Pope is the schismatike and not the Councell But I wonder not that you take part with Schismatiks Belike you are of opinion that some obstinate Puritans in Parliament standing out against his Maiesty he and not they are the rebells for the case is alike sauing only that this is a temporall cause and that a spirituall But you demand (h) Pag. 360. with Nilus and Erasmus to what end generall Councells should be called with so much cost trouble and labour if the Pope haue infallibility of iudgment I answere to the same end that S. Peter the first Pope of Rome notwithstanding he had infallibility of iudgment called a Councell at Antioch (i) Act. 15.6.7 If you desire more reasons you haue them in Bellarmine (k) L. 4. de Pont. c. 7. who hath answeared this Argument but you were wise inough to take no notice therof SECT IX Doctor Mortons instances of France and England to proue the no-necessity of Vnion with the Church of Rome THere hath bene published by some of your Nouellists a pamphlet intituled Fasciculus rerum expetendarum fugiendarum stuffed with so many lies that the Author was ashamed to haue his name knowne It is prohibited (l) Indic libro prohib and therfore what you report out of it not to be regarded But your addition (m) Pag. 361. that the Councell of Trent is not admitted within the Kingdome of France and that therfore the French are yet at liberty to belieue as much therof as they list is a famous vntruth for although that Kingdome haue not admitted generally all the decrees made by that Councell for the reformation of Ecclesiasticall discipline yet who knoweth not that as the Catholikes of the world haue so hath that most Christian kingdome with them admitted and imbraced all the decrees of fayth made in the Councell of Trent and that the most Christian King with all his Catholike subiects belieueth them no lesse stedfastly then the decrees of fayth made in the foure first generall Councells which you admit Not vnlike to this is your addition (n) Pag. 361. fin 361. out of B. Gardiners Oration of true obedience that in the time of King Henry the eight all sortes of people in England were agreed vpon this point with most stedfast consent learned and vnlearned both men and women that no manner of persons bred or brought vp in England had ought to do with Rome for albeit some persons infected with Lutheranisme some flatterers for their owne ends soothed King Henry in his opposition to the See of Rome yet who knoweth not that the face of the kingdome was then generally Catholike as for the space of almost 1000. yeares before it had bene And who can be ignorant that in defence of the authority of the See of Rome B. Fisher Syr Thomas More writ most learned bookes which are yet and will euer be most highly esteemed throughout the Christian world and that what they writ with their pens they sealed with their bloud And who knoweth not that Cardinall Pole a man of so great worth that he wanted but two voyces for the Popedome not only writ most learnedly in the same kind but suffered and his friends for his sake great vexations and persecutions at the hands of King Henry for the same cause And that many persons of worth suffered imprisonment and death for the same cause among which were all the Charter-house Monkes of London with their Prior It is therfore a famous vntruth to say It was then the fayth of the Church of England that no person bred or brought vp in England had ought to do with Rome Moreouer you know this Oration of B. Gardiner to be prohibited by the Church (o) In indic lib. prohib and that he ashamed of it retracted it which yet you are not ashamed to obiect CHAP. XLIV Whether Luther and his followers had any iust cause to separate themselues from the Roman Church WE are come to the last Chapter of your Grand Imposture in which to free your selfe from the note of Schisme heresy you brand the Roman Church with both labor to proue that Luther had iust cause to separate himselfe from her Communion and that you continuing in the same separation are more iustifiable then Luther was in his departure from her and may more iustly plead soules saluation then any of them that remaine in Vnion with her Your Chapter you diuide into foure parts and these parts into Theses which I shall examine the more briefly because many of your proofes are repetitions of your former Arguments already answeared SECT I. Whether any Protestants haue held that the Catholike Church before Luthers fall was wholly extinguished YOur first Thesis is (p) Pag. 364. Many Papists in their aduersnesse to Protestant whom they seeke to traduce do impute vnto them this faythlesse Paradoxe as to say that the Catholike Church is sometimes extinguished A false doctrine say you which Protestants neuer taught If Protestants neuer taught this faithlesse doctrine why did Luther when he began to erect your new Church say (q) Praef. in 1. tom cont Reg. Angl. fo 497. He had none to assist him but was left alone and alone stood in the battaile forsaken of all Why did Caluin say (s) Ep. 141. It is absurd that since we haue bene enforced to diuide our selues from all the world we shold now in our very beginnings disagree among our selues Why did he say (t) Respons ad Sadolet It is publike and notorious to all learned and vnlearned that when the Principality of the B. of Rome was erected the kingdome of Christ was prostrated his glory extinguished Religion abolished the Church destroyed and hope of saluation vtterly ouerthrowne Why did Milius say (x) August Confess explic art 7. de Eccl. pag. 137. If there had byn right belieuers before Luther there had bene no need of a Lutheran reformation Why Morgensterne (y) Tract de Eccles p. 141. It is ridiculous to thinke that in the time before Luther any had the purity of Doctrine and that Luther should receaue it from them and not they from Luther It being manifest to the whole Christian world that before Luthert time all Churches were ouerwhelmed with Cymerian darknesse and that Luther was diuinely raised vp to discouer the same and to restore the light of true doctrine And in regard therof Luther boasted saying (z) Ep. ad Argentin anno 1525. Christum à nobis primò vulgatum audemus gloriari Why did Camierus say (a) Ep. Iesuit part altera Geneu 1601. That error did not only possesse a part of the Church as in time of the Arians but that the whole body of the Church by Apostacy was fallen from Christ Why did Simon de Voyon a Geneuian Minister in his Catalogue of Doctors (b) Praefat. ad Lect. say That in the yeare 605. falshood preuailed and then was the whole
haue preferred the Emperors in place aboue the Popes which was not to be endured So you But is this all Doth not Bellarmine giue another reason of far more weight Why do you conceale it But be it as Bellarmine coniectureth that if the Popes had bene personally present the Greeke Bishops would haue giuen priority of place to their Emperors how do you proue that in so doing they should haue done well for they would likewise haue placed Epiphanius Patriarke of Constantinople in a seate equall to Iohn the first Pope of that name but that the supreme dignity of the See Apostllike enforced them to desist from that attempt and to set the Pope in a more eminent throne exalted aboue that of Epiphanius in his owne Church (e) Nicephoe l. 17. c. 27. Nor is it likely that the most religious Emperors of the East who haue professed themselues dutifull and obedient Children to the See Apostolike wold haue taken place of the Popes their spirituall Fathers Pastors if it had bene offered vnto thē by their Bishops But beside Bellarmines reasons there are others As 1. That the Popes being aged men and separated by a large distance of sea and land from the East in which the eight first Generall Councels were held were not fit to vndertake so long iourneys 2. Because as the Fathers of the first Councell of Arles sayd to Siluester (f) Ep. ad Syluestr expressing their griefe that they could not haue his presence at their Coūcell his residence was more necessary at Rome where the Apostles continually sit and where their bloud without intermission giues testimony to the glory of God 3. And for that before the holding of those Easterne Councels the Pope did vsually hold Councels in the West and send his Legates into the East with the votes of the Westerne Bishops arming thē with authority to preside in his place and with direction how to order things in those Easterne Councels As for Vigilius Pope though he were present at Constantinople when the fifth generall Councell was held in that City he would not assist in person because he being then lawfull Pope by election of the Clergy of Rome would giue no occasion of renewing the memory of his entrance into the Papacy by intrusion simony whiles Siluerius his predecessor was liuing and chiefly because seeing the Emperor violently bent to haue the Three Chapters which were the subiect of that Councell condemned though in his particular he condemned them yet for feare of breeding a schisme in the Church he would not be personally present at a Councell in which they should be publikely condemned without the assistance of the Westerne Bishops who earnestly withstood their condemnation CHAP. XXXII Whether Popes haue challenged ciuill subiection from Emperors and Kings Christian or Heathen YOV set downe (g) Pag. 169. as an vndoubted principle of Catholikes that Popes of after ages challeng ciuil subiection of Princes not only Christian but also Ethinck and Heathen vnto them This you proue by examples of Popes and other arguments which I shall briefly examine SECT I. Your first Argument out of Innocent the third examined POpes of after ages say you (h) Pag. 169. haue challenged an absolute power directly or indirectly ouer all secular Princedome not only Christian but also of Ethnick and Heathen Emperors as well by corporall as by spirituall punishments euen to the depriuing them of their Kingdomes and liues And that they may seeme to exact this plenitude of authority by diuine Law Pope Innocent the ihird maketh this Papall Decree concluding the Emperors to be subiect to the Popes because it is written God made two great lights the Sunne to rule the day and the Moone to gouerne the night This argument you take out of an epistle of Innocent written to the Emperor of Constantinople who conceauing that Innocent in a letter had reprehended him for his irreuerence to the Patriarke of Constantinople wondred therat And the cause of his wonder was because S. Peter sayth (i) 1. Pet. 2.13 Be ye subiect to euery humane creature whether it be to the King as excelling or to the rules sent by him to the reuenge of those that do ill Innocent in his answere hauing proued euidently that the Emperor misunderstood S. Peters words addeth that he might haue learned the prerogatiue of Priesthood by what God himselfe spake not to a King but to a Priest Behold I haue constituted thee ouer kingdomes and nations c. But in that whole Epistle he maketh no decree either for deposing or excommunicating Kings or Emperors or for punishing them corporally or spiritually or for depriuing them of their Kingdomes and liues or concerning any other matter but only proueth the receaued doctrine of the ancient Fathers that the Episcopall dignity excelleth the Imperial as for as the Sunne surpasseth the Moone the soule the body Which sayth he to the Emperor if your Imperiall Highnesse did prudently consider you would not cause nor permit the Patriarke of Constantinople a great and honorable member of the Church to sit on the left syde at your footstoole being that other Princes rise with reuerence to their Archbishops and Bishops as is fit they should and appoint them a Venerable seate neare to their owne persons Nor did I write to you by way of reprehension though I might with reason haue reprehended because as there he explicates Christ made Peter and in him his Successors Pastors of his whole flock not exempting Kings or Emperors This is the summe of Innocents Epistle in which you see he doth not so much as check the Emperor but in a sweet and Fatherly way admonish him of his want of respect to the Patriarke of Constantinople Is it not then intolerable falshood to say this Epistle is a Papall decree wherby Innocent and other Popes of after ages challenge an absolute power by diuine Law ouer all Christian and Heathen Kings and Emperors to punish them as well by corporall as by spirituall punishments euen to the depriuing them of their Kingdomes and liues Is any such thing mentioned in that Epistle If this be not dishonest dealing and excessiuely imposterous what is But to iustify this imposture you say (k) Pag. 170. Vpon this Glosse the Deuines and Canonists the popes Parats and Parasites conclude that euery Emperor borroweth his power from the Pope as doth the Moone her light from the Sunne be the Emperor Christian or Ethnick and therfore is to submit himselfe to the Pope and that Not by the order of Charity but by duety of subordination and subiection The Authors whom you are pleased to call The Popes Parats and Parasites and to produce as witnesses of these your falsities are Bozius Bellarmine and Carerius Of which three the two first Bozius and Bellarmine where you cite them are so far from drawing any such conclusion from that Glosse that they make no mention at all of the Glosse And the later sentence
whole body of his Church to the end that whosoeuer should be so bold as to depart from the solidity of that See might know himself to be no way partaker of the diuine mysteries And (e) Ibid. that whosoeuer goeth about to diminish the power of the Bishop of Rome endeauoreth with most impious presumption to viâ—late the most sacred strength of the Rock Peter framed by the hand of God And speaking against Hilary Bishop of Arles and all such as are refractary and disobedient to the Successors of Peter and in them to Peter himselfe he (f) Ibid. addeth To whom whosoeuer thinketh the primacy to be denied can no way diminish their authority but puffed vp with the spirit of pride plungeth himselfe headlong into hell And (g) Epist 75. that he who dare oppose the Roman Church built by the voyce of our Sauiour vpon the most blessed Peter Prince of the Apostles as vpon a rock is either Antichrist or a Diuel All these sayings of so learned a Doctor and so great a Saint I wish the Protestant reader duly to consider So teacheth the holy Councell of Chalcedon (h) Act. 3. affirming Peter the Apostle to be the rock and head of the Catholike Church and foundation of the true Fayth From whence it followeth that whosoeuer buildeth not vpon the foundation of Peters See is not in the Catholike Church nor in the true fayth without which no man can be saued So teacheth S. Gregory the Great who writing to Bonifacius (i) L. 3. ep 41. sayth I admonish you that whiles you haue tyme of lyfe remayning your soule be not found diuided from the Church of blessed Peter to whome the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen were committed and the power of binding and losing giuen lest his fauour be contemned here he there exclude you from the entrance into lyfe So teacheth S. I sidore a learned Doctor and Archbishop of Seuill (k) Ep. vltima ad Eugenium Episcop Toletanum saying that albeit the Episcopall dignity and power descend from S. Peter to all Catholike Bishops yet especially and by a fingular priuiledge it remayneth for euer to the Bishop of Rome as to a Head higher then the rest of the members whosoeuer therfore sayth he yelds not obedience reuerently to him is separated from the head and makes himself guilty of the schisme of the Acephalists that is of certain heretikes who acknowledged no one particular Head And he addes that the Church belieues this as the Creed of S. Athanasius and as an article of fayth and that whosoeuer belieues it not cannot be saued So teacheth S. Maximus Martyr the greatest Diuine of his age that writ learnedly against the Monothelites pestilent Heretikes that held but one will and operation in Christ and were anathematized in the sixth generall Councell He among other Elogies of the Roman Church hath (l) Epist ad Marinum Diac. this All the bounds of the earth and whosoeuer in any place of the world do confesse Christ our Lord with a pure hart and Orthodox fayth looke vpon the most holy Roman Church and her confession and fayth attentiuely as vpon a Sunne of euerlasting light receauing from her the shining light of spirituall and holy Doctrines c. For from the first comming of the Word Incarnate all the Churches of Christians throughout the world haue had from her their beginning their only and surest foundation against which the gates of hell shall no way preuaile according to the promise of our Sauiour himself that she shold haue the Keyes of Orthodoxall fayth and Confession and open to them that religiously come to the same Roman Church seeking true reall and only piety and contrariwise shut and stop euery hereticall mouth that speaks iniquity against heauen So teacheth S. Aldelmus an ancient Bishop of the Scots whom Venerable Bede highly commendeth for his eloquence for his great knowledge of humane literature of Scripture and Ecclesiasticall rites Among other his works which Bede reckoneth he writ an excellent booke against the error of the Britans who at that tyme differed from the Roman Church in the celebration of Easter And of the same subiect he writ an epistle to Geruntius in which he sheweth the Britans by reason of that their separation from the Roman Church to be in error (m) Epist ad Gerunt If sayth he the keyes of the heauenly kingdome were by Christ giuen to Peter of whom the Poet sayth He is the Porter of heauen that opens the gate to the stars who is he that despising the principall statutes of that Church and condemning the Doctrine which she commands to be obserued can enter into the gate of heauenly paradise And if Peter by a happy lot and a peculiar priuiledge deserued to receyue the power monarchy of binding both in heauen and earth who refusing to obserue the Roman rite of Easter can thinke that he is not rather to be straitly tied with in soluble bonds then any way to be absolued And the same he further proueth out of the priuiledge of not erring granted to the Roman Church when Christ promised to build his Church vpon Peter as vpon an impregnable rock So teacheth Venerable Bede (n) Homil. in die Apost Petri Pauli saying Therfore the blessed Peter confessing Christ with true fayth and following him with true loue receaued specially the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the soueraignty of iudiciall power that all the faythfull throughout the world might vnderstand that whosoeuer do any way separate themselues from the Vnity of his fayth and society can neither be losed from the bonds of their sins nor come within the gate of the heauenly kingdome And speaking of a conference held betwene Colmannus an Abbot and Wilfridus a learned Priest concerning the celebration of Easter Colmannus defending the Iewish rite and Wilfridus the custome of the Roman Church Wilfridus said (o) Beda in histor gent. Ang. l. 3. c. 25. If you disdaine to follow the decrees of the See Apostolike yea and of the vniuersall Church they being confirmed by the holy Scriptures without all doubt you sinne for be it that your Columba was a holy man and of Christ likewise your Fathers yet is their smal number in a corner of a remote Iland to be preferred before the vniuersall Church of Christ And hauing in proofe of the Authority of the Roman Church alleaged the words of Christ promising to build his Church vpon Peter and to giue him the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen Of win king that was present at the conference demanded of the disputants whether both of them agreed in this that those words of our Sauiour were principally spoken to Peter and whether the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were giuen to him And they answering Yes the king (p) Ibid. concluded And I say to you that because Peter is that porter I will not gainsay him but so far forth as I
deinde neque hoc habet Papa propter ordinem charitatis sed propter subiectionem subordinationem ad deponendos Reges disponendum de regnis which you set downe (l) Pag margi as Bellarmines is not his but patched vp of diners words taken out of seuerall places of his and knit into one sentence to make him dance after your pipe speake as best fitteth your designe Yea Bellarmine out of that very Epistle and out of those very words of Innocent which you obiect proueth els where (m) L Pont that the Pope hath no temporall dominion ouer Christian Princes whome therfore you slander falsly fathering on him the contrary to make him all Catholikes as much as in you lieth hatefull to Christian Princes The third author which is Carerius I haue not seene but how vnsincerely you haue heretofore cited him in this very matter F. Persons in his Treatise tending to Mitigation against the seditious writings of Thomas Morion Minister hath shewed long since (n) Ch 162.17 And because he truly obserueth that you hardly cite any Author without some sleight or other I suspect that here you deale no otherwise with Carerius SECT II. Your second Argument out of Hieremy the Prophet examined SEcondly you say (o) Pag. 170. Popes exact of Emperors be they Christians or Ethnickes subiection and subordination when they meane to dispossesse them of their kingdomes or depriue them of their liues from pretence of Scripture alleaging in their Bulls for their warrant that saying of the Prophet Behold I haue constituted thee aboue nations and kingdomes to plant and roote on t to build and destroy Ierem. 1. So they Wherunto also accordeth the decree of Boniface the eight Good God that the world should be so bewitched by them as to account them Pastors of the Church who feed their people with thornes swords daggers and pistolls For what els meane these grosses wherby the word of God is so notoriously prophaned for patronizing of rebellions and murders All these are your words false I am sure and slanderous and whether not also rayling virulent let the Reader iudge My intention heere is not to dispute what authority the Pope hath ouer Kings and Emperors in temporall matters I write against you and my intention only is to shew that as in other matters so also in this you wrong the Popes and falsify the Fathers with other Catholike authors And to begin with S. Bernard you say (p) Pag. 170. He writing to Pope Eugenius (q) L. 2. de Considerat condemneth the Papall Glosse to his face teaching that in this text vnder the figuratiue speach of rurall sweat is expressed the spirituall labour c shewing therby that your Popes might haue proued for their aduantage out of that text rather a right to become gardeners and carpenters for roting out weeds and destroying of buildings then Generalls of Hoasts for conquest and subiection of kingdomes That S. Bernard out of this text gathereth no power of Popes to depose Kings or other secular Princes or people I grant He only admonisheth Eugenius that being placed in a seat of eminēcy from whence as from a watch-tower he beholdeth all he neither giue himselfe to idlenesse his function being an office of spirituall labor nor be puffed vp with pride but gouerne in humility which he calleth The chiefest gemme among all the ornaments of the high Priest and to that end representeth vnto him the admonition which S. Peter gaue to all Prelats (r) 1. Pet. 5.2 not no dominier in the Clergy but to become paternes of the flock from the hart and the example of Christ who was in the middest of his Disciples as one that wayted (s) Luc. 22.27 But yet to shew against you that Eugenius had spirituall iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall Church he sayth to him (t) L. 2. de Consid What person bearest thou in the Church of God Who art thou A great Priest the chiefe Bishop Thou art the Prince of Bishops thou the heyre of the Apostles thou art Abel in primacy Nōe in gouerment in Patriarkship Abraham in order Melchisedech in dignity Aaron in authority Moyses in iudicature Samuel in power Peter and by Vnction Christ. Thou art he to whom the keyes were giuen to whom the sheepe committed There are other porters of Heauen and Pastors of flocks but thou as in a different so in a far more glorious manner hast inherited both those names They haue their seuerall flockes assigned vnto them to thee all are committed one flock to one shepheard Thou art not only Pastor of the sheep but Pastor of all Pastors Dost thou aske how I proue it Out of the word of our Lord for to which I will not say of the Bishops but euen of the Apostles were the sheepe committed so absolutely and without exception If thou louest me Peter feed my sheepe What sheep Of this or that City or Countrey or Kingdome My sheep sayth he To whom is it not manifest that he designed not any but assigned all where no distinction is put no exception is made c. The power of others is confined within certaine limits Thy power extendeth euen to them that haue receaued power ouer others If there because canst not thou shut vp Heauen to a Bishop Canst not thou depose him from his Bishoprick and deliuer him to Satan All these words are S. Bernards which I haue transcribed that the reader may see he belieued the Pope to be Pastor and Gouernor of the vniuersall Church and acknowledged in him absolute power to depose Bishops which you could not be ignorant of but conceale it because it toucheth your copie-hold and mention only deposing of Princes of which S. Bernard speaketh not one word Yea more ouer he doth not only acknowledge that the Pope hath power to depose Bishops but withall sheweth how falsly you alleage him to proue that in the text of Hieremy nothing is expressed but spirituall labor vnder the figuratiue speach of rurall sweat for writing to the same Pope Eugenius (u) Ep. 237. he requesteth him to depose the Bishops of Winchester Yorke as intruders and wicked men that opposed the Archbishop of Canterbury a religious Prelate and of good fame and out of this very text of Hieremy proueth his authority to do it for to that end sayth he (x) Ibid. thou art placed ouer nations and kingdomes to pull vp and destroy to build and to plant which power he declareth againe in another Epistle (y) Ep. 239. out of the same text of Hieremy speaking to Eugenius of deposing a wicked Bishop of the Ruthenians Nor is it S. Bernard only that interpreteth Hieremy in this sense for 630. Bishops assembled in the Councell of Chalcedon (z) In relat ad Leo. alleage the same text to iustify their deposing of Dioscorus and require Leo Pope to confirme the same The like interpretation is made by 32. Bishops in the
Councell of Hierusalem and reported in that of Constantinople vnder Menas (a) Act. 4. to iustify their sentence of deposition against Anthymus B. of Trebizond And Theophilus Patriarke of Alexandria (b) Ep. ad Epiphan apud S. Hieron Ep. 67. a familiar friend to S. Hierome as their mutuall Epistles declare out of the same text proueth the power of condemning heresies giuen by Christ to his Church which sayth he we see now performed for the Church of Christ with the Euangelicall sword hath cut off the heads of Origens serpents And finally this text is alleaged to the same purpose by Petrus Cluniacensis (c) L. 6. ep 14. Alexander of Hales (d) Part. 3. q. 40. memb 2. the Irrefragable Doctor and Maister to S. Thomas of Aquine All which sheweth that either the Fathers and Councells vnderstood not the words of the Prophet or els that you deny the true sense misinterpreting them in fauor of your false Doctrine But returning to S. Bernard That which most of all discouereth your ignorance if not rather fraud is that you say Boniface the eight prophaneth the word of God notoriously for patronizing of rebellions and murders making from pretence of Scripture a Decree to dispossesse Emperors Christian and heathen of their kingdomes depriue them of their lines It is to be noted that this decree of Boniface on which you are pleased to inflict so seuere a censure are the very words of S. Bernard taken out of his fourth booke of Consideration to Eugenius Wherfore you must confesse that S. Bernard prophaned the word of God notoriously for patronizing rebellions and murders and dispossessing Kings of their kingdomes and liues or els you must acknowledge that you wrong and slander Pope Boniface who sayth nothing but what S. Bernard said before him and in S. Bernards owne words I cannot but vehemeÌ„tly suspect that a man of your reading could not but know that the words were S. Bernards but because you durst not for shame of the world impute such horrible wickednesse to so glorious a Sainct and whom Caluin himselfe (e) L. 4. de Consid c. 11. §. 11. acknowledgeth to speake in those his bookes of Consideration as if Truth herselfe did speake you lay it on Boniface Pope that so you may haue some colour to raile freely at him in his name to charge S. Bernard with that impiety of which neither of them both was guilty The second Father whom you alleage is S. Gregory who as he is frequent in Moralls so he explicateth these words of Hieremy in a morall sense of pulling vp Vices and planting vertues by preaching in the soules of the hearers But that they may haue another more litterall sense the Fathers and Councells haue informed you Nor was S. Gregory so ignorant as to thinke he had no other way to reforme the disorders of Bishops and others vnder his charge but by preaching only for his writings his practise and your owne confessions beare witnesse to the contrary (f) See aboue Chap. 15. sect 3. Your third profe is out of Lyra to whose words you adde gratis the aduerbe Tantùm to inferre that Bishops haue no other meanes to represse vices and remedy disorders in their subiects but only by preaching which if it were true how could the Councels of Ephesus and Chalcedon haue deposed Nestorius and Dioscorus not to mention a thousand such exaÌ„ples of which Ecclesiasticall histories are full Yea the word denuntiare which Lyra vseth doth not obscurely import so much for not only preachers but ecclesiasticall Prelates denounce punishment to offenders to deterre them from sinne And so do secular Iudges when they threaten them with corporall chastisements SECT III. Your third Argument out of the examples of Popes examined SOme Popes say you (g) Pag. 171. haue not bene idle but haue put their positions in practise by deposing Kings and Emperors sporting themselues with tossing the crownes from their heads not for any note of heresy but only for not subiecting themselues to the Popes dignity and dominion Why do you not tell vs that when 200. Bishops in the Councell of Ephesus and 630. in the Councell of Chalcedon deposed Nestorius and Dioscorus they did it to sport themselues with tossing the myters of Patriarkes from their heads If any Popes haue deposed Kings or Emperors my assumpt is not either to defend or dispute by what right they did it The first Pope whom you accuse (h) Pag. 171. 174. is Zacharias who being chosen by diuine ordination (i) See Anestasius Platiâ—a Yllescas in his life performed heroical acts for the publike good of the Church He bare singular loue to the clergy and people of Rome and generally to all Christians being ready to spend his life for them He built repaired and adorned with rich furniture many Churches within without Rome He reduced to peace all Italy which he found in combustion of warrs going himselfe in person to effect it He established confirmed Bishopricks and setled the affaires of Christian religion in Germany He was of a most sweet and malde disposition adorned with all vertue and goodnesse slow to anger most ready to mercy and compassion rendring to no man euill for euill but to the imitation of Christ ouercoming euill with good in so much that being made Pope he aduanced to honors those who formerly had bene his enimies and bestowed rewards on them And finally for his singular vertues he is reuerenced as a Saint and his feast yearely celebrated by the whole Church of God (k) Martyrol Roman 15. Martij The second Pope you traduce is Gregory the seauenth who say (l) Pag. 171. 174. you deposed Henry the third Now this Gregory whom you so often and so intemperatly reuile (n) Pag. 40. 171. 174. 179. was one of the most admirable Prelates that hath possessed the chaire of S. Peter A man sayth Nauclerus (o) Chronol genral 37. religious fearfull of God a louer of iustice and equity constant in aduersity and that for God feared not to enterprise whatsoeuer was iust A man sayth Schafnaburgensis (p) Hist. rerum German an 1977. of great constancy and inuincible courage against auarice The signes and wonders which God did worke by the prayers of Gregory and his most feruent zeale for God and the lawes of the Church did sufficiently defend him against the poysoned tongues of his detractors He was sayth Otho Frisingensis (q) L. 6. hist c. 32.34.36 alwayes most constant in Ecclesiasticall rigor a paterne to his flock shewing by his example that which in words he taught a valiant champion that feared not to oppose himselfe as a wall for the house of God and whose death bred no small griefe to the Church because she saw herselfe depriued of so worthy a Pastor who among all Priests and Bishops of Rome was of most especiall zeale and authority A man in whose defence S. Anselme that
Doctor Morton for you not only maintaine erroneous Tenets in matter of fayth but are so wilfully obstinate therin that hauing bene heretofore often admonished and euidently conuinced by Catholike writers of your shamefull ouer-lashing as also of your corrupting the Fathers Councells other writers in proofe of those your Tenets you still hold on the same course in your Grand Imposture and other your later writings to your owne shame and the great discredit of your cause which if it were good needed not such iugling to defend it But the greatest part of Protestants either wanting learning or meanes to examine the truth of points in controuersy and thinking you not to be only learned but also sincere in deliuering the truth vnto them which I know you not to be simply giue credit to you and such as you are and thinke they may safely embrace your doctrine and rely vpon your word They I say are not Heretikes but men deceaued and misled by heretikes or to vse S. Augustines phrase (e) De vtil creden c. â— Credentes haereticis men that bâ—lieue heretikes and therfore are not comprehended in the excommunication of Bulla cana which is pronounced against such only as by reason of their wilfull obstinacy are true and formall heretikes or as S. Paul sayth (f) Tit. 3.11 that sinne being subuerted and condemned by their owne iudgment I deny not but that many of these men being of excellent iudgement and vnderstanding may by what they haue heard or read haue iust reason to doubt of the truth of Protestancy and therfore if such out of slouth and carelesnesse or for feare of dishonor and disesteeme in the eyes of the world or of temporall lostes and troubles they see Catholikes exposed vnto omit to examine the truth I know not how to excuse them from culpable negligence in the most important affaire of their saluation which without true fayth cannot be atchieued SECT VI. Other slanderous accusations of Doctor Morton answeared YOur good will to Catholikes makes you rake vp in your Sermon and Imposture all the examples you can call to mind to make them hatefull to Protestant Princes and people To this end you so often mention the Powder treason (g) Serm. pag. 29. Impost pag. 177. 405. of which some vnaduised headlong gentlemen were guilty yet other Catholikes were freed from the guilt therof by the long and exquisite search of Iustice made for the discouery of all partakers therin as also by the confessions of those vnfortunate gentlemen themselues who being strictly seuerally and often examined constantly professed that no man els was guilty of their designe nor priuy to their intentions but they only whose names were already giuen vp to the State And finally the Protestant Minister Author of the booke intituled Triplici node triplex cuneus testifieth (h) Pag. 2. that our late Soueraigne King Iames of famous memory by whose allowance or rather appointment that booke was written did not hold other Catholikes guilty of that damnable plot as indeed they were not The equity of his Maiesty sayth he is such as he professed in his Proclamation and Parliament speach that he would not vse other Catholikes the worse for that which sheweth that he held them guiltlesse All this being true as it is how comes it to passe that you make no end of vp brayding and defaming all Catholikes with this action of exprobrating to an infinite number of innocent that of which a few nocent were guilty of slandering them with this designe that had no part in it many of them being not borne when the thing passed or if borne not capable of such designes or if capable yet abhorred the same as much if not more then your selfe If I were disposed to deale with you by the art of Retorsion which manner of Argument you often vse against vs in this your Grand Imposture I could tell you of your Protestant brethren that in our dayes at Antwerp they placed a whole barke of gun-powder in the vaulted great street of that City to blow vp the Prince of Parma with his Nobility and commanders of warre being to passe that way I cold tell you of another zealous brother in Hage that would haue blowne vp the State-house with the whole Counsell of Holland vpon priuat reuenge And I could tell you that at Edenbrough in Scotland the like traine of powder was layd for the cruell murther of our gracious Maiesties Grand-Father which not succeeding hindeath was archieued by another no lesse bloudy and barbarous violence Would you thinke it reason or conscience in me if I should impute these temerarious actions of a few Protestants to you all If I should exprobrate them to the innocent as well as to the nocent Pardon me therfore if I impute to you lack of that equity and conscience science which ought to shine in a man of your ranke as in a patterne not only of morall honesty but also of ciuill courteous behauiour With like preiudice of conscience you vpbraid vs with the Massacre of Paris (i) Impost pag. 405. to which not we but your good Brethren the Huguenors of France by their Traiterous plots gaue occasion and therfore are iustly censured as the true Authors therof In the yeare 1572. August 23. Colligni the Admirall of France a most wicked man and fyrebrand of the Huguenots in that kingdome being wounded in both his hands and one of his armes with a Musquet discharged out of a house in Paris Charles the ninth then King of France being greatly offended therat vsed all diligence to finde out the malefactor and not only sent often messengers to the Admirall to vnderstand of his health but went himselfe in person with the Queene his wife his Mother and his brethren to visit comfort him promising to punish the malefactor seuerely according to his deserts if he could be discouered Neuerthelesse the Admirall suspecting without ground that he had bene wounded by the Kings appointment entred into priuate Counsell with the King of Nâ—uarre then newly married to Margaret sister to the French King with Prince CondeÌ„ and other his confederates plotting traiterously with them to kill the King the Queene his wife his Mother and brethren and so at one blow to cut of the whole family and proclame the King of Nauarre King of France appointing withall what Nauarre himselfe what CondeÌ„ what Captaine Pilie and what Montgomery his associates were to do and what passages to take for the effecting of this his treacherous designe Which being disclosed by some that were priuy vnto it the King out of hand called to him the King of Nauarre and CondeÌ„ who confessing the plot and asking pardon obtained it But because delaies were dangerous in a case wherin the life of the King and of many other Princes with the destruction and ruine of the whole Kingdome did run so great hazard the Admirall by his command was killed the next day in his