THE REFORMED POLITICKE That is AN APOLOGIE FOR THE GEnerall cause of Reformation written against the sclaunders of the Pope and the League VVith most profitable aduises for the appeasing of schisme by abolishing superstition and preseruing the state of the Clergie Whereto is adioyned a discourse vpon the death of the Duke of Guise prosecuting the argument of the booke Dedicated to the King by Iohn Fregeuille of Gaut ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Richard Field dwelling in the Blacke Friers 1589. TO THE KING DIuers men finding them selues in like daunger may better iudge each of others case then any one that hath not experimented the like as for example no maÌ„ can better iudge of the charges and expences that a man hath bene at in the pursute of some processe then he that hath bene at the like This doe I say Syr sith there is nothing more daungerous then sclaunder and that no man can better iudge of the peruersnesse thereof then such as haue both tasted and tryed it So it is that the Reformed Princes haue bene sclandered by the Pope vvho hath noted them of heresie and in my opinioÌ„ your Maiestie caÌ„ best iudge of the iniurie done vnto them as hauing in your selfe tried the sharpnesse of the dartes of sclander for your Maiestie haue vvith the like dartes bene atteinted no lesse pernitiously and maliciously then the Reformed Princes coÌ„sidering that the sclander raised vpon your Maiestie vvas both vndirect and secret but the same vvherevvith the Reformed Princes are charged is open Novv is it a plaine case that a secret enemy is more daungerous then an open and so consequently they that haue touched your Maiestie vvith such a sclander bearing you invvard malice are most dauÌ„gerous enemies The sclander vvherevvith the Pope hath charged the Reformed Princes is vvell enough knovven and the aunsvvere thereto togâ—ther vvith their iust defence shall in my opinion be peremptorily enough intreated of in this present Treatise But the sclaunder vvherevvith the Pope doth charge your Maiestie deserueth the laying open because that being both secret and indirect it hath neuerthelesse a more venimous tayle then the tayle of a Scorpion and of the same nature for the vvound can hardly be cured but by the death of the byter If the Pope could haue burdened your Maiestie vvith heresie it is euident that he vvould not haue spared you but your Maiestie haue alvvayes bene so good a Catholick that he could not accuse you of heresie but he must first haue condemned him selfe and therefore seeing that vvay vvould not serue he hath sought out an other for vnder hand he hath spread abroad sundry brutes nevves importing that your Maiestie do fauour hereticks and haue about you those that take part vvith heretickes and these rumors hath he dispersed not onely in France but through all Italie Germanie and other places Novv therfore let your Maiestie iudge vvhat an impressioÌ„ this may leaue in the harts of the people and vvhat a consequence this action dravveth after it your Maiestie may thereby read in the hartes of the Pope the League turning the leafe neuer so little may knovv their driftes togither vvith the consequence of the matter That is that the Pope seeketh first to vveaken the part of the Reformation that it may stand as an 0 in algorisme and next to bring in the Councill of Trent and the Inquisition so to authorise the League euen aboue your Maiestie so as no man may speake amisse of the Pope or the League but he shall sodenly be cast into prison and that once brought to passe the next must be to lay hands vpon your selfe and bury you in some Monasterie I say burie because so you shall dye double in this vvorld and by and by raise speaches according to the impressions afore mentioned that your Maiestie hauing fauored the heretickes are by his holinesse deposed from the crovvne and the Cardinall of Bourbon declared next but vnmeet for succession and therefore that he vvill set vp such a one of the League as shall be at his deuotion this I say vvill he doe if your Maiestie take not the better heede and prouide not in time for it Neither shall he doe any thing that hath not already bene done to your predecessours vvhose estates the Popes haue troubled vvhen there vvas no speach of Reformation but onely vpon mallice that they bare to the priuiledges of the FreÌ„ch Church And also albeit your Maiestie should shake of the Popes yoke yet should you doe nothing but vvhat your predecessours haue sought to do vvitnesse the Pragmaticall Sanction neither shall it be any noueltie in Fraunce The hatred also that the Pope beareth to your Maiestie is the same that he hath continued against your predecessours euen for their priuiledges therefore he vvould vvillingly haue in France such a king as might be his creature so that his driftes are as preiudiciall to the Clergie as pernitious to your person and vvhether they be hurtfull to the people let the present troubles declare For the people had bene at rest had not the League troubled all Fraunce and therefore it is a matter that concerneth all neither is there any other meanes to remedie it but by shaking of the Popes yoke your predecessours haue done it for a smaller matter not in respect of Reformation neither did king Henry the viij in England shake it for Reformation but for his state And this I vvill aduovv that the libertie and puritie of the Councell of Nice vvhich vve doe craue is better for France and the state thereof then the yoke of the Tridentine Councell that the League requireth I call it libertie because in the time of the Nicene Councell there vvas no Popish yoke and puritie for that theÌ„ there vvas no superstitioÌ„s But albeit your Maiestie vvill not come neare to that point yet can you not escape the Popes superstitious practises but by renouncing the Papacie after the example of your predecessours desires and as king Henry the eight of England put in effect not for Reformation but for the state For it is most certaine that the Pope hath no povver to hurt any but his ovvne faction or such as haue any dealing vvith him but to those that haue forsaken him his poyson is spit his povver to hurt is ended and his endeuors are quayled and made of no effect Had king Henry of England still follovved him he vvould either by guile excommunications or croisades haue thundered against him but hauing cast him of the Pope might like a Cerberus vvith his three heades crovvned vvith three crovvnes haue barked at him but byte he could not The like vvill it be vvith all that forsake him vvell he may barke but not byte your Maiestie may knovv vvhat difference there is betvveene the fidelitie of the Reformed and the conspiracies of the League The Reformed vvill dye in your seruice but the Pope by the League seeketh to make your Maiestie odious to your
equall with him selfe I say then that the Ecclesiasticall dignities haue place euen to the highest but not vniuersall which vsurpeth dominion euen ouer kinges yea so farre forth as to dispose of their scepters and crownes and I will proue my saying thus The high Priesthood of Aaron was subiect to the iudgemēt seat of Moses and the kingdome of Iuda Also in the law which God set downe there was no Priesthood aboue the kinges and that by reason of the law sith that vnder the principalitie of Moses there was a high Priesthood therfore it followeth that vnder euery Christian soueraigne principalitie there should be a chief Bishop yet not so as to acknowledge any vniuersall Bishop Sith also that Iesus Christ would not ordeine any to be greatest among the Apostles it followeth that there ought not to be the greatest among the chief And Iesus Christ forbiddeth his Apostles to vsurpe dominion the vniuersall Bishopricke is therfore no lawfull order but a cōfusion engēdred by Babell If any mā will alledge the pretended donation of Constantine the great I aunswere that many impugne it as false besides that a couenant cā not be of any force to abuse or to vse it cōtrary to good maners as the Pope striueth to vphold superstition repugnant to all good maners and true godlinesse yea the ingratitude of the receauer of the donation maketh the donation voyde but the Popes haue practised all ingratitude against the Emperors procuring their subiectes many times to rebell prescribing their Empires working their deathes betraying of them as Fredericke Barbarossa was betrayed to the Turke and treading vpon their throates with such other ingratefull insolencies Againe the Emperour hath no authoritie in Fraunce he can not then giue the Pope any there In Fraunce Constantines authoritie is vnknowen neither doth any man giue that which he hath not nor can transferre any further right then his own But if he beare him selfe vpon the authoritie of Doctors I will alledge one Doctour euen S. Gregory who saith that the first that shall take vpon him to be vniuersall Bishop shall be the forerunner of Antichrist If they alledge the Coūcels I answere that some of them haue improued the Popes authoritie albeit some others assembled by the Popes driftes and practises haue approued it And admit the Councels had without contradiction approued it yet let vs looke whether their Decrees be grounded vpō Gods word for in that case we must obey them as also if they be not contrary to Gods word But Iesus Christ expressely forbiddeth such dominion then may no Councell authorise it For S. Paule saith that he may doe nothing contrary to the truth how then shall the Councels be of force against Christes expresse prohibition Againe in Fraunce the king hath the Ciuill dominion and the Parliamentes haue no dominion but the iurisdictiō likewise in England the Queene hath the dominion and the Bishops the Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction But the authoritie which the Pope vsurpeth is a dominion which exalteth it selfe aboue kinges and therefore by Gods word expresly forbidden Thus hath the Pope no right neither any colour in Gods word neither is there any king or prince by Gods word subiect vnto him no not so much as any chief Bishop that is bound to acknowledge him But all kinges and soueraigne princes may in their kingdomes and principalities establish chief Bishops after the maner and example of England I haue before shewed that the state of the Clergie is no cause of our separation from those whom in Fraunce we call Catholickes and therefore the abuse may be thought to be the cause but it is not for there is no gouernement wherein there may not be abuse but the abuse simply it not sufficient cause of schisme We know that there was neuer any more excellent gouernement then the same which God established yet did the childrē of Hely the high Priest cōmit great abuses defiling the women appointed to watch the tabernacle against the peoples willes and contrary to the custome established in the law chusing such meates as they liked in the Priestes kettles The people cōplained hereof yet made they no schisme as in deede they ought not and now if we were to complaine of the Catholickes but for their simple abuses we should haue no cause to make any schisme well might we haue occasion to cōplaine yet not therefore to separate our selues It may be thought also that ceremonies are the cause of our separation from the Catholickes yet are they not so howbeit I make great difference betweene ceremonies and superstitions for superstition is forbidden by Gods word so are not ceremonies for there be three kindes of simple ceremonies one Legall an other Euangelicall and the third indifferent yet not contrary to the word of God The Legall are abolished as concerning the letter but doe remaine as concerning the spirite cōsidering that their truth is eternall abideth for euer as the word of God The Euangelicall as the Sacraments are necessarie And others there are which be indifferent as not forbiddē by the word of God for the which one should not condemne an other The same are such as are vsed in sundry Reformed places as in Englād Switzerland and els where In which ceremonies the Reformed faithfull ought to haue respect to modestie one to beare with an other according to the rule of S. Paul who saith Let not him that eateth not despise him that eateth and he that eateth let him not reproue him that eateth not that is to say let not one condemne an other True it is that there be foolish and trifling ceremonies as in Baptisme to put the spatle of the Priest into the childes mouth when as sometimes the Priest shall be halfe a lazare halfe rotten and haue rotten teeth or a stincking or corrupt breath which can not but be daungerous for the child and therefore vpon so villanous a custome the father may sometimes take occasion not to cleaue thereto as also there be garments which being worne vpon any signification and for distinction in callinges are ceremonies but if we attribute any vertue vnto them they be superstition The cause thē of our separation cōsisteth not in the state of the Clergie neither in the abuses nor in the ceremonies but in the superstition Superstition do I call all worshipping of false Gods false worshipping of the true God or euery worship contrary to the word of God As for the word superstition it is a Latin word and may be taken diuerslly It may be takē for that which in Latin is called Superstitum parentatio that is to say the suruiuours funerals there hence transferring it to any other false worship or rather super statutū cultum extranea prophana adiectio taking super in stead of praeter or contra which signifieth all worship that is added besides the same which God hath established The Greekes do call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the worshipping
being a double harted person neither hipocrite nor dissembler as be they that suffer the Inquisition to bridle them Wherefore it is a fit meanes to leade the League to a downfall and to conuert the Papacie into a Popedome abolished The Popes purpose in deuising the League was no other but to make a metamorphose of our king euē a more reall metamorphose then the transubstantiation in cōuerting him frō a Hieronimite King into a Charterhouse Mōke sometime king I know the king is a great Catholicke yet thinke I not that he so loueth the Pope his superstitions that therefore he would change his Crowne for a Charterhouse Monkes coule As for the Clergy it is no marueile though they would mainteine their estate for it is a thing naturall neither would the Nobilitie vpon necessitie doe lesse for theirs I will not be a sharper censurer of their estate thē Christ was of the Pharisies But alas how lamentable is the wretchednesse of those that vphold superstition and persecute such as will not obey the same Let them thinke vpon their businesse it is no small matter to become Gods enemie for who soeuer oppresseth the consciences submitting them to a yoke repugnant to Gods word maketh him selfe an enemie to God And truly they might mainteine their estate albeit they abandoned superstition yea and obteine the priuiledge of mariage which at this day is no small matter in France in respect of the numbers of men slaine in the warres and the quantitie of rich enheritrixes left as well widowes as maydens I marueile also what reason they haue to withstand Reformation which conteineth nothing repugnant to their estate neither any thing that is not commodious for them and chose rather to cleaue to the Popes the auncient secret enemies to the kinges of Fraunce and the French Clergie who vpon hatred to the French Clergie haue made a Decree at Rome that there shall neuer be created Pope of the French Nation and that hatred haue they alwayes shewed against the French kinges so oft as oportunitie would serue not in wordes onely but also in deeds But most of all I maruell why the Clergy haue entred the League to make warre at their owne charge against Reformatiō herein hath the Pope played the Clergie as braue a tricke of a Pharisie as euer man did for he hath loaden them with agreat burthen whereto him selfe would not set his finger so farre is he from entering into any charges thereof that he hath euen washed his handes of all In like maner hath he also brought the king of Spaine into great charges about the building vp of this sea monster his nauall armie promising him a million of gold so soone as his power should set foote in England and this million of gold could he well enough wrest from the poore by his Bulles and Pardons but when the king of Spaines Ambassadour came to demaunde this summe his aunswere was that he would not deliuer it before the army had set foot on land so that notwithstanding what soeuer the Ambassadors earnestnes he could obteine nothing for he told him that this money which had bene giuē for the poore ought not so lightly to be parted withal albeit since he could employ part of the same namely 150000. crownes vpon the purchase of a Marquisate for his nephew This is a cunning player at the Bohemiās game yet looketh he not whether he be within or without al is one to him so that he may get but in getting he forgetteth nothing Now in your opinion if he thus mocketh the king of Spaine his eldest sonne and the chief piller of his house what will he doe to these whom he hateth of old will he spare them or hurt him selfe to doe them good And the League is it any better for the Clergie then for him sith the Clergie must rather beare the charges then he No it is more for the Pope for it worketh for the state of the Pope not for the state of the Clergy considering that Reformation cōtrarieth the Popes estate not the Clergies but the Pope is not content with making the Clergie spend their reuenues but withall he forceth them to sell their demaines a matter neuer accustomed before The auncient kings of Iuda in time past did rather sell the vessell of the Lordes house then medle with the Clergie but the Pope had rather make them not onely to consume their reuenues but also to sell temporalties then to employ the Images and superstitious Reliques erected contrary to the word of God so deare vnto him is that that God hateth and so much doth he cōtemne that which God hath ordeined Besides the Clergie may see how being once burthened with these charges the king hauing begun to leauie the tenthes hath since continued the exacting of them In the beginning they thought they should be leuied but for one yeare and so to cease but since they haue bene brought into a custome and thereof it is come that the Clergie conceaued an imagination that this exaction would neuer cease without the rooting out of all seekers of Reformation and thereupon they consented to the League so to get out at once and in the meane time haue sold their demaines and yet must neuerthelesse pay their tenthes all which notwithstanding Reformation is neuer the more rooted out besides that albeit it were rooted out this subsidie would neuerthesse be leuied vnder colour of preseruing the Church from like inconueniences Neither is there any remedy whereby to eschue this consequence but by taking part against the League which doth exact these reuenues that is by declaring them selues seruauntes to the king and enemies to the League and taking to the support of their estate such persons as regard not the Pope who hath layd this burthen vpon them Moreouer I doubt not but the Clergie are faithfull to the King but neuerthelesse the League is a cōspiracie of the Pope against the crowne of Fraunce but all that are of the League are not of the cōspiracie neither do they vnderstand the purpose thereof and the Pope made it not to Reforme the time of Philip the Faire when he caused the kinges owne children to conspire against their father but it is an old practise of the Popes to shuffle the French kinges cardes and to seeke reuenge of the Pragmaticall Sanction as well against the king as against the Clergie but he is glad to take the cause of Reformation for a cloake to the end vnder pretence thereof to doe that which otherwise would be very hard for him to doe But I pray yon what cause haue they to obey a forrein Franciscan Frier rather then some one of the French Clergie For the Pope hath bene a poore Mōkish deuill that hath cast his coate to catch the Papacie and would now gladly vncrowne the king to make him a Monke There be amōg the French Clergy many Princes Lordes and men of accompt whom we might better obey
England next that by her also the state of the Clergie hath bene preserued In Frāce God hath purposed to maintaine the priuileges of the Clergie which are the honor of Fraunce wherein France is bound to Queene Elizabeth for shewing the way how to come to Reformation without endomaging the Clergie albeit the priuileges of the Clergy might be better kept in France then they haue bene in England To blemish the vertue of this Queene some may alleage the Realmes that haue kept their people in peace with the yoke of the Spanish Inquisition wherto I aunswer that the same is a tyrannous yoke of the Pope which can not be but ruinous to those that maintaine it When a man boweth a tree to the earth contrary to nature if it chance to scape it shooteth as farre to the contrarie side and shaketh a long time from side to side before it can finde any rest beside that if in rising it light vpon him that bent it contrary to nature it giueth him such a blow that it casteth him downe and euen so will it happen to those that preserue their peace with the tyrannous yoke of the Inquisition For if a man shal in their countreys proclaime libertie according to Gods lawes against the tyrannous yoke of the Inquisition all the world will come running And this Inquisitiō will breed the ouerthrow of their estate that haue mainteined it for no tyrannie is durable And God especially will reuerse such tyrannie ouer the consciences But the peace which this Princesse hath mainteined is grounded vpon the firme rocke of Gods lawes whereby it is vpholden and I would to God the Queene mother had in her time so sought the peace of Fraunce I would to God our king who loueth the peace of his people could so haue mainteined it in his Realme as the League had neuer come to shuffling of the cardes yea I would to God his Maiestie who loueth quietnesse would harken to such right meanes as should be giuen him to mainteine quietnesse in his land He hath bene made to beleue that by warre he should attaine rest Behold a goodly meanes to come to quietnesse It is an easie matter to marke the time when warre beginneth but it is not so easie to know when it will end Euen this warre hath already continued too long and it is likely to accompany him to the graue to shorten his dayes or to impose vpon him some Monkish life wherein there is more superstition then libertie As for the king of Nauarre sith the Sea League hath encurred shipwracke he is the sooner but not the more to feare for God hath giuen him both courage and valour to defend and mainteine him selfe neither is he the weakest of the Reformed Princes as also his enemies know that at his handes there is nothing to be gotten but stripes the gayne is small and doubtfull but the hazard great and euident It is no great wisedome to begin to flay an Eele at the tayle yet must the League either in duety or in honor proceede sith it hath begun and either by force or furie valour or trecherie prowesse or rage try what it can do against him be it but to shew the tricke of a maister as it lately did in England or to iumpe faire to the ground so to breake the necke therof But God who hath set him on worke and in whom he hath reposed his confidēce shall support him as he is able enough to doe Howbeit in this action my greatest pleasure is that the king of Nauarre hath no enemies but Gods enemies that hate him because he doth mainteine the cause of Gods children yet haue they offered him great offers to giue ouer the cause of Reformation neither can it be but they must needes fall because God whose purposes are cleane contrary to theirs will ouerthrow their purposes and vphold the king of Nauarre who meaneth no other but to doe well There are vnder the Reformation some Magistrates that haue still enioyed not onely their goods but also their offices and the kings pay which so fell out by reason of some Courtiers liuing vnder the Reformation being carefull for their estate and looking for a peace to be concluded were mindefull of them selues and as reason would prouided for their owne affaires euen so had it bene thought vpon might there haue bene such prouision as the Clergie euen vnder the Reformation should haue enioyed their benefites whereby if it had bene so done we should haue had a great part of the Clergie which now doe strengthen the League to haue taken our partes For certainly there were many which detested superstition and would haue banished it had not their state or liuings withholdē them It is a matter hereafter to be looked vnto for had it bene well seene to the Churches would haue encreased where now for these 28. yeares space they haue still diminished howbeit with Gods helpe it is neuer to late and therefore it suffiseth vs we prouide better hereafter The king of Nauarre hath shewed him selfe wiser more discret warie and circumspect then his aduersaries in that he neuer would during the kinges life bring into question the right of succession to the Crowne but still bare and conteined him selfe within the bandes of iust obedience due respect to the king neither euer employed his weapōs to offend but iustly vpon iust cause cōstraint had recourse to thedefensiue armes granted by the law of nature And besides returned as friends such as came against him as enemies sought to ouercome him with strong hand refusing to take any raunsome of them albeit they were able to pay largely wherein he sheweth that he maketh but a pastime of his enemies endeuors like as mē do vse to laugh at the vaine endeuours of litle children who hauing giuen a blow as they thinke very great with their hand yet wet with the nurses milk to a man that doth but smile at their vayne choler doe imagine they haue done some great acte so as if a man start frō them and seeme to weepe it bredeth infinite contentmēt as weening to haue obteined a great victorie Thus may we play with the mighty when they loyter in exercise of childrens pastime Neither ought any man to couet to cōmand but to know how to commaund and to know well how to commaund it is requisite he know how to obey As well in the one as in the other is wisedome and dexteritie necessarie S. Paule teacheth that a Bishop that gouerneth not his familie well can neuer well gouerne the Church By an argument taken of an opposite reason I say that he that can well and discretly gouerne a small gouernement can also well discharge a greater office I sec many that affect great offices but neuer labour to be worthy the same Neuerthelesse the King of Nauarre maketh him selfe so much more worthier the Crowne as he doth lesse affect it by leauing the successe thereof in Gods hand Concerning