples thereto or eloquence enough in the Euangelists to perswade vnto murders Let then these new Doctors be confounded with shame by the doctrine which euen they teach whom they call Heretikes Art 39. 40. of the confession of the Reformed Churches of France Printed in the end of the booke of the Psalmes who in the midst of fires and massakers haue published their confession in the two last Articles of which are contained these words For this cause he to wit God hath put the sword into the Magistrats hand that he may represse the sinnes committed not onely against the second Table of Gods commandements but also against the first wee must therefore for his sake not onely endure that Superiours rule ouer vs but also honour and esteeme of them in all reuerence holding them for his Liefetenants and Officers to whom he hath giuen in commission to execute a lawfull and an holy function We therefore hold that wee must obey their lawes and statutes pay tributs imposts and other duties and beare the yoke of subiection with a good and free-will although they were Infidels * This condition ought not to be calūniated for it is better to obey God then men as is treated in the next Chapter so that the Soueraigne Empire of God remaine in his entire May it therefore please your Maiesty to iudge that if your Protestant subiects haue beene so firme in their duty towards your Predecessours of whom they haue bene so seuerely entreated that in the midst of torments they haue blessed the King What your Maiesty may expect of them being at this day their Benefactor and Protector and by this degree to acknowledge what your Maiesty is to beleeue concerning their Religion towards their Creator and eternall Redeemer And according to the doctrine of contraries your Maiesty may clerely see that they ingratefull of benefits receiued from the Kings your Predecessors which attempt daily by word writing and by damnable effects against the state person of the Soueraigne armed with such a power as he is that those same without doubt haue before-time enterprised very far against the seruice of their Soueraigne King whose Administrators they haue too longtime bene without rendring account CHAP. II. Wherein the Authority of the Prince consisteth FORASMVCH as in this last age of the world the malice of men is so great that they dispute the cleerest principles bring in new Maximes and call into question things most assured We must deale with them as our Sauiour did with the Pharisies Mat. 19.4.8 to conuince whose errour in matter of diuorce he sendeth them backe to that which was practised in the beginning teaching vs by his example to seeke out the truth in Antiquity and in her originall So doing for the question in hand wee shall finde that God the Creator of heauen earth King of Kings and Lord of Lords Gen. 1. Mat. 28. Apoc. 19. reseruing to himselfe the Empire ouer Spirits for to sound the thoughts dispose the wils and giue law to his creatures hath constituted vnder him a dignity depending of his onely grace which hee hath established on earth for to put in excution his ordinances 1. Tim. 2.2 To the end that wee may lead a peaceable and quiet life in all godlinesse and honesty To the obseruation of which ordinances this Soueraigne power is so much the more obliged for that the Prince sinneth not by transgression onely but also by example whereunto subiects vsually conforme themselues For this cause is he commanded to obserue the Law in these words Deut. 17. Hee shall write for him a Copie of this Law in a booke and after He shall take heed to all the words of this Law and to these statutes for to do them Now this commandement is giuen to the King not as to a priuate person to whom it sufficeth to subiect himselfe to it but as to a king for to reduce others to obedience thereto By vertue whereof he ought to chastise those Ecclesiasticall persons that bee corrupters of true Religion Deut. 13. according as it is written When there shall arise in the midst of thee any Prophet or
Ioh. 6.15 My Kingdome is not of this world they should content themselues with the keyes of heauen without taking by force the keyes of Citties they should auoide it as did our Sauiour Ioh. 18.36 if men would make them Temporall Lords and should not take vpon them a ciuill iurisdiction no more then did our Sauiour who when one said vnto him Luk. 12.13 Maister bid my brother diuide the inheritance with mee answered ô man who made mee a iudge or diuider ouer you Neither yet in criminall matters after his example Ioh. 8.10.11 Woman hath none condemned thee shee said none Lord and IESVS said neither do I condemne thee go and sinne no more So our Sauiour reiected the office of a Temporall Magistrate exercising the charge of a true Spirituall Pastor to inuite sinners to repentance yet without approuing vice But if these men will perswade vs that in processe of time to wit after Constantine the Church should change her course of life and leaue the Ministery to take vpon it command I will stay to beleeue it till they produce some Prophesie of this future change and will beleeue touching this pretended authority that which CHRIST saith of the dwelling places in his fathers house Ioh. 14.2 If it were otherwise I would haue told you And passing further I say that if the Church in her most perfect forme hath had no such superiority we ought to keepe this perfection instituted of God and if heathen Princes haue bene ackowledged three hundred yeares for Superiors of the Church which made a part of their state it were to do iniury to Christian Kings to deferre vnto them lesse honour then the Apostles and the Primitiue Church haue deferred to heathen and Infidell Emperours And the fable of the donation of Constantine serueth to no purpose it being acknowledged false by the most learned Iuris-consults antient and moderne as shall be handled in the ninth Chapter hereafter But though we should agree to them concerning the priuiledges that Princes haue giuen to Church-men Esdras chap. 7. yet we must not thereby conclude that Kings haue lost their authority to reforme the Church and to giue lawes vnto it For seeing it is a case royall to make Lawes in a State ◠placet l. de sacros Eccl. Cas r. li◠6 it pertaineth onely to the King to ordaine them and although hee make them not without taking aduise of the expert in euery Art or Science yet for all that it will not be said that they are statutes or ordinances of the Iuris-consults or Diuines which haue bene called thereunto Whence it followeth that the Kings power is not lessened by the comming of our Sauiour who hath limited the charge of the Apostles and of their lawfull successours to the Preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments as he had appointed Priests vnder the Law for the vnleauened bread perfumigations and sacrifices And indeed the Emperour Iustinian extendeth no farther the Christian Lyturgie and the office of Bishops Nouel 7. c. 11. de Ecclesiast bonis Cuiac tomo 3. pag. 549. Gal. 1.8 in his seuenth Nouel vpō which Doctor Cuias writeth in the same sense Seeing thē that to make Lawes in a State is a case of Soueraignety that neither the King nor an Apostle neither yet an Angell from heauen can adde to or diminish the substance of Gods Lawes but onely the circumstances which respect comelinesse and the execution of them what inconuenience is there that the ordinary authority be interposed in Lawes Ecclesiasticall Seeing also that the Church is within the State made a part of the same and is subiect to the Soueraigne of the whole territorie being in France and England one of the three Estates of the Kingdome whereof the King is head and Superiour as wel of the Clergy as of the Laity Now that it is not lawfull for any whosoeuer hee bee to adde or diminish the substance of the Law or of the Gospell of God here is the prohibition first as touching the Law Deut. 4.2 Yee shall put nothing vnto the word which I command you neither shall yee take ought therefrom that yee may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God c. And in the Prouerbes Pro. 30.6 Adde nothing vnto his words least thou be found a lyar The like is said in the Gospell Though wee Gal. 1.8 or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then wee haue preached vnto you let him be accursed And both of the Law and of the Gospell it is ordeined 1. Cor. 4.6 That yee might learne by vs that no man presume aboue that which is written Reu. 22.18.19 For saith Saint Iohn if any man shall adde c. God shall adde vpon him the plagues written in this booke and if hee diminish c. God shall take away his part out of the booke of life Wherefore Emperours haue maintained them in this possession conformable to their title And beginning in the Constitutions colected in the Code of Iustinian the thirteene first titles are all filled with Lawes for to rule the Church in which first of all the Aduersaries of Royall authority shall obserue De Episcopati audientia that there is one title which attributeth simple audience to Bishops and not iurisdiction for to shew that they haue not any portion of Empire it forbiddeth (a) Lib. 1. Tit. 5. them to reiterate Baptisme to paint or graue on earth the (b) Lib. 1. Tit. 7. image of our Sauiour And in the Nouels the Emperour ordaineth of the punishment of Ecclesiasticall persons (c) Nou. 123. ca. 20. euen by the whip Of the creation and consecration of Byshops That Synods (d) Nou. 123. ca. 10. should bee held euery yeare Forbiddeth to celebrate the mysteries in priuate (e) Nou. 58. houses Item ordaineth that Bishops (f) Nou. 137. c. 6. Nou. 146. vt liceat Hebraeis should speake aloud when they celebrate Baptisme and the Eucharist Ordaineth that the holy Bible should be translated into the vulgar tongue that the people might reade therein their saluation L. Constantinopol 24. C. de sacros Eccles his verbis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea when the Emperour had translated the seate of his Empire to Constantinople although there was then a Byshop of Rome yet he declared that the Church of Constantinople was the Head that is to say the chiefest of all others To this is referred that in Nou. 83. Menna is called Vniuersalis Patriarcha in fauour of whō the Emperours said hee had granted that priuiledge to the Clergy not to bee conuented but before their Bishops that in certaine cases onely Now the cause why the Emperours translated their seate from Rome was because they held but very little in the West parts Gaule and a good part of Germanie were occupied by the Frankes or Frenchmen Spaine by the Sarazines Gothes and Vandales Italy in horrible confusion
si quando de rescrip authority it is permitted to resist the same Whence commeth it that if the Pope or his Legats would legitimate a bastard in the Kingdome of France to the end hee might succeed it is another thing when it is to make the marriage (e) Cap. Tuam de ordin cognit of validitie whence he is issued or in some fashion trouble the royall iustice the obtainer of such legitimation c. (f) Guil. Bened 2. part c. Rainutius vers si absq libertis 2. c. in materia nu 47. Phil. Decius Cons 307. Coll. 2. shall bee amerced the abuse reiected by the Kings Officers So by sentence of the Parliament of Tholouse anno 1400. was pronounced that it had bene ill and abusiuely proceeded by the Popes delegates who had absolued Maister Giles de Bellemere Archidiaconus Micapicen without calling the party the Kings Attorney Now William Benedict saith there are three generall cases in France in which notorious abuse may be commited namely when the Pope and Ecclesiasticall persons attempt against the decrees of the anicient Councels against the Kings statutes or against the liberties of the Gallicane Church Seeing then there is appeale from the Pope who is it can endure him to be a Soueraigne no not in spirituall things Note this for it is the argument wherewith Seneca concludeth that the first Kings of the Romans were not Soueraignes Cic. 2. de repub because there was appeale made from them to the people Thus Horace the murderer of his sister was absolued who had bene condemned by King Tullus Hostilius Therefore this pretended Soueraignety Spirituall and Temporall resteth vaine according to the opinion of Saint Gregory and Saint Bernard the practise of the Gallicane Church For to feede the sheepe is meant after another manner Mat. 18.18 and that deliuering of keyes is not excluding the other Apostles seeing that the same promise was made to all otherwise they could not haue executed their charge and besides Peter could not receiue them but in the name of all Ioh. 20.22 according to the opinion of Saint Augustine written into the Canons Which is conformable to the disposition of the ciuill Law Can. quodcunque 24. q. 1. which saith that the deliuery of a key and of a ring by a father to his eldest daughter bringeth to her no priuiledge aboue her fellow heires but is taken as done in common as well for the rest L. cum pater 79. Sect. pater pluribus delegat 2. which decision is obseruable in the Ciuill Law as likewise that which is written in the Law tenth C. de Incendio which speaketh of certaine fishers of men like vnto him that Cardinall Bellarmine figureth forth against whom are these words Let not Fishermen deceiue Mariners in causing a light to be seene in the night in dangerous places as if it were a safe hauen to the end they might aduantage thēselues by the ship-wracke There is therefore no ground for this power in the Law of God nor in the Law of man for as no Prince giueth any priuiledge against himselfe so neuer any King nor Emperour resigned such a right to the Pope which cannot be alienated It remaineth to speake of the Canon Law De Elect. lib. 1. tit 3. Clem. Ne Romani which cannot derogate from the Law of God as saith the Clementine that the Law of the Superiour cannot bee abrogated by the inferiour Neither can it also derogate from the Law of Kings because it is a writing framed for aduantage of them that wrote it Conc. Agathens sub Alaciaco rege anno 506. can 32. Clericū can 11. q. 1. can 3. ibidem l. in fraudem §. quoties de iure fisci without hearing or calling the party interessed and held for priuate in this consideration are obserued therein many falsifications specially one notable one vpon this subiect for in steed of saying Clericus nullum praesumat as the Councell hath it it is written nullus Clericum changing the prohibition made to the Clergy to prescribe it to the Laity Now hee that produceth false proofes is to loose his cause though otherwise it were a good one Lastly this Canon Law I meane that from which are taken the maximes of the Iesuites vpon this subiect is new and but of late for the ancientest part of it which is the Decree was cōpiled by Gratian in the yeare 1093. the Decretals in the yeare 1211. The Sextus by Boniface the eighth in the yeare 1298. and the Clementines in the yeare 1310. Wherefore iudging well the authors of this new power are not grounded on diuine nor humane Law seeing our Sauiour himselfe witnesseth the Sonne of man came not to be serued Math. 20. but to serue and to giue his life a ransome for many neither on the example of the Apostles 1. Cor. 4.1 whose charge consisted in administration not in cōmanding and who said 1. Pet. 2. Psal 2. 72. Let men esteeme of vs as the Ministers of CHRIST and disposers of the secrets of God These men haue set themselues in place of the Maister are (a) V. gl in verbo non consonam Clem. Ne Romani sponsus vester rector est Christus caput Ecclesiae quae est ipsius corpus Hebr. 7. c. stiled Princes of Bishops and King of Kings Though the true King of Kings be risen againe and liueth for euer hauing no heire nor successour in his offices being eternally both King and Priest and Prophet of the Catholicke Church after the order of Melchizedec The flatterers neuerthelesse will substitute a mortall and sinnefull man in his steed and ascribe vnto him power in heauen and in earth and make him Lord of two swords and Soueraigne of all demeans so that he may confiscate or giue them away whence a blasphemous parasite saith (b) Cap. vnam sanctam extra communiā de maioritate Petr. Bertrandus in gl illius exarauag Our Lord should haue bene vndiscreete if hee had not left a man after him hauing the like power as he had as if such a head could bee seperate from his body and this Bridegroome CHRIST being a iealous God could endure any corriuall or as though such a supposition were not directly contrary to the wordes of our Sauiour Ioh. 16. v. 7. 14. v. 16. 15. v. 26. saying Verily I say vnto you it is expedient for you that I goe my way for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come vnto you For he knew that his presence and the exhortation of his carnall mouth so often reiterated hindred them not from sleeping in the garden or from denying him thrice at the words of a silly maide-seruant But hee knew that his holy Spirit the Moderator of the Church working inwardly and accompanying them after his Ascension would make them confesse the Sauiour in the middest of the most cruell torments Against which
friendship cōbinations practised among mē that is not done with consideration of the ordinance of God is a conspiracy priuate complotment and confederacie and not a legall society nor religious charity 1. Cor. 13.5 which seeketh not her owne particular profite but executeth her effects outwards For there is no vnion neither in faith nor in charity sauing in IESVS CHRIST alone who is the center and perpetuall end of all good to which purpose saith Saint Paul 1. Cor. 10.31 whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer yee do do all to the glory of God And S. Peter recommending subiection towards the Prince referreth it to his vse 1. Pet. 2.13.14 c. Be yee subiect for the Lords sake Now as the morall vertues of the heathen are sinnes before God in as much as they are not done with hauing regard to his commandement which they know not So the contēpt of the King who hath right ouer the subiect by the law of God ariseth onely in the minde of him that contemneth the authour of the Law And by the same reason it necessarily followeth that such a man hath first violated his faith towards God before he faile in the seruice of the King for so long as hee remaineth faithfull in the first Table hee will not passe to the transgression of the second which is not well obserued but in the consideration of the first of which it is a sequele and necessary dependancy Wherefore wee see ordinarily that idolaters do easily rebell yea boldly attempt against the person of their King on the contrarie Religous soules serue them though they bee froward yea Infidels as wee haue noted some examples but after the transgression of the honour due to God the contempt of the King followeth soone after Thus is Samuel comforted by God They haue not cast thee away 1. Sam. 8.7.8 but they haue cast mee away that I should not raigne ouer them And as they haue forsaken mee seruing strange Gods euen so they forsake thee And Zedechias being tributary King before he came to despise the King hardened himselfe against God 2. Chron. 36.12.13 Zedechias did euill in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himselfe for Ieremiah the Prophet speaking in the name of the Lord and also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezar which had caused him to sweare by the name of God Also in another place the Holy Ghost interpreteth rebellion to be an euill as dangerous as to goe to sorcerers and witches Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatry 1. Sam. 15. Thence it commeth that of late some of them that labour to weaken the authority of the King and haue fostered rebellion in this Kingdome of France haue also questioned the Pythonisse woman possessed and examined the Diuell Wherefore wee need not wonder if they that like not the right way directing to Holy Abba Father which art in heauen swerue frō the obedience of our Abimelec that is to say our Father the King which is on earth And as the Iesuites substitute to God our Holy Father another God on earth whom they call Most holy Father and separate IESVS CHRIST from his Body Spouse the Church for to create vnto him a Vicar and Liuetenant generall in all his Kingdomes Bel. lib. 1. de Pontif. cap. 9. etiam Christo secluso So these same Spirits will at this present erect a Monarke aboue Kings which are the fathers and husbands of their people and country to the end they should not enioy their Soueraigneties but so long as they shall please him Thus hauing begunne with disobedience towards God they end with rebellion against the King his Liuetenant on earth Wherefore none will euer defend the Kings rights and prerogatiues as they ought except hee first beginne with the Lawes of God and if hee bee a preuaricator in the first Table he will easiy be perswaded to lay such grounds as ouerthrow the Kings right for hee that granteth the greater will not sticke to giue the lesser This is the cunning deuise Ieroboam vsed who as it is written retained the people to himselfe 1. King 12.26.27 c. and hindred them from returning to the house of Dauid in causing them commit idolatry And for as much as the Article of confession of the reformed Churches aboue rehearsed conteyneth a submission of all the inhabitants of the Kingdome without excepting the Ministers and in as much as the Moderne Clergy-men whē a Priest is cōuerted to their Religion make him renounce among other things that pretēded priuiledge of Clericature Lastly for as much as the honour which we owe vnto the King is for conscience sake Rom. 13. as saith S. Paul and for Gods sake as S. Peter speaketh 1. Pet. 2.13 It followeth that the Cardinall Iesuite maintaineth a formall heresie Bellar. li. 3. recognit de Laicis in making some Christians subiect to the King not for conscience sake but for seruile feare obeying for no other cause but for that they are not the strongest and for feare of punishment not for loue of God For if the conscience be bound by the Law of God to the obedience of the King who is the subiect capable to attempt against the lawes rights or prerogatiues of the King but hee that falsifieth his faith vnto God Of this Saint Iude writing to his beloued of the common saluation saith that certaine men crept in Iud. v. 3.4 which were before of old ordained to this condemnation men without piety turning the grace of God into wantonnes renouncing the onely Dominator IESVS CHRIST our God and Lord. Then he passeth to the second Table affirming that such men breake it in consequence of that former renunciation And likewise these dreamers defile their flesh and despise Gouernment Vers 8. and speake euill of authorities And propoundeth a terrible example for them that curse Soueraigne Princes Yet Michael the Arch-angell when hee stroue and disputed with the Diuell about the body of Moses Vers 9. durst not marke blame him with cursed speaking but said onely the Lord rebuke thee Satan And in the 11. verse speaking of Core that gainesaied Moses with these words Is it a small thing that thou hast brought vs out of a land Num. 16.13 which floweth with milke hony c. except thou make thy selfe Lord and ruler ouer vs pronounceth a woe against such like men For saith hee they perish in following the gainesaying of Core And note that this Core and his fellowes Dathan and Abiram Num. 16.2 and two hundred and fifty were of the principall men of the Synagogue to shew that it is not of late yeares that these Doctors of the Synagogue resist the King and that God hath chastized them Now if this holy Angell of God who had expresse charge to doe that which hee did and being therein thwarted by the Diuel durst not curse him but