their conclusion which is this In the Old Testament the Kings authority was aboue the Priests And therefore they can not prooue the souerainty of the Pope ouer Kings by the state of the Olde Testament Albeit this is infallible yet are not the Romish ashamed to argue from thence both by typicall Analogy and by examples Their Analogie CHAP. II. The second Obiection The Romish Pretence THe Olde Testament was a figure of the New in Christ. And Therefore in the New the Spirituall as Popedome is the Substantiue the Kingdome is but the Adiectiue The Answer In this Obiection there is more childhood than manhood babish Grammar than sound Diuinitie The Olde Testament indeed in his earthly elements was a figure of the spirituall and heauenly but of the truely heauenly the day of that eternall Sabbath and the celestiall Hierusalem the mother citie of the Saints of God And the Argument may be retorted The Argument returned vpon the Romish Christ being King and Priest was shadowed by the types of the Olde Testament but in Christ his kingdome had the preheminence of Priesthood because he is Priest only for vs but he is King ouer vs secondly as Priest he is suppliant to the Father as King he is predominant ouer all powers and principalities equally with the Father Ergo this order inherent in Christ ought to holde as conuenient among Christians An argument Demonstratiue CHAP. III. Obiect 3. from 14. examples The Romish Pretence IN the old Testament we finde Saul deposed by the Prophet Samuel Rehoboam by the Prophet Achia Athalia by Iehoiada the Priest Mattathias lift vp his sword against Antiochus and did remooue him Elias also and Elizeus both Prophets did kill the false Prophets and other Ministers of the King Iudith did kill Holophernes Ahod Aeglon Iabel Sisera Saul was dispossessed of his kingdome by Dauid Ahab by Iehu Amon by the people and the Mâ—ccaâ—ees sought against Kings for defence of Godâ— worship Lâ—stly king Ozias for exercising the Priests office was by the high Priest depriued of his kingdome The Answer to six kinds of these examples Heere we heare of nothing but fighting dispossessing killing of Kings and those chieflie by Priests and Prophets of God in the old Testament propounded to the Prelates of the new to teach them to erect their miters aboue crowns But first our question is of the obedience of Subiects to their lawfull Kings not of forâ—aine inuadors oâ— false vsurpers But Manie examples of the old Testament saith your Doctor we reade of such as haue borne armes and vsed hostilitie against Kings who being not their naturall Princes either did or would inuade their kingdomes to bring them into thraldome Such both by the law of nature and ordinance of God may be resisted And this was the case of Ahod against Aeglon Iabel against Siserâ—… Iudith against Holophernes the Macchabees against Antiochâ—… Therefore our aduersaries haue roaued at a wrong marke for by this your Cunerus confession your 3. example of â—ehoâ—d your 4. of Mattathias your 7. of Iudith your 8. of Ahod your 9. of Iabell and your 13. of Macchabees Who onely resisted vniust inuadors and not naturall kings pertaine nothing to the purpose The Answer to two other examples Secondly we dispute of lawfull examples of deposing kings but behold your 1 Saul was killed of an Amalachite whoÌ„ therfore Dauid commanded to be slaine Your 12 Ammon also was slaine of his owne seruants who were therefore pursued and slaine of the people because of thâ—ir conspiracie against the king Thus your 1. and 12. examples which you propound for your imitation rather shew what you would then what you should be yet so it is that wicked acts are the best examples you can alledge to proportionate your godlesse conclusions The Answer to fiue other examples Thirdly extraordinarie acts can be no presidents for ordinary or generall axioms But your selues cannot deny many of your examples were specially priuiledged functions by Prophets and others extraordinarily and immediately from God appointed to those offices and therefore cannot inferre any ordinarie power of altering States and kingdomes Of this kind was 1. Samuel the Prophet who dissolued the succession of Saul 2. Achia the Prophet who diuided Ieroboam from Rehoboam 5. Elias the Prophet who slew these Baalites and destroyed the messengers of the King 6. Elizeus the Prophet who raised vp Iehu against Ahab and his family and Nathan and Dauid Prophets who preferred Salomon in succession Therefore your 2. 5. 6. examples be satisfied For in them that will holde which Bellarmine acknowledgeth in one Elias To haue beene done by zeale and not by Pontisicall authoritie like that act of Phinâ—es in destroying those fornicators of Israel The last two examples obiected In the 2. Chron. 26. The high Priest deposed Oziah or Vziah from his kingdome And in the 2. Chron. 23. Iehoida the Priest put downe Athalia and commanded her to be slaine The answer to the former example King Ozias was strucke by the hand of God with leprosie and therefore by the law of God might not come into the common societie of men for feare of contagion He was not therefore deposed from his soueraigntie but only as a sicke King disabled and debarred the ordinarie execution A thing so manifest that your owne Doctor calleth this your assertion Most false and contrarie to the direct historie of the Bible and ancient Interpretors because it is manifest saith he that he died a King and his Sonne during his leprosie was only Rector c. It falleth out oftentimes that some Noble-man is ordained Regent to moderate matters during the minoritie of the King is therefore the right and reall King bereaued of his crowne The Answer to the example of 3 Athalia This example is satisfied already only now I will adde a confirmation of that which hath beene said Athalia 2. King 11. put to death all the Kings seed excepting onely Ioash who by good meanes was hidde from her after he was come to age produced and according to his right of succession proclaimed lawfull King commanding Athalia as an vsurper to be slaine So plaine that the fore-cited Doctor doth yeeld vnto it She was deposed saith he for destroying the Princes of the blood royall and vsurping the kingdome Now what maner of disputation call you this when to the defenders of the soueraigntie of lawfull Kings you oppose only the examples of intolerable vsurpers The last Answer to all the former examples in generall Fourthly example without law is as a bodie without a soule for though God be a law to himselfe yet his reuealed commandement is a law to man As Gen. 4. vers 7. His desire shal be subiect vnto
not what spirit you are of for the sonne of man came not to destroy but to saue the world Concluding from the same example negatiuely namely that the Ministers of the Gospel must not heerein imitate Elias The Application of this example and Answer Whom doe you seeke to destroy Protestants whom you call Heretikes but marke 1. these disciples desired to destroie Those Samaritânes namely the false worshippers which had long before forsaken the true religion of God and therefore now disliked Christ Because his face was as though he would goe to Hierusalem that is because of his religion for that he gaue some signification that he meant to goe to the feast at Hierusalem to solemnise the true worship of God according to the lawe Secondly what haue Protestants done They will not admit of our Priests and our high Priest and Vicar of Christ the Pope they doe reiect And these Samaritans in this place Would not receiue Christ 3. What therefore A generall destruction at one terrible blow and these desire to Call for fire to consume these Samaritans 4. Now who are you Men zealous of Gods glory and these for their zeale are Surnamed the Sonnes of thunder 5. To what end doe you breath fire and why are your mouthes so hot In ordine ad Deum euen for the glorie of God aduancement of the church of Christ So these wished fire from heauen namely that it comming by the prayer of Christ immediately from heauen God might be glorified in his Sonne 6. What ground haue you for such an attempt The example of Elias the same example did these Bonarges alledge saying As Elias did Notwithstanding all which Christ answereth you in them saying You know not what spirit you are of adding I am not come to destroie but to saue shewing that there is as much difference betweene a minde so resolued and a true regenerate spirit as is betweene Christ and Elias Law and Gospel destruction and saluation Thus the Sonnes of thunder and our Sonnes of powder being rightly compared there is only this difference They would not haue fire except from Gods owne hand from heauen an argument of their patience these as men desperate will worke it in many barrels in the earth as if it had beene from hell they consult with Christ Master wilt thou that we command you without all command yea against Gods forbid seeke the ruine of a Kingdome The Conclusion from the old Testament Seeing that 1. there was No soueraigntie either of Priests or People ouer Kings we are taught from the example of the people of God as saith your Cunerus With great patience to indure the tyrannie of mortall Kings yea when we haue power to resist And because they be next vnder God in earth in all their iniuries To commende the reuenge vnto God Nay he teacheth Kings an other excellent rule of policie fitting for the preseruation of all States which is He who succeedeth a King violently murdered of any though of a godly zeale yet ought he to reuenge his Predecessors death by the death of the male factors Thus much of the old Testament concerning the law of Subiection wherein we haue many lawes to obey Kings but none to resist We ascend to the new Testament sealed by Christ his death whose speech is true concerning the Ciuill law of the prerogatiue of Kings which he spake of the Morall law of God I come not to destroy the Law but to fulfill the Law CHAP. VI. The former Question disputed according to the state of the new Testament The Romish shewing the state of the question THe Pope hath all absolute and direct power and dominion temporal ouer all Kings Kingdoms of the world Which we prooue by consent of Diuines and Canonists And the Defendors of the contrary to be but meer Polititians Take heed there was a spirit that shewed a synopsis of All the nations of the world to our Sauiour and said All these will I giue thee he was no lawfull Doner but a lying Tempter From whom it may seeme this your doctrine had his stampe For to beleeue your owne Doctor to say that the Pope hath all temporall domimon ouer all the world is nothing else but a flattering of the Pope And False saith your Iesuite as I shall prooue You will not then contend for all the world what say you to all Kings in Christendome He hath ouer these indirectly that is as it may be behoouefull for the Spirituall good power temporall ouer all these By what law Not by Ciuill but Diuine law Well then this would be prooued either by Scripture or by tradition or at least some probable reason Obiections from Scriptures 1. Obiection The Romish pretence Saint Peter when he receiued of Christ the keies of the Kingdome of heauen he also receiued the temporall and ciuill sword and a right of erecting and destroying kingdomes as farre foorth as hee might thinke it behoouefull for the good of soules and to this end ought the Popeto use the ciuill sword This cannot be for By the kâ—ies of the kingdome of heauen as your Victoria determineth is signified a spirituall autoritie different from the ciuill iurisdiction as is prooued by the vse which is remitting and deteining of sinnes which no way can belong to ciuill autoritie Neither can any shew me any one Doctor of but reasonable antiquitie Peto vel ex millibus vnum who by keies vnderstand a ciuill power It were au excellent Art if you could make a sword of a paire of keies and as profound Diuinitie were it to turne spirituall regiment into politike 2. Obiection The Romish pretence Where it is said to Peter Iohâ— 21. Feede my sheepe is vnderstood the power wherby the Pastor may driue away a woolfe such an one is an hereticall Prince from his flocke Againe A Prince is the spirituall sheepe of a Priest but a Priest cannot be called the sonne of a Prince for Priests haue their spirituall Gouernour to whom they are subiect both in spirituall and temporall matters and to no other The Answer It was neuer read heard nor dreamed that Feed my sheep should signifie any temporall feeding as though Princes must be dieted corporally at the Popes discretion this will follow vpon your assertion because the metaphor Feede hath more significant relation to diet then to dominion Againe Scriptures doe often call Princes Pastors as your owne Doctors demonstrate and as plaine it is Kings are called nourcing fathers Es 29. And we will make no question but that Father is a relatiue to a Sonne and therefore a Priest may be a sonne vnto a Prince Lastly your deuice of exemption of Priests is too crude to be easily digested of any reasonable Diuine for as your Victoria saith Priests besides that they are Ministers of the Church they are likewise members of
Highnesse your grace in sparing me did not spare mee one whit but was pleased to call me whereby is signified a ciuill simplicity foole But let not my Lord from his earthly preeminence too hastily disdaine the Priests of God but in his princely wisedome for his cause whose seruants they be so rule ouer them that he denie them not due reuerence Heerein we finde another clause of the forme of our English oath Power ouer all persons euen the Pope himselfe yeelding that which is not due but only to a Superiour rule and requiring that which may be yeelded to an inferiour Reuerence or curteous respect For it is without doubt saith your Bishop Espencaeus that Gregorie did acknowledge a soueraigntie in Emperours ouer Priests We haue not yet passed the period of 600. yeares now therefore CHAP. X. We descend vnto the ages following of foure centuries more which may make vp a complete thousand yeres The Romish Pretence ANcient generall Councels were gathered not without the cost of good and Christian ones Emperours and were made by their consents for in those dâ—ues the Pope did make supplication to the Emperour that by his authority he would gather Synods But after those times all causes were changed because the Pope who is head in spirituall matters cannot be subiect in temporall Who would thinke this man could be a Papist much lesse a Iesuit how much lesse a Cardinall who thus disableth the title of the Pope granting to vs in these words After these times that is after 600. yeres the truth of purer Antiquity challenging Popes to be subiect vnto Christian Emperours And yet who but a Papist would as it were in despite of Antiquity defend the degenerate State saying After those times Popes might not be subiect in temporall matters As if he should haue said Thou gratious fauour of ancient Christian Emperours thou sound iudgement of ancient reuerend Fathers thou deuout subiection of ancient holy Popes in summe thou ancient purity and pure Antiquity adiew But we may not so bastardly reiect the depositum and doctrine of humble subiection which we haue receiued from our Fathers of the first 600. yeares and not so only but which as your Bercklay witnesseth the vniuersall Christian world embraced With common consent for a full thousand yeares Which is further confessed by others in the Chapters following CHAP. XI We further challenge the consent of successiue Antiquity in the currant of more than 1000. yeares after Christ wherein the Papallpretended Iurisdiction ouer Kings hath beene euidently controwled The Romish Pretence WE haue many examples of Emperours deposed by Popes as Leo Fredericke Henry 1. Freder 2. Otho 1. Lewis 3. Lewis 4. Henry 4. who was deposed by Gregory the 7. The Answer This argument The Popes did depose them from their temporall authority Ergo He had authority to depose them will iustifie all Pyrates and theeues in their spoiles all Tyrants in their vsurpations and will impeach this authority of the Pope which you would heereby defend For as your Cardinall doth confesse Many Emperours haue deposed many Popes Therefore from the act done to conclude a right of doing is no good argument Let vs therefore examine the worke by the square and not the square by the worke and by the law of doing trie the lawfulnesse of the thing done And first beyond the antiquity of a thousand yeares granted we find that the first who euer violently deposed an Emperour is the last of them whom you cite for authority of deposing them For I reade and reade saith your Otto Frisingensis and I find that Pope Gregory the 7. called Hildebrand in the yeare 1060. was the first Pope that euer depriued an Emperour of his regiment He was the first Pope saith your bishop Espencaeus who by making a new rent betwixt Kingdome and Popedome did raise force against the Emperiall diademe arming himselfe by his example excited other Popes against Princes excommunicate An act new you see and that it is also naught will appeare by the Actor Pope Greg. the 7. saith your Chronographer was excommunicate of the Bishops of Italy for that he had defamed the Apostolike See by Simony and other Capitall crimes There is an Instance giuen in the Donation of Constantine which proueth the Popes to haue beene notable forgerers The Romish Pretence Boniface Bishop of Rome so saith Carerius writ to Philip King of France to let him vnderstand that Philip ought to acknowledge vnto him both spirituall and temporall subiection and whosoeuer shall thinke otherwise saith Boniface we iudge and declare him an Hereticke The Answer May it be lawfull for vs to aske you by what law this temporall is assumed There is extant the Donation of Constantine saith Sanders sufficiently defended against all Heretickes Then belike this iurisdiction was from man and not from God Not so saith Carerius for it was rather a restitution than a Donation because he did but returne it being a Christian which he had receiued by Tyrannicall vsurpation being an Heathen therefore according to the iudgement of Turrecremata did not now so much giue it as publish it to be due to the Pope What was contained in this schedule There was heerin specified saith your Valla and so is the tenor of the Donation a conueiance of the kingdome of Sicily Naples all Italy France Spaine the Countries of the Germans and Britans and all the Western part of the world This is a goodly gift if it be good but I heare Luther say It is a large lie But you had rather heare your Doctors speake although they may seem partiall because yours The most ancient Historians authors of best credit saith your Canus and such as purposely and most diligently recorded the acts of Constantine and yet make no mention of any such Donation Which Pius the second Pope of Rome did as saith your bishop Balbus proue to be a slatte counterfet So that now your Popes temporall hold should be forfetted because it doth appeare that your Pastor in this challenge is a meere imposter The Donation is called palea and therefore as light chaffe I passe this ouer What is your next claime CHAP. XII Popish Arguments from Reason The first wherein they failing to prooue the temporall dominion of the Pope by succession endeuour to prooue it from successe The Romish Pretence THe Popes of Rome haue long since got not only possession but also dominion of the city of Rome a matter to be wondred at to see how after that the Emperours had many times sought to root out the Popes of Rome by force the Popes haue contrarily remoued the Emperours out of Rome the chiefe towne of their Empire and the property of Caesars pallaces and the city of Rome is without force come vnto the Pope This saith Sanders is the singer of God This saith Bellarmine is Gods prouidence The Answer As though
to his Religion yet not long after they pronounced iudgment of death vpon him But King Francis fell extremely sicke and in his sicknesse made a solemne vow to all Saints in Pieardie that if it pleased them to help him he wold wholy purge his Realme of meaning Protestants all those heretikes And thus all Protestants were freed then from this designe the Saints of Piccardie belike were of your mind Protestants are no heretikes The second Instance of The moderate Answerer They raised such rebellions and civill warres against Charles the ninth wherein the King of Nauarre and Duke Nyuers with others were slaine The Reply I reade the storie in our foresaid Historicall collection of memorable accidents in France and others and I can find onely this thing memorable concerning this point that The King was then in his minoritie and the Queene Mother was regent who yeelded too much vnto the Guizes faction who persecuted the Prince of Condie and sought the destruction of all the bloud royall at length Duke Nyuers with King Nauarre in the warre against his brother at the siege of Roane are wounded and slaine See the cause of the Prince of Condie his defence In lan 1â— anno 1562 was made an Edict whereby permission was granted to them of the Religion to assemble without the townes and order was taken that either part Protestants and Catholikes might liue in quietnesse and peace with each other But a while after the Constable did deface all places of their assemblies and those of the Religion were cruelly handled This was the first beginning of the horrible troubles in France But were Protestants after this rebellious In those of Languidoch the King did pardon whatsoeuer they had done in their iust defence holding them for good subiects What was then the cause why the Prince of Condie and the Admirall did beare armes They vnderstanding that 6000. Switzers were now entred into France with intent to execute violence vpon them of the Religion they betake themselues vnto the King from whom they receiued no fauourable answer therefore they did flie for defence against those Switzers not suffering their throates to be cut by theeues After this was there concluded a peace the Prince of Condie doth lay downe his armes his aduersaries were contented onely to promise to do the like alledging that there is no faith to be held with heretikes Shewing themselues herein false and not onely faithlesse for you know Protestants are no heretikes The third Instance of The moderate Answerer The Duke of Guize was trecherously murdered by Pultrotus for that fact suborned by Beza and the Protestant Admirall The Reply The storie is that The Duke of Guize had appointed a day to take Orleance wherein he would not spare any man woman or child whomsoeuer and after he had kept his Shrouetide there he would spoile and destroy the towne Pultrot riding vpon a Spanish Ginnet shot the Duke with a Pistoll and slue him after was taken and tormented with hot tongs to make him confesse and then torne in peeces by force of horses Let vs leaue him if you will iustly executed by them come to the other vniustly slaundered by you for It was euidently knowne at his execution that Pultrot did it of his owne motion and particular intent thereby to free France and especially Orleance froÌ„ the violence of the Duke of Guize To this first Historian agreeth the second The King after he had examined the Admiral to â—ether with his Councel did acquit him of suspision and imposed perpetuall silence to all not to speake of it You therefore though no subiect might haue bene taught silence especially seeing that the confederates of the Religion among whom was Theodore Beza did condemne this fact of Pulirot as rash and directly contrary to the commaundement of God who will herein condemning all such desperate examples inspired onely with a diuellish motion that euery crime and offence shal receiue punishment according to the institution politike and forme of gouernment established in euery state at the discretion of the Magistrate The moderate Answerer Such were the miserable murders and calamities which they brought to that distressed kingdome that in the two first ciâ—… wars and rebellions aboue an hundred thousand were slaine as Gaspar Collen witnesseth The Reply It is not vnlikely but an hundred thousand were slaine but it is as probable that a thousand for an hundred of them were Protestants persecuted for their Religion who alwayes lay open to Popish trecheries as is plaine by the barbarous massacre wherein as testifieth your owne author there was slaine twentie thousand Protestants in lesse then one moneth by the furie of the Catholikes What could there be in the Protestant was it rebellion No but only constancy in Religion then persecuted by the malignant But what kind of motion might this be in those Catholikes which egged them on to this butcherie whether was it zeale or fury Christian iustice or Antichristian malice The Catholikes not content saith your Author to liue alwayes assured hauing the autoritie of the State for them aspired with a burning desire to bring to passe that which they had a long time plotted against their enemies But let vs leaue this Gâ—lgotha for so you made France by your monstrous massacres as then a place of dead mens sculs Whither shal your next voyage be CHAP. VII The Instances of the moderate Answerer in Heluetia The first The moderate Answerer LEt vs come to Heluetia and especially Geneua the Mother-Church of the Reformed M. Caluine the supreme head of thereformed there hath told vs before that Princes not agreeing with vs in Religion are to be spitted vpon rather then obeyed they are not to be numbred among men they are to be bereaued of all authoritie The Reply What absolutely depriued of all authoritie Proue this and I will as absolutely denie all his doctrinall authoritie whom by reading of your most learned Iesuites as Maldonate Ribera Pererius Salmeron Tollet and such others and conferring their expositions with Caluins I dare boldly affirme him to be of that excelleÌ„t iudgment that these your greatest Rabbies for their best expositions light their candles at Caluins to arch But to the point Caluin doth consider in the person of a wicked King two situations one as he sitteth vnder God the other when he exalteth himselfe to sit aboue God when he commandeth as a substitute and subordinate God hath commanded vs to obey man but when he commandeth contra Deum against God saith * Caluine he vsurpeth Gods throne and herein he looseth his royaltie which is to be obeyed A matter so reasonable that in the behalf of God the A postles in like case are content to appeale herein to the iudgement of his aduersary man Whether it be better to obey God or man iudge you To explane this by example If a Iustice of peace shall command
VIII Instance in Burgundie The moderate Answerer IN Burgundie a like assembly and conuentiâ—le was kept at Cabillion therein was decreed that three worâ—… to be taken out of the world first the Church of Rome secondly â—…le â—…es of auncient houses and thirdly all ciuill policie and gouernment The Reply Were euer any Protestants so fantasticall who were the authors of that decree nay who was your author witnessing that there was any such decree You expresse neither We may not maruell if through the wearinesse of your so long trauell into many countries you fell at length a sleepe and dreamed this idle dreame of three wormes so I had rather thinke then that you dreamed it waking for then should you find a fourth worme worse then all those three euen the worme of conscience which gnaweth euery lying soule The like may I answer for your imagined rebellions In Denmark but that you haue for your witnesse your owne Peter Frarer you might say Frater for who so shall reade his idle pamphlet shall easily perceiue that his inke wherewith he writ was of that coâ—…ound which the Iewes offered our Sauiour vineger and gall There is an established Church of Protestants in Sueueland doe you see no beakons of â—iâ—e there which might portend rebellions CHAP. IX Sweueland obiected by The moderate Answerer FOr Sueueland the Protestants themselues giâ—e also testimonie that the Catholike King thereof was enforced by his rebellious Gospellers to make himselfe a subiect vnto their designements and condescend that no Catholike should beare office in that Kingdome as is witnessed by Cytraeus Chron. Anno 1593. 1594. The Reply The Storie is long but the summe is short that the whole State of Sueueland required that according to the former Parliament of their Kingdome the King should sweare to defend them in their former liberties and especially the fruition of the Religion then professed Doth your Protestant witnesse call them Rebellious Gospellers It was the demaund of an whole State for defence of their countrie priuiledge can any Papist call this rebellious You will be as loth to confesse this as you are prone to forge the other Let vs trauell homeward againe and end there where you began CHAP. X. In the Imperiall State of Germanie particularly obiecting Luther Muntzer The moderate Answerer his first instance against Luther MArtin Luther the prime Protestant of that time said he cared not for Kings so careles he is in this case that he telleth that it is the nature of the Gospel to raise wars seditions that among Christians there is no Magistrate no Superior that it is a thing to be obtained by prayers that countrimen obey not their Princes No lawe or syllable of lawe can be imposed vpon Christians neither by men or Angels there is no hope of remedie except all humane lawes be taken away The Reply Here is your common Linsi-woolsie mixture of truth and falshood but as you would haue vs to confesse a truth so be you willing to acknowledge your Error The truth Luther professed that he did not care for Kings true but in that comparatiue sence which he had learned of our Lord Christ You shall be called before Kings and Rulers for my name sake but feare not man who can kill the bodie but feare God who is able after the bodie is dead to take the soule and cast it into hell fire I say feare him Secondly Luther telleth that it is the nature of the Gospell to raise warres and seditions And doth not the Gospell it selfe tell vs the same likewise Behold I came not to send peace into the world for I will set the father against the sonne and the daughter against the mother c. You cannot be ignorant of the difference of a cause and an occasion a thing considered properly in his owne nature and vnproperly by externall accident Do I shutting the doore breake it because the theefe would not haue broken it except it had bene shut saith Saint Augustine So Luther Because the Gospell is preached the professors thereof are persecuted with the sword is therefore the innocent professor cause of the persecution no but onely an occasion Christ who is in his owne nature * Petra salutis a rocke of saluation to the elect to the reprobate is called a Stone of offence because the godly are by faith edified to life and the wicked by the malice of their hart do spurne against Christ stumble and perish through vnbeleefe The Gospell likewise hath a double sauor vitall and mortall being The sauor of life vnto life to the sanctified by Gods spirit and the sauor of death vnto death to the irrepentant and vnregenerate So then the Gospell is no otherwise seditious then the sweet flower is venimous froÌ„ this the Spider sucketh sweetnesse but through the fierie malignitie changeth it to peyson so that obstinate hearing of grace peace and saluation by his naturall malice resisteth grace with contempt peace with warre and eternall saluation by working bodily destruction The falshood to affirme that Luther did abandon all Magistracie and abhorre all humane lawes is first false for then I should maruell in what commonwealth the doctrine of Luther couldâ—… long breath Secondly false for Luther defendeth Magistracie in his publike bookes Thirdly thrice false for Luther also condemneth the Romish for their contempt of Magistrates His doctrine Though some thinke gouernement of man ouer man to be a tyrannous vsurpation because all men are naturally of like condition yet we that haue the word of God must oppose to this delusion the commandement and ordinance of God who hath put a sword into the hand of the Magistrate whome therefore the Apostle calleth Gods Minister His taxation of the Romish I grieue and blush and grone roses how scornefully our Emperors and Princes of Germanie are abused whom the Pope leadeth and handleth like brute beasts both for spotle and slaughter at his pleasure This Poperie is liuely described by Saint Peter saying that in the latter times Some should despise Rulers by Rulers signifying secular Princes Now the Popish Clergie by their owne authoritie haue exempted themselues from performance of tributes to Princes And the Pope is so farre from acknowledging the Soueraigntie of Princes ouer him that he will scarce admit them sauing your presence to kisse his shâ—oe How like you this doctrine of Luther If well then must you free him from rebellious conceit for he defendeth subiection to Princes if ill then you condemne your self for he renounceth Popish Hierarchie as a rebellious tyrannie The moderate Answerer His second instance against Luther He censured King Henry the eight of England the Princes of the Imperiall Orders the Princes of Germanie to be vnworthie either of obedience from Subiects or life in themselues and giuing the same doome of his naturall Soueraigne George of Saxonie nameth him the Calamitie of his countrie and Tyrant so he
Carerius your most importunate and most impudent magnifier of Papall authority that excepting your Bozius we can reade of This Carerius reasoneth thus The Donation of Constantine to the Pope whereby the possession of all the kingdoms in Europe were bestowed vpon the Pope was either true or false if true then the Princes of the West parts hold their thrones by the Popes authority if false then had Pope Zachary no authority to confirm K. Pepin of France nor Leo the third to constitute Emperor Charles the great c. This your Doctor giueth vs this antecedent proposition If the pretended Donation of Constantine to the Pope be counterset then hath not the Pope authority to dispose of these Kingdomes But That pretended donation by your owne confeâ—sion is fabulous so false is it as this is certaine That no Pope was possessed of the dominion of the city of Rome till the yeare of our Lord 1400. Insomuch that Bellarmine can find no title of the Pope till the yeare 755. To the Dukedome of Rauenna The fourth from a necessary consequent strengthened by the authority of S. Bernard who writeth vnto Eugenius the Pope concerning this very point His argument is The successour of S. Peter cannot challenge anie authority as descending from Peter which Peter had not in himselfe But Peter had not this temporall Ergo for Eugenius did not challenge it directy essentiall to the Popedome the Pope by S. Bernards iudgement may not assume any such authority either directly or indirectly We may conclude that both direct scripture torreÌ„t of Fathers and euidence of reasons do all confute this Papall Vsurpation ouer Kings as a challenge meerely ambitious fraudulent and rebellious Come you therefore out of Babylon in this point with holy Bernard and put vpon you his Christian resolution for writing to king Lewis who was A wicked man saith your Barclay multiplying most heinous crimes both against God and man yet against the suggestions of the rebellious spirits of those times thus doth S. Bernard determine for himselfe Though all the world saith he should conspire against me to moue me to practise any conspiracy against the Maiesty of the King I would feare God and not willinglie offend the King ordained of God for I cannot be ignorant of that which is written If any resisteth the power he resisteth the ordinance of God and purchaseth to himselfe damnation c. Mark S. Bernard maketh this necessity of subiection an article of Christian morality necessarily to be defended vpon danger of damnation relying vpoÌ„ a canon what Papall of Si quis nostris mandatis c. no but Apostolicall Si quis If any resist regall powers he resisteth the ordinance of God purchaseth damnation Whereby you are taught neuer to delude your soules in any such mischiefes by presumption of your good intent as for the Catholicke cause or in ordine ad Deum for that can neuer cary an order to God which is against the ordinance of God Who gratiously sanctifie you with that Feare of God which worketh Honour to your King and glorie through patience to our Christian faith The second Member of this Third part Which is a Confutation of the wicked doctrine of Aequiuocation CHAP. I. I Am now to encounter this new-bred Hydra and vglie Monster which lurked a while in the inuisible practise of the Aequiâ—ocating sect but at length being discouered is now by the Arch-priest drawen into publicke by a solemne Approbation as it were a golden chaine that it might heereby appeare lesse monstrous The Priuilege of this Treatise of Aequiuocation by their Arch-priest THis Treatise is very learned godly and Catholike wherein doubtlesse the Authour doth confirme the equity of Aequiuocation by euidence of Scriptures Fathers Doctors School-Diuines Canonists and soundest reasons A workâ— worthy to be published in print for the comfort of all afflicted Catholiks and instruction of the godly Thus do I iudge George Blackwell Arch-Priest of England and the Apostolicall Protonotarie All this is very semblable for who could be more fit to commend this Aequiuocation a piece of blacke art than Blackewell Who can be more willing to autorize this Aequiuocation the Arch-piller of security for Romish Priests then their Arch-priest And from whence rather shall a man expect a priuiledge of lying then from that place falsly called Apostolicall where as their owne learned Bishop saith there is nothing but lying Of which kind by the assistance of the spirit of truth I shall proue this Aequiuocation to be and also the approbation thereof shewing that not one iota in all Scripture not one example in all Catholicke antiquity not one shadow of reason in all the wit of naturall man can be brought for the iust proofe or colour of this Mysterie of iniquitie First we must vnderstand that our Aequiuocatours teach a double kind of Aequiuocation The first is a mentall reseruation in the mind differing from that which I outwardly expresse whether it be by voice or writing Their example If a Catholicke or any other person before a Magistrate shall be demanded vpon his oath whether a Priest be in such a place may notwithstanding his perfect knowledge to the contrary without periurie securely in conscience answer no with a secret meaning reserued in his mind namely that he is not there so vt loquar enim Latinè ne hinc Idiotae ansam sibi arripiant nequitèr mentiendi quis teneatur illud detegere The second is a verball Aequiuocation whether it be vocall that is vttered in the voice or literall that is expressed in writing when one word shall import two or moe different significations as thus To go to fast the word fast whether vocall or literall doth equally signifie to abstaine from meat and also to make haste By liberty of this Aequiuocation one merily did play vpon his friend going at dinner time to a churles house O sir saith he you go to fast But to vse the example of our Aequiuocatours If one shall aske whether such a stranger this is for security of a Priest lieth meaning whether he lodge in my house I may answer he lieth not iâ— my house meaning non mentitur and heerein I say truth Concerning these two kinds of Aequiuocations I make two conclusions to be manifested in this dispute Our first conclusion is this Euery Aequiuocation by a mentall Reseruation is not an hidden truth but a grosse â—…e The second conclusion is this Euery Aequiuocation whether it be mentall or verball if it be vsed in an oath though it be no lie yet is it an abhominable profanation of that sacred Institution of God by whomsoeuer or to whomsoeuer this oath be performed To prooue that Aequiuocating by a mentall Reseruation is a lying falshood we must first distinguish of falshood lest the doubtfulnesâ—e of this word falshood dull the vnderstanding of my religious Reader not to perceiue the State of
the Hebrewes of old what nation could haue resisted thew force Although these glorious Martyrs of the mother Church in their death whereby they haue anouched that good and glorious profession of Christian faith haue thereby also sealed the infallible truth of Christian obedience due to earthly Potentates yet will we not be content with these two hundred yeares but challenge the currant and successiue practise of 4000. more We therefore come to CHAP. IX The same duty of Subiection proued in the next 400. yeares FIrst Tertullian in his Apologie in defence of Christian loyalty God forbid saith he that Christian professours should reuenge themselues with humane power or feare that touch of persecution whereby they are tried for if we would either seeke secret reuenge or vse open hostility can you imagine we could want sufficient force we are visibly knowen vnto you and are interested in all your affaires your Cities Iles Forts Borrowes Tents Tribes Decuries Senate Maâ—kets are all full of Christians except only your temples Now what warre are not we ready and sit for who being in power moe yet do willingly suffer death if by this profession it were not more lawfull to be killed than to kill Heerein you who boast often of yours as great multitudes in England as there were locusts in Aegypt able to do mischiefe if you would and professing also to be willing as soone as you are able Compare but your God speed with Tertullian his God forbid and then you shall see that God cannot be said to be otherwise in your Popes Buls to kings than he was in Aarons calfe for in both there is a sinne of rebellion against Gods ordinance The second is Cyprian he likewise penneth an Apology and directeth it to Demetrianus the Officer of the persecuting Emperour answering in behalfe of all the Christians of his time None of vâ—when he is apprehended doth resist or reuenge himselfe of your vniust violence although the number of our people be maruellous great for our certaine confidence we haue in him that will take vengeance of all transgressours doth confirme our patience Whereby you are taught not to glory of patience who if you had force would banish obedience The third is Athanasius writing an Apologie for himselfe to Constantius an Arian Emperor and therfore hereticall to free himselfe of a slanderous imputation which was that he had suggested some matter to the Emperour Constance a Catholicke thereby to kindle coales of dissention betwixt Brethren therefore he saith I call God to record vpon my soule and your Brother Constance could witnesse that I neuer spake word of you in euill part I was not so madde as to forget the commandement of God who saith Thou shall not speake euill of thy King no not in thy hart but did obey your command when I had charge to depart from Alexandria The summe is this When he had power to stirre the Emperour Constance a true professor against his brother Constantius an hereticke yet he made conscience not to raise rebellion but rather submitted himselfe to the violence of persecution If your Pope had beene truly catechized in this Creed of Athanasius belonging to the truth of faithfull allegeance he would not so oft haue raised King against King as your selues confessed And why then may not hee be that man prophecied of Sitting on a red horse and hauing power permissiuely giuen vnto him to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another The fourth is Gregory Nazianzene in his Oration against the Emperour Iulian who the very hinge of this cause had beene a Christian and did after Apostate and proue an Infidell saith Against whom of you did wee euer raise any insurrection or sedition among your people though otherwise of themselues prone to rebellion or whose death did wee euer conspire But you lately whose deaths haue you not conspired The fifth is Ambrose When the Emperour infected with the heresie of Arius had sent magistrates to remoue Ambrose from his Bishopricke and the people thronged to rescew him In such power saith Ambrose that the Officers could not resist their force I quieted the people and yet could not auoid their malice Then sure he did abhorre by raising sedition among the people to prouoke magistrates to malice The same Father vpon that penitentiall dumpe of holy Dauid to thee only haue I sinned proueth that some Kings are not subiect to any penall law of man And for S. Ambrose his actiue profession in this kind it is confessed by your owne Doctor saying that Saint Ambrose when he was sufficiently armed both by power of people and souldiers strengthened with the might of Christ yet would not defend his Church with violence against the fury of the hereticall Emperor The sixth is Basill Who by reason of the strength of the forts wherein he was needed not to feare any danger yet suppliantly offered himselfe to Iulian the Apostate and caused the gates of the city to be opened vnto him thereby to appease his wrath against Christians The seuenth is S. Augustine who in his expositioÌ„s of some proposition doth concerning this point giue this instruction Whereas the Apostle saith he exhorteth that we should not resist gouernors in temporall matters he saith It is necessary that we be subiect and lest any might not performe this in loue but as from constraint and necessity he addeth Not for feare of wrath but for conscience sake that is not dissemblingly but dutifully in good conscience and loue to him God who commandeth subiection and as in another place he exhorteth Seruants Obey your hard and iniurious masters but not with ey-seruice as only pleasing men but God Therefore you must not plead Your most humble subiect aboue ground and from the concaue and vautes of the earth seeke how to humble your soueraigne Forey seruice and hart-seruice do distinguish a Christian from a Pagan according to that of Arnobius You Pagans do feare onely the outward sight of men we only the inward conscience of our mind The eight is Pope Leo writing to a true Catholicke Emperour You may not be ignorant saith he that your Princely power is giuen vnto you not only in worldly regiment but also Spirituall for the preseruation of the Church As if hee had said Not only in causes temporall but also inspirituall so far as it belongeth to outward preseruation not to the personall administration of them And this is the substance of our English oath and further neither do our Kings of England challenge nor subiects condiscend vnto We are not yet passed the lists of 500. yeares The last is Pope Gregory in his Epistle to Mauritius a right Christian Emperour To this end saith he is power ouer all persons giuen from heauen vnto my Lord that good men may be helped in the way to the kingdome of heauen And again In those gratious commands of your