censure of wise men might deseruedly haue purchased some more respectiue termes of the Father whereas Thuanus the most vnpartiall and iudicious Historiographer of our age giues this testimonie of him that he was a Prince of singular naturall indowments and such a one in whom had hee not too much loosed the reines to this pleasure you could hardly find wanting any perfection Nay after his diuorce from his Queene and from the Church of Rome the Bishops which hee named sayth hee were honest men and good Schollers being euer himselfe a great Patron of learning which testimonie I the rather alledge because the Spanish expurgatorie index hath rased it as also diuers other verie memorable passages in this Author B. C. 5. Thus I satisfied my selfe at Schoole and studied the Artes and Philosophie and other humane learning vntill being Master of Artes and fellow of Corpus Christi Colledge in Cambridge I was at last by the Statutes of that house called to the studie of Diuinitie and bound to take vpon me the Order of Priest-hood then I thought it my duetie for the better satisfaction of mine owne soule and the sauing of othermens to looke as farre into the matter as possible I could that I might find out the Trueth and hauing the opportunitie of a very good Librarie in that Colledge I resolued with my selfe to studie hard and setting aside all respect of men then aliue or of Writers that had mooued or maintained Controuersies farther then to vnderstand the question which was betwixt them I fell to my prayers and betooke my selfe wholly to the reading of the Church Historie and of the ancient Fathers which had no interest on either side and specially â— made choise of S. Augustine because I hoped to find most comfort in him for the confirming of our Religion and the confuting of the Church of Rome G. H. 5. After your perusing the Chronicles of England you betake your selfe to the reading of the Church Historie and ancient Fathers and in speciall make choise of S. Augustine in whom you find the doctrine of Rome euery where confirmed and ours confuted But I would faine know whether one maine point of the doctrine of the Church of Rome be not the Supremacie of that Sea and whether a chiefe feather in that wing be not Appeals from forraine parts Now whether S. Augustine approued them I appeale to his practise being one of those Bishops in the Councell of Carthage who discouered and disclaimed the impudencie and forgerie of the Church of Rome in challenging that as right which some of constraint had performed and others of courtesie had graunted for which himselfe with his Fellow-Bishops were excoÌ„municated by the Bishop of Rome and for any thing I can finde in the Church Historie so died Some of his workes I haue read specially those of Christian doctrine and of them I will be bold to say that they confirme no one point of Romish doctrine controuersed at this day and surely there if any where had beene the proper place to declare the Bishop of Rome Supreame iudge in all controuersies B. C. 6. In this sort I spent my time continually for many yeeres and noted downe whatsoeuer I could gather or rather snatch either from the Scriptures or the Fathers to serue my turne But when after all my paines and desire to serue my selfe of Antiquitie I found the doctrine of the Church of Rome to be euery where coÌ„firmed by most profound demonstrations out of holy Scripture made most agreeable to the trueth of Christs Gospel and most conformable to all Christian soules and saw the current opinions of our great Preachers euery where confuted either in plaine termes or by most vnanswerable consequence although mine vnderstanding was thereby greatly edified for which I had great reason to render immortall thankes to our blessed Sauiour who by these meanes had vouchsafed to shewe himselfe vnto mee yet my heart was much grieued that I must be faine either not to preach at all or to crosse and varâ—e from the doctrine which I saw was commonly receiued G. H. 6. I haue perused your Common-place booke written for the most part with your owne hand and indeed it thereby appeares that your noting might more deseruedly bee termed a snatching then a gathering though by your will you solemnely bequeath it as a rich legacie to C.C.C. in Camb. whereof you were a Fellow but you found the doctrine of the Church of Rome you say euery where confirmed by most profound demonstrations from holy Scripture in trueth I must confesse they are so deepe that throughout this treatise they are inuisible but I much desire to knowe by what profound demonstration from holy Scripture you would proue the adoration of images the administration of the Sacrament vnder one kinde the exercise of publike prayer in a language not vnderstood of the people or lastly the Bishop of Romes vsurpation ouer the temporals of Princes vnlesse you bring Bellarmines profound demonstration to that purpose Pasce oues meas or Baronius Surge occide manduca or the Canonists fecit Deus duo magna luminaria much like a profound demonstration I haue heard of for proofe of the Salique law the lillies neither labour nor spinne therefore the Crowne of France ne tombe point sur laquenouille fals not to the distaffe or like that of a Frier who would needs proue that ten worlds were made in the first Creation and that out of our Sauiours wordes in the Gospel annon decem factisunt mundi but he was well answered by his brother in the words following Sed vbisunt nouem and did hee not deserue the title of D. profundus trow you for so profound a demonstration By such like profound demonstrations you find the doctrine of the Church of Rome made most agreeable to the trueth of Christs Gospel which for the Sacrament is drinke yee all of this and for the power of his ministers my kingdome is not of this world wordes deliuered as it seemes out of a propheticall spirit as foreseeing what errours should in after ages spring vp in his Church but you doe well to say that those doctrines were made agreeable to this trueth they may bee made so or at leastwise made to seeme so by forging and hammering vpon the anuill of mens conceits howbeit in themselues they are not so as the belles seeme to the childe to ring that tune which runnes in his head B. C. 7. Being thus perplexed with my selfe what course I were best to take I reflected backe againe vpon the Church of England and because the most of those Preachers which drewe the people after them in those dayes were Puritans and had grounded their diuinitie vpon Caluins institutions I thought peraduenture that they hauing gotten the multitude on their side might wrong the Church of England in her doctrine as well as they desired to doe in her discipline which indeed
to any man of iudgement whereof a chiefe one is his Maiesties vndertaking the cause in writing wherein wee are bound to blesse God that hath set such a King ouer vs whom he hath indowed with such singular gifts as to giue occasion to such an Obiection Hee was no foole that pronounced that CoÌ„mon-wealth happy where learned men had the gouernment or the gouernors were learned and another who holds those wise men in the Gospel who came from the East are therefore held Kings because they were learned which I speake not to derogate froÌ„ other Kings but to thanke God for our owne whose drops that fall both from his tongue and Pen are as the Prophet Dauid speakes in another case like raine falling vpon the mowen grasse or as showers that water the earth We haue read in our own Chronicles of one Bladud a Brittish King who studied at Athens of Alured a Saxon King who translated the Psalter into his own language of Henry a Norman King who for his great schollership was surnamed the Beauclarke but for a King only Dauid and Salomon excepted that hath written so much and so well as his Maiestie exposing it to publike censure hath left it as an euerlasting monumeÌ„t of his name to posterity for mine owne part I must confesse in my small reading I haue not met with any either in our owne or forreine History Some Kings haue done some what in this kinde but hee excelleth them all so that for a Christian King to write and to publish his writings to the world euen in matter of Religion is not without example The Booke of Charlemaine in defence of the decree of the Synode of Frankeford which himselfe had thither called and against the Canons of the second Nicene Council touching the controuersie of adoring images is yet extant to bee seene in the Palatine library so is it acknowledged by Augustinus Steuchus in his second booke of Constantines donation where hee presses some things in that Booke for the Popes aduantage Howbeit Bellarmine in his second Booke of Images and 15th Chapter labourto prooue the contrary granting that it was sent by that Emperour to Pope Adrian but not as his owne His Maiesties Bookes aswell the former in defence of the Oath of Allegeance as the later by way of Premonition to the Christian States are no doubt as great corrasiues and eyesores to you as to vs they are cordiall and comfortable and cannot be but to him as dishonourable if hee should recall them as now they are honourable if hee continue constant to himselfe and them Now that they should proceede rather from the instigation of others then his owne disposition is a surmise of your owne I know not whether more foolish as being ignorant of that which hee had both written and spoken and done since hee came to yeeres of discretion conformably thereunto or dishonest in calling his Maiesties singular wisedome into question in suffering himselfe to bee so farre abused as vnwittingly to bee sent on other mens errands and to serue other mens turnes Howsoeuer there is nothing you say in that booke by which you cannot but vnderstand both the Premonition and the Apologie both bound together in one volume and titled together in one front why his Maiestie may not when he please admit the Popes Supremacie in Spirituals wherein first you dash though peraduenture vnawares against your great Cardinal who in his Letter to Blackwell professeth that in whatsoeuer words the Oath of Allegeance in defence of which his Maiestie wrote his Apologie bee conceiued it tends to none other end but that the authorie of the head of the Church of England may bee transferred from the Successour of S. Peter to the Successour of K. Henry the VIII this indeed he affirmes falsly but both in his Tortus against his Maiesties Apologie and in his Apologie against his Maiesties Premonition hee affirmeth truely that the vsurped Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome is in them both impugned And I cannot but marueile at such shamelesse impudencie as dares thus to write to his Maiestie touching his owne writings whose very words toward the later end of his Apologie are these discoursing before of the Supremacie of K. Henry the VIII in Church-matters for which Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas Moore were pretended to haue suffered I am sure saith hee that the Supremacie of Kings may and will euer be better maintained by the word of God which must euer be the true rule to discerne all weighty heads of doctrine by to bee the true and proper office of Christian Kings in their owne dominions then hee will euer be able to maintaine his annihilating Kings and their authorities together with his base and vnreuerent speaches of them wherewith both his former great volumes and his late bookes against Venice are filled Where he goes on and proues this Supremacie aswell by the Old as the New Testament and the practise both of the Kings of Israel and the Christian Emperours in the Primitiue Church both explaning and iustifying the Oath of Supremacie as it is by him imposed and taken by vs and in his Premonition written afterward though set before in the Booke he is so cleere in this point that Mr. Dr. cannot but stand conuinced either of grosse negligeÌ„ce in not reading or vnpardonable forgetfulnes in not remembring what he had read His Maiesties words are these But as I well allow of the Hierarchie of the Church for distinction of orders for so I vnderstand it so I vtterly deny that there is an earthly Monarch thereof whose word must be a Law and who cannot erre in his sentence by an infabilitie of spirit Because earthly Kingdomes must haue earthly Monarchies it doth not follow that the Church must haue a visible Monarch too for the world hath not one earthly Temporall Monarch Christ is his Churches Monarch and the holy Ghost his Deputie Reges gentium dominantur eorum vos autem non sic Christ did not promise before his Ascension to leaue Peter with them to direct and instruct them in all things but he promised to send the holy Ghost vnto them to that end And for these two before cited places whereby Bellarmine maketh the Pope to triumph ouer Kings I meane Pasce oues and Tibi dabo claues the Cardinall knowes well enough the same woâ—â—s of Tibi dabo are in another place spoken by Christ in the plurall number and hee likewise knowes what reasons the ancients doe giue why Christ bade Peter Pasce oues and also what a cloud of witnesses there is both of ancients and euen of late Popish Writers yea diuers Cardinals that doe all agree that both these speeches vsed to Peter were meant to all the Apostles represented in his person otherwise how could Paul direct the Church of Corinth to excommunicate the Incestuous person Cum Spiritu suo whereas he should then haue sayed Cum Spiritu Petri and how could all the
stand betweene vs sauours not of a Iesuits spirit We for our parts freely professe as Mr Casaubon doth in his Maiesties name Let them in whose power it is to performe it offer vs such a peace of which it may bee sayd Peace trueth haue kissed each other and the controuersie is at an end Let them seuer humane ordinances from diuine superstitious from godly new from ancient needlesse from necessary I say againe saith he and with as loude a crie and much earnestnesse as may be I proclaime it that all men may heare me for as much as concernes his Maiesty and the Church of England the controuersie is at an end His Maiesties intent and full resolution is that they in vaine talke or thinke of Peace who sunder that heauenly yoke of vnitie and verity but saith hee in conclusion speaking to the Romanists their purpose is constantly to maintaine all they hold not to reconcile the minds of well disposed persons by the reformation of that which is amisse in which purpose as long as they shall persist his Maiestie professeth once for all that he will entertaine no societie no Communion at all with the Church of Rome And in this case we sticke not to professe with Nazianzene that there is a kind of holy warre in which who so dies shal vndoubtedly obtaine of the chiefe Bishop of our soules a Plenary Indulgence for his sinnes and â—ith Hillary Amiable is the name of peace and louely the opinion of vnity but who doubts that to bee the onely Peace of the Church which is the Peace of Christ and lastly with Cyprian He is not reconciled to the Church who is separated from the Gospel Now because M. Doctour would perswade the â—orld and his Maiestie himselfe that at his first entrance into this kingdome hee was more inclineable to reconcilement and laboureth by promising honour and riches and security to reduce him againe to the same pretended inclination it shall not be amisse beside that which I haue spoken to this point in diuerse parts of mine answere to acquaint the Reader with his Maiesties protestation euen while matters were yet in a mammering made to Watson as himselfe confessed to the late Earle of Northampton That all the Crownes and kingdomes in this world should not induce him to change any iot of his profession which was the pasture of his soule earnest of his eternal inheritance and as he thus protested at his first entrance so in the conclusion of one of his last speeches to the Parliament he sheweth himselfe in this point euer like himselfe I am now out of conscience and for security saith he not to forget religion I spake to you last as a Prophet that t was likely the Papists had some new plot in hand now you see it is come to passe and I will let you know this much their ayme was not at him alone but at other Princes to whereof I assure you I was one looke that these weedes doe not ouergrow the corne that Papiâ—try be not increased by one thing too much vsed among them They send out their kinsemen children and seruants to Doway and such like places these after they haue bene there nourished come daily ouer and with their poison infect others This one day will make you smart if it be not preuented And I pray God his Maiestie doe not proue as true a Prophet in this latter as the successe shewed him in the former how soeuer it sufficeth to shew his Maiesties auersenes from all maner of reconcilement things standing in the termes they doe Nay M. Doctour himselfe in his Epistle to Casaubon written since his going ouer professeth that except it were expected from his Maiestie that he should in a maner proclaime to the world that he was forced to that religion he saw not how in so great danger and iust anger he could possibly draw neerer to them who well deserâ—ed the anger by procuring the danger M. Doctour then might well haue spared his paines of writing to his Maiestie to that purpose considering withall he had by his owne acknowledgement receiued full answere from M Casuabon that his Maiestiâ—s setled determination was as he had before signified to Cardinall Perron not at all to shake hands with Rome whiles her whordomes and withcrafts yet remaine in such abundance My wish and hearty prayer to God is and I think not mine alone but of all good men neither would I account my life deare to be spent in the furtherance of it that the miserable rent and wide woundes which at this day wee see in the Christian world in matter of Religion might by some good meanes be closed vp for the sparing of the effusion of so much Christian blood the securing of the Crownes of Christian Princes the setling of so great distraction in Christian mindes the wiping away of the scandall of diuision from the Christian profession and lastly resisting with vnited forces the common enemie of the blessed and glorious name of Iesus Christ But as long as the Bishop of Rome shal hang the faith of his followers on this Principle I and my Church cannot possibly erre and with the same stoppe the mouths of all his opposites bee the force and euidence of their arguments neuer so cleare and stronge I cannot conceiue otherwise of such a wish then of an honest desire but without any apparent hope of successe For if diuine authoritie doe concurre with them in all their ordinances if Gods Spirit infallibly assist them in all their decisions what remaines there but only that they teach wee beleeue they command and the world obey Indeed in humane gouernments where reason is shut out there tyrannie is thrust in but where God commandeth to aske a reason is presumption to disobey rebellion to this miserable necessitie haue their assertions tied them which they haue laid for their eternall foundation miserable to themselues and miserable to the whole world nay in so many conferences as haue beene held in this age for pacification it hath beene truely obserued that ere they parted they plainely discouered they came not with any such intent as to yeeld any thing for Peace much lesse for Trueths sake but onely to assay either by perswasion to reduce or otherwise by cunning to intrap and disgrace their aduersaries and if some one of them haue shewed himselfe more moderate at any time it hath beene his vtter disgrace with his owne partie for euer after Now for the manner of mine answering I haue set downe his text at large in his owne words without altering or adding so much as a sillable except it were to make sense where I found none imputing the errour thereof to the Printer rather then the Author I haue followed the Methode of his owne diuision for the most part both in the Chapters Sect. The maine scope of euery Sect. I haue answered in the bodie of my Reply stretching the force of
multitude iudge according to custome is because that they beeing bred and brought vp in the hatred of Spaniards and Papists can not choose but thinke they are bound to hate them still Wee might giue the same reason with more shew of truth of your multitude trained vp in the hatred of those who you call Lutheranes and Caluinists whom they are taught to hate more then ours either a Spaniard or Papist which two what reason you haue to couple together I vnderstand not except it be to iustifie the front of Puentes his booke Chronicler to the King of Spaine which sets forth Rome as the Sunne with this inscription Luminare maius vt praesit vrbi orbi and Spaine as the Moone with this Luminare minus vt subdatur vrbi dominetur orbi ouer both is written Fecit Deus duo magna luminaria and in the midst betweene both are the armes of Rome and Spaine knit together with this motto In vinculo pacis vnder the one is set Rome as a conquerour and vnder the other Spaine as a warriour both supporting betweene them the ball of the world vnder which is this title Tomo Primero de la conueniencia de las dos Monarquias Catholicas la de la Iglesia Romana y la del Imperio Espanol c. Neither are we ignorant who they are that doe not whisper it in corners but publish it to the world in their bookes that GOD MADE TWO GREAT LIGHTS ☉ The greater to be the Soueraigne of the City and the World ☽ The lesser to be ruled by the City and to ouer-rule the World IN THE BOND OF PEACE THE FIRST VOLVME OF THE CONVENIENCIE OF THE TVVO CATHOLIKE MONARCHIES THAT OF THE CHVRCH OF ROME and the other of the Spanish Empire With a Defence of the Precedencie of the Catholike KINGS of SPAINE before all the KINGS of the World TO THE MOST GLORIOVS PHILIPPO ERMENIGILDO OVR LORD EMPEROVR OF THE KINGDOMES OF SPAINE AND SENIOR OF THE GREAtest Monarchie that euer hath bene amongst men from the Creation of the World to this age AVTHOR Mr. Fr. IVAN de la Puente of the Order of the Predicants Chronicler to the Catholicall Maiestie Calificador to the Inquisition and Prior of S. Thomas in Madrid 1612. We haue the true resemblances of royall linages ROME SPAINE IN MVTVALL AYDE At MADRID Out of the Kings Print P.P. fe FECIT DEVS DVO LVMINARIA MAGNA Luminare maius vt praesit Vrbi et Orbi Luminare minus vt subdatur vrbi et dominetur orbi In vinculo pacis TOMO PRIMERO DE LA conueniencÃa de las dos MonarquÃas CatolÃcas la de la Iglesia Romana y la del ImperÃo Espanol y defensa de la Precedencia de los Reyes Catolicos de Espanna a todos los Reyes del Mundo AL GLORIOSISIMO FILIPO Ermenigildo nuestro Sennor Emperador de las EspanÌ„as y SenÌ„or de la maior Monarquia que antenÃdo los hombres des de la creacÃon hasta el SÃglo presente Autor el Maestro fr Iuan de la Puente de la orden de Predicadores ChronÃsta de la Mag a CatolÃca CalÃfÃcador dela InquisicÃon y PrÃor de S to Tomas de MadrÃd 1612. as there is one head who guides all in spirituall so there should bee but one to doe well in all Christendome to gouerne all in ciuill affaires and not vnlikely Mr. Doctor when he thus ioyned Spaniards and Papists together might secretly ayme at some such matter and yet are not the Pope and the Spaniard so firmely vnited betweene themselues but that Charles the V. was content to winke at least at the sacking of Rome by Charles Burbon then vnder his pay and Phillip the II. his sonne being one of the pretenders to the Crowne of Portugall refused to stand to his Holinesse arbitrement in the decision of that controuersie and they both while they liued were and this present king yerely is accursed at least inclusiuely for withholding the kingdomes of Naples and Sicilie as being of right parts of S. Peters patrimonie But all that is obiected against the Papists or Spaniards are in your account the falsifications and slanders of puritanicall Preachers howbeit who they are that labour by that meanes to disgrace their opposites let the Pictures forged and printed of our fained persecutions in couering your Catholikes with Beares skinnes and baiting them with dogs testifie and your reports which my selfe haue heard from your Friers in their Pulpits of our strange barbarisme as well in manners as religion as if no sparke of ciuilitie or knowledge of God were left amongst vs. It is your practise if not your doctrine Calumniare audacter semper aliquid haeret Bee bold to lay on loade with slandering somwhat will alwaies sticke to though the wound be closed and cured some scarre will euer remaine though a man purge himselfe neuer so sufficiently yet such is the nature of slander that it runnes faster and spreads farther then the purgation Many who heard the one neuer heard of the other or if they heard it through malice and naturall corruption they more willingly hold fast and entertaine the one then the other I haue heard it credibly reported that a Spaniard comming to Oxford and seeing the Trinitie pictured long agoe in the Diuinitie schoole window he wondred at it considering hee had been taught by their Preachers that wee denied and blasphemed the Trinitie And here the Pamphlet written and published of Bezaes death and reuolt which himselfe liued to answere with Bezarediuiuus though it bee famously knowen yet it is not amisse to reuiue it being so notable and shamelesse an imposture Touching your motion to his Maiestie for the silencing of those Preachers vpon whom for speaking freely against the abuses of the Church of Rome you bestow the liuerie of Make-bates it is not vnlike for the manner of it to Philips capitulating with the Athenians that for the better negotiating of a peace they would be content for a while to deliuer ouer their Orators into his custodie But Demosthenes finding himselfe to be chiefly interessed in that businesse told his citizens that it was as much as if the woolues should desire to haue the dogs in their keeping that guarded the sheepe His Holinesse may permit and countenance and by rewards incourage his Iesuites and Friars to speake and write what they list of Kings Princes and namely of his Maiestie our most renowmed Soueraigne witnesse the railings and slanders of Pacenius Christanouie Becanus Coquaeus Eudaemon Schoppius Rebullus Parsons Coffeteau Peletier Gretser their pennes may walke at libertie their tongues are theirs they ought to speake what Lord shall them controll But his Maiestie shall doe well to bridle and restraine his most painefull and duetifull Ministers who stand in the watch-tower and keepe Sentinell to discrie the incursions of the enemie and to discouer such false Prophets as come to vs in sheepes clothing but within are rauening woolues or if
referre this Matrimoniall cause to the hearing and determining of his Legates but gaue Campeius a secret Bull in his bosom as witnesseth Francis Guicciardin in the 19th Booke of his Historie a Catholike in his profession no man more a reporter of things hee sawe no man truer and a creature of the Popes imployed in honourable charges the Copie of it is to be seene in Anti-Sanders dated in the yeere 1527. the 17th of December and the fifth yeere of Clement the seuenths Popedome wherein hee infringeth the former dispensatioÌ„ affirming that the King could not continue in such Matrimonie without sinne whereupon hee decreed that after the delaration of the nullitie of the former mariage and the Kings absolution it should bee lawfull for him to marrie another This Bull he forbad him to shew to any saue onely to the King and Cardinall Wolsey his fellow Commissioner in that businesse and though openly he commanded him to handle the cause with all expedition yet secretly hee willed him to protract the time promising that himselfe would watch an opportunitie to publish the Decree so the King and Queene were cited to appeare before them in May following at which time after some debating of the cause they protracted the sentence till the beginning of August and after many delayes finding that King Henry could not by hope of the diuorce bee drawen to side with the French the Pope commanded Campeius to burne his Bull and to returne home whereby it appeares that King Henry might easily haue had the nullitie of his mariage with Queene Katherine ratified at Rome without taking the title of Supreme head if hee would haue yeelded to the Popes conditions But the Lords you say and Commons would neuer haue suffered such a Statâ—te to bee made had not that title inabled the King to pull downe Abbeys and Religious houses and giue them to Lay men I would faine know then what mooued the Bishops to giue way to it who had no share in that diuision yet had they with the consent of the Clergie passed it in Conuocation before it was so much as proposed in Parliament and for the Commons a very little share fell out to their parts And if â—he assuming of that title were indeed so needfull as you pretend for the supressing of those houses by what authoritie did Cardinall Wolsey dissolue some and the King by his example more before that title was by him publikely assumed Now for Queene Elizabeth it is true that she reuiued those Statutes of Supremacie enacted by her father and repealed by her sister but not without diuers exceptions as may appeare by the bookes in so much as a new forme of Oath was established by her which is the Oath at this day in force the refusall of which vpon a second offering by such as stand conuicted of a former refusall is by the Statute of 5â— Eliz. cap. 1. made high Treason and it is none otherwise Nay further by an expresse prouiso in that Statute none are compellable to take the Oath the second time but Ecclesiasticall persons and some few others especially named in that Statute neither doth shee take to her in that or any other Statute the title of Supreme head but of Gouernour by which what shee vnderstood herselfe expressed in her Iniunctions and her Clergie in their 37. Article confirmed in two seuerall Conuocations where they thus speake Where wee attribute to the Queenes Maiestie the chiefe Gouernment by which title we vnderstand the mindes of some slanderous folkes to be offended wee giue not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or of the Sacraments the which thing the Iniunctions also lately set foorth by Elizabeth our Queene doe most plainely testifie but that onely prerogatiue which we see to haue beene giuen alwayes to all godly Princes in holy Scripture by God himselfe that is thâ—t they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the ciuill sword the stubburne and euill doers neither doe I see how Osorius in his Epistle to her can be interpreted to affoord her lesse where he professeth that all Kings are Pro parte suaiuris diuini Vicarij Vicars of Gods Law in their places From Queene Elizabeth you passe to his Maiestie and tell him that he confirmed the same Statute to satisfie other men arguing therein his Maiestie of great weakenesse either as being not able to iudge what he did or as being caried by others against his owne iudgement But that his MAIESTIE did it aduisedly and rather to satiffie himselâ—e then others appeares by this that hee was inuested with the same power which that Statute giues him before his receauing of the Crowne of England and since himselfe with his owne penne hath thus both iustified and explained it if these examples saith he sentences title and prerogatiues and innumerable other in the olde and new Testament doe not warrant Christian Kings within their owne dominions to gouerne their Church aswell as the rest of their people in being Custodes vtriusque tabulae not by making new Articles of Faith which is the Popes office as I said before but by commaunding obedience to bee giuen to the word of God by reforming the Religion accâ—rding to his prescribed will by assisting the Spirituall power with the Temporall sword by reforming of corruptions by procuring due obedience to the Church by iudging and cutting off all friuolous questions and Schismes as Constantine did and finally by making decorum to be obserued in euery thing and establishing orders to be obserued in all indifferent things for that purpose which is the onely intent of the Oath of Supremacie if this office of a King I say doe not agree with the power giuen him by Gods word lâ—t any indifferent man void of passion iudge But yet his Maiestie you say yeeldeth the Church of Rome to be the Mother Church and the Bishop of Rome to bee the chiefe Bishop or Primate of the Westerne Churches Indeed his Maiesty in his first speech in his first Parliament called after his entrâ—nce to this Kingdome is pleased to acknowledge the Romane Church to be our Mother Church this M. Doctour is content to vrge but to conceale that which he addeth defiled with infirmities and corruptions as the Iewes were when they crucified Christ and as I am none enemy saith he to the life of a sicke man because I would haue his body purged of ill humours no more am I an enemy to their Church because I would haue them reforme their errours not wishing their throwing out of the Temple but that it might be purged and clensed from corruption otherwise how can they wish vs to enter if their house bee not first made cleane Herein Mr Doctour dealing with his Maiesty as the deuill did with our Sauiour hee pressed that out of the Psalme which made for himselfe Hee will giue
not some reason here to sweare that Garnet was not put to death for Religion but for Treason The like might bee verified of Campian who in the yeere 1580. came couertly into England in the company of Robert Parsons with a Facultie obtained of Gregorie the XIII conceiued in these very words Petatur à summo Domino nostro explicatio Bullae declaratoriae per Pium Quintum contra ELIZABETHAM ei adhaerentes Quam Catholici cupiunt intelligi hoc modo vt obliget semper illam haereticos Catholicos verò nullo modo rebus sic staÌ„cibus sed tum demum quando publica eiusdem Bullae executio fieri poterit Has praedictas Gratias concessit summus PoÌ„tifex Patri Roberto Parsonio Edmundo Campiano in Angliam profectur is die 14. Aprilis 1580. praesente Patre Oliuerio Manacro Assistente Let Petition bee made to our highest Lord that some explication be made of the declaratorie Bull of Pius Quintus against ELIZABETH and her adherents which the Catholikes desire so to be vnderstood that it may bind her and heretikes but Catholikes by no meanes as the case now stands but then onely when the said Bull may publikely be put in execution These Faculties the Highest Bishop granted to Robert Parsons and Edmund Campian being bound for England the 14. of April 1580 in the presence of Oliuer Manacar Assistant Here againe I would demaund of Mr. Dr how many of the Romish profession are ready to sweare solemnely as the olde Romans did in the Deifying of their Emperours that hee is now a Saint and that hee died a glorious Martyr not for treason but for religion But were not Harte and Horton Rishton and Bosgraue of the same religion Priests by their order and some of the same societie and yet died not for it Are there not at this present diuers Seminary Priests at Wisbich and Baldwin the famous Iesuite in the Tower Certainely if there bee any fault in their vsage it is that they find too much mercie their mercilesse disposition toward vs hauing so lately so fully and so often been tried I will conclude this point with a case of conscience wherwith your Romish Priests were to arme themselues their disciples in the reigne of Q. ELIZABETH in case they should be apprehended and examined to the 55. Article when thâ— question is demaunded Whether notwithstanding the Bull of Pius the 5th that was giuen out or any Bull that the Bishop of Rome can hereafter giue foorth all Catholikes bee bound to yeeld obedience faith and loyaltie to Queene ELIZABETH as to their lawfull Prince and Soueraigne this resolution is framed Qui hoc modo interrogat illud quaerit Anid potuerit S. Pontifex facere cui quaestioni quid debeat Catholicus respondere clarius est quà m vt à me hâ—c explicetur sirogatur ergo Catholicus Credis Romanum pontificem ELIZABETHAM potuisse exauthor are respondebit non obstant e quouis metu mortis credo questio enim haec ad fidem spectat exigit confessionem fidei Hee that demandeth this question asketh in effect Whether the Pope might doe it or no to the which demaund what a Catholike ought to answere it is plainer then neede here be further expressed if therefore a Catholike bee asked Doe you beleeue the Bishop of Rome may depriue Queene ELIZABETH of her Crowne hee must answere not regarding any danger of death I beleeue hee may for this question is a point of faith and requireth the profession of our faith If any such Cabale onely the names changed runne yet as current among such as bee reconciled to the Church of Rome at this day as I know nothing to the contrary but it may if Mr. Dr. had returned vpon his returne endeuoured to haue framed his Proselites to those or the like conditions he might iustly haue suffred for it without any aspersion either of persecution vpon his Maiesties gouernement or cruelty vpon his Lawes howsoeuer it hath been discouered by the Missiues of of some such reconcilers sent to their Generall that for so many as they haue reconciled they dare sweare vpon what occasion soeuer may fall out they will bee ready to side with them and for such for mine owne part I dare not sweare being conuicted and sentenced that they die for religion But yet I commend Mr. Doctors witte aboue the zeale hee boasteth of that hee thought it fitter to stay there and dispute the matter with his pen then by comming ouer and practising put his person in hazzard And herein as through his whole discourse hee playes the Polititian chusing rather to sleepe in a whole skin then to resist vnto blood and to indanger his body for the gaining of soules CHAP. II. The hopes I haue to doe your MAIESTIE no ill seruice in being Catholike B. C. 1. MY first hope is that your Maiesty will accept of that for the best A seruice I can doe you which doth most further the glory of our blessed Sauiour and mine owne saluation B Indeed there are kingdomes in the world where the chiefe care of the gouernour is non quà m bonis praesit sed quà m subditis Such were the heathen kingdomes which S. Augustine describes in 2. de Ciuitate Dei Cap. 20. In such Common wealths the way to be a good Subiect is not to be a good man but to serue the times and turnes of them that beare the sway whatsoeuer they are C But if it be true that as some holy and learned Fathers teach in a well ordered gouernment there is eadem foelicitas vnius hominis ac totius ciuitatis then I am sure it must needes follow that in a Common-wealth truely Christian there is â—adem virtus boni viri ac boni ciuis And therefore being a Minister and Preacher of England if I will rather serue your Maiesty then my selfe and rather procure the good of your kingdome then mine owne prefâ—rment I am bound in duety to respect and seeke for those things aboue all other that may aduance the honour of God and the saluation of my owne soule and the soules of those which do any way belong to my charge And being sufficiently resolued that nothing can more aduance the honour of our Sauiour and the common saluation then to be in the vnity of his Church I haue done you the best seruice I could at home by preaching peace and reconciliation and being not able for the malice of the times to stand any longer in the breach at home I thinke it safest in this last cast to looke to mine owne game by my dayly prayers and dying to do your Maiesty the same seruice in the vnity of the Church which by my dayly preaching and liuing I endeuoured to doe in the midst of schisme G. H. 1. A In furthering the glory of God you shall doe others as much and in sauing your owne soule your selfe more seruice then his Maiesty but
if you pretend both and in the end performe neither it is the worst piece of seruice you can doe B I suppose there is no gouernour in the world who deserues that name but that a chiefe part of his care is to make his subiects at leastwise morally good that so he may find them the more obedient and some of those very heathen kingdoms which S. Augustine describes in his bookes of the city of God specially that of the Romanes yeelded more rare examples of morall goodnesse namely of iustice and temperance then it doth at this day though it professe Christ. And for the seruing of the times and turnes of those that beare the sway I doubt not but as many may be found in those kingdomes which you call Catholike who are as able and willing to doe it for their owne aduantage as amongst the heathen themselues C It is true that the happinesse of the whole State extends to euery particular member of the same in as much as they all belong to the same body but that the happinesse of euery particular member should reach to the whole body of the State is not alike certaine But to grant both I must confesse my dulnesse I conceiue not how from thence it followes that the vertue of a good man and a good citizen is alwayes and necessarily the same Once I am sure that Aristotle who defends the one denies the other Bodin both a Christian a Catholike of your owne in my iudgement truely obserues that the best men for the most part are the worst Statesmen in as much as being caried vp to heauen by contemplation they shunne societie and seeke out deserts and solitary places for their abode And I would faine know of your Monkes and Friers and Hermites and Anchorites who presume by their vertue and goodnesse not onely to merite for themselues but to supererogate for others what good they doe as members for the Common wealth but onely by meanes of that imaginary Supererogation which is no lesse hard for a wise man to beleeue then for a good to performe But to let passe the examination of the trueth of both those positions and the dependance of the later vpon the former your inference therupon to iustifie your selfe and your owne proceedings is both in it selfe more vntrue and in regard of the premises more loose and inconsequent in as much as by leauing your station and betaking your selfe vnto and consulting with the enemies of his Maiesty and the State for the ruine and destruction of both which you maske vnder the glorious titles of honour of our Sauiour common saluation vnity peace reconciliation seruice to his Maiesty good of his kingdome you neither performe the part of a good Common wealths man not yet of an honest man consequently indanger as farre as in you lieth not onely the happinesse of the State in which you liued Church in which you were baptized but of your owne together with them but aboue all a marueile it is that acknowledging your selfe a member of the Church of Rome you notwithstanding still professe your selfe a Minister of the Church of England since your common opinion of vs is that amongst vs there is no lawfull calling to the Ministery no sucâ—ession or conferring of holy Orders no Ephod no Teraphim but that our Ministers are in the state of Lay-men and none other Of this cunning dealing I can conceiue none other reason but that you may with more ease and least suspition conuey your poyson into the readers minde B. C. 2. And although it be sufficient for a man of my profession to respect onely matters of heauen and of another world yet because this world was made for that other I haue not regarded mine owne estate that I might respect your Maiesties therein And after long and serious meditation what religion might most honour your Maiestie euen in this world I haue conceiued vndoubted hope that there is no other Religion that can procure true honour and securitie to your Maiestie and your posteritie in this world but the true Catholike Roman Religion which was the very same whereby all your glorious Predecessours haue beene aduanced and protected on earth and are â—uerlastingly blessed in heauen G. H. 2. The deuill howbeit he be rather a Polititian then of any other profession yet when he came to tempt our LORD tooke vpon him the habite of a Diuine but you in tempting the LORDS annointed lay aside the habite of a Diuine and wholy take vpon you the person of a Polititian But herein if I should tell you you played Phormioes part before Hannibal you would thinke your deepe Policie much impeached Now as you differ from the Deuill in that he turned himselfe in appearance into an Angel of light being indeede a Spirit of darkenesse but you being an Angel in profession turne your selfe into a tempter so in this you both agree as if you had learned your methode from him and proposed him as your patterne that as hee being beaten from Scripture betooke himselfe as being his last refuge to the shewing of the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them to our Sauiour promising him all if hee would but fall downe and worship so you perceiuing belike all other arguments to bee spent in vaine at length you purpose to try what vse may bee made of the deuils last motiue by promising his Maiestie all worldly honor and securitie for himselfe and his posteritie if he would but fall downe and worship your Lord the Pope but as the deuil promised that which was none of his to giue so doth your Lord too in the disposing of those kingdoms and the glory of them which no way belong vnto him except it bee by the title of being heire apparent to the god of this world and the prince that ruleth in the aire but were it not for feare of interrupting of your deepe and serious meditations I should make bold to put you to the question whether these were the baits that Saint Peter angled with to catch soules or the weapons that Saint Paul fought with when he professed that they were not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holdes they proposed not honour and securitie to the disciples of CHRIST but hazard and basenesse I insist the longer vpon this argument because the whole following discourse is stuffed with nothing else but reasons of this nature as if in the profession of Religion not the sinceritie and trueth of it were so much to be regarded as those secular and temporall commodities which sometimes attend it as the shadow doth the bodie His Maiesties owne words to his sonne of fresh blessed memorie touching this point are most remarkeable worthy to be written in letters of gold and to be ingrauen in a pillar of brasse or marble If sayeth he my conscience had not resolued mee that all my Religion presently professed by mee and
my Kingdomes was grounded vpon the plaine words of the Scripture without the which all points of Religion are superfluous as any thing contray to the same is abomination I had neuer outwardly auowed it for pleasure or awe of any flesh I take his meaning to be either for loue or feare of any mortall man or rather for any worldly and fleshly consideration whether it were to gaine and make aduantage by entertaining and embracing it or to loose and suffer disaduantage by reiecting and opposing the contrary I speake not this as if by Gods grace as much and more both honour and securitie did not waite vpon our Religion as vpon the Romish but onely to shew that these are no sufficient inducements to draw so much as a priuate man much lesse to mooue the diuine and noble spirit of a Christian prince specially such a prince as hath often shewed himselfe able to iudge of reasons of a higher straine to the accepting of a new beliefe and another forme in the seruice of God but only the plaine demonstration and cleare euidence of the truth of that beliefe and necessitie of that forme B. C. 3. The first reason of my hope is the promise of God himselfe to blesse and honour those that blesse his Church and honour him and to curse and confound those that curse his Church and dishonor him which hee hath made good in all ages There was neuer any man or Citie or State or Empire so preserued and aduanced as they that haue preserued the vnitie and aduanced the prosperitie of the Church of Christ nor any been made more miserable and inglorious then they that haue dishonoured Christ and make hauocke of his Church by Schisme and heresie G. H. 3. To grant that which you assume that the Church of Rome is the onely true Church this argument drawen from temporall blessings is sometimes false vncertaine alwayes and your assertion that neuer any man or Citie or State was preserued aduanced as they that haue presâ—rued the vnitie and aduanced the prosperitie of the Church of Christ is very broad and too large considering it extends euen to Solomon himselfe who though hee aduanced the Church yet can it not properly bee said that hee aduanced the Church of Christ nay out of the Church who were euer more prosperous succesfull in their affaires then Augustus and Traian Of the former of whom it is said that he found Rome of Bricke and left it of Marble of the later that hee raised the Romane Empire to the highest pitch of glory and spread the power of their Command vnto the farthest borders and largest circuit that euer before or since hath by them been possessed for the kingdome of Dacia hee subdued Armenia Parthia and Mesopotamia made subiect Assyria Persia and Babylon conquered passed Tygris and stretched the confines of the Romane Empire vnto the remotest dominions of the Indies which neuer before that time had seene the Romane Banners or so much as heard of their name besides his morall vertues were such that in the choyce of a new Emperour they euer wished for one more happie then Augustus better then Traian and yet this man with whom for outward prosperitie no Christian Emperour can bee balanced was not only out of the Church but an enemie to it raised against it the third and one of the hotest persecutions of the tenne For further proofe hereof I referre the reader for this point to S. Augustines first 10. bookes of the Citie of God and surely he that shal duely consider the flourishing greatnesse of the Assy rian and Grecian but especially the Romane Monarchy will easily discouer the lightnesse of this reason and the vanitie of the assertion I speake not to detract from the Christian and truely Catholike religion euen in regard of outward blessings but onely to proue that God bestowes them sometimes vpon the good thereby to shew that absolutely and in themselues they are not bad sometimes againe vpon the bad to shew that in themselues they are not good and takes them sometimes from both to shew that in their owne nature they are indifferent B. C. 4. If I had leasure and bookes it were easie for mee to enlarge this point with a long enumeration of particulars but I thinke it needlesse because I cannot call to mind any example to the contrarie except it be the State of Queene Elizabeth or some one or two others lately fallen from the vnitie of the Catholike Church or the State of the great Turke that doth still persecute the Church of Christ and yet continues in great glory in this world but when I consider of Queene Elizabeth I find in her many singularities she was a woman and a mayden Queene which gaue her many aduantages of admiration she was the last of her Race and needed not care what became of the world after her dayes were ended she came vpon the remainders of deuotion and Catholike religion which like a Bowle in his course or an Arrow in his flight would goe on for a while by the force of the first moouer and shee had a practise of maintaining warres among her neighbours which became a woman well that she might be quiet at home and whatsoeuer prosperitie or honour there was in her dayes or is yet remaining in England I can not but ascribe it to the Church of Rome and to Catholike religion which was for many hundred yeeres together the first mouer of that gouernment and it is still in euery setled kingdome and hath left the steppes and shadow thereof behinde it which in all likelihood cannot continue many yeeres without a new supplie from the fountaine G. H. 4. Why you should ioyne Queene Elizabeth with the great Turke I see no reason but onely for the iustifying of Rainolds his booke of Caluino Turcisme Otherwise a marueile it is that you would instance in her happinesse whom the Pope in his Briefe declared amiserable woman and yet her gouernement was not more happie then her sisters who notwithstanding shee submitted her necke to the Romane yoke was vnfortunate howbeit in her owne disposition she is reported to haue been a gracious and vertuous Lady instance may bee brought in the bringing in of a forreiner the frustrating of the great hope of her conception her short and bloody reigne extraordinary dearths and hurts by thunder and fire and lastly the losse of Calis the last footing wee had in France being held by her predecessors the space of about 250 yeeres whereas Queene Elizabeth oppugned and accursed from her very Cradle by the Church of Rome their thunderbolts returned vpon their owne heads and her selfe like a tender plant after a thunder shower prospered the more and being no lesse full of honour then dayes she was gathered to her fathers as a ripe sheafe of corne that is carried into the barne in so much that her Successour our most renowned SOVERAIGNE in admiration of
heauen and surely mine opinion is God forgiue me if I thinke amisse that a great part of those who professe his naturall body to be here doubt much of his being there And for the grace of his humanitie as you call it thus much no Christian man will denie that when Christ sanctified his owne flesh giuing as God and taking as man the holy Ghost he did not this for himselfe onely but for our sakes that the grace of sanctification and life which was first receiued in him might passe from him to his whole race as malediction came from Adam vnto all mankinde That which quickeneth vs is the spirit of the second Adam and his flesh that wherewith hee quickneth our corruptible bodies could neuer liue the life they shall liue were it not that here they are ioyned with his body which is incorruptible and that his is in ours as a cause of immortality and as little doubt there is but that this vitall and sauing grace which flowes from the humanitie of Christ is imparted vnto vs by meanes of the Sacraments they being sensible instruments for the conueying of those blessings to our soules which are in themselues incomprehensible And for that Sacrament which is most properly said to impart life vnto the receauer as the other doth food and sustenance it is acknowledged by those very men who are otherwise most bitter and vncharitable towards vs that children baptized with vs are thereby made capable of eternall saluation as far forth as if they had receiued that Sacrament in that Church after that forme which they cal Catholike coÌ„sequently you are inforced out of the streÌ„gth of your own principles to grant howbeit out of malice you labour to denie it that the grace of Christs humanity is not onely present with vs in corners and prisons among your complices but in our publique congregations in a more speciall manner then by the power of his dietie by which he is as wel present among the diuels in hell as among the Pope Cardinals assembled in consistory for the subuersion of states and ruine of kingdoms yet to affirme that he is none otherwise present in that Church except in corners and prisons and places of persecution but onely by the power of his dietie and not at all by the grace of his humanity I will neither be so vnaduised as to deliuer nor so vncharitable as to conceiue howbeit I haue good reason both to conceiue and to deliuer thus much that the honour which you pretend you doe him in your will-worship cannot but redound to his great dishonour nay our assurance is that being successours of his Apostles and Disciples in doctrine as you are of the Pharises in traditions the promise of his presence to the worlds end as well by the sanctification as the direction of his holy Spirit is rather made to vs then you B. C. 8. And for his mysticall body which is his Church and Kingdome there can bee no greater dishonour done to Christ then to maintaine Schisme and discention therein What would your Maiestie thinke of any subiects of yours that should goe about to raise ciuill dissention or warres in your Kingdome and of those that should foster and adhere vnto such men It is the fashion of all rebels when they are in armes to pretend the safety of the king and the good of the countrey but pretend what they will you cannot account such men any better then traitours and shall we beleeue that our blessed Sauiour the King of kings doth sit in heauen and either not see the practises of those that vnder colour of seruing him by reformation doe nothing els but serue their owne turnes and distract his Church that is his kingdome on earth by sedition or shall wee thinke that hee will not in time reuenge this wrong verely hee seeth it and doth regard it and will in time reuenge it G. H. 8. Wee as willingly grant as you are ready to prooue that a great dishonour is done to Christ by maintaining Schisme and dissention in his Church which ought to bee without seame as his coat But we demand who were the authours of this Schisme they which departed not froÌ„ the Church it selfe but from the corruptions thereof or they who stiffely maintaining those corruptions inforced this departure when Iacob was driuen to depart from Laban by his ill vsage was the breach in Iacob or in Laban when God commaundeth his people to goe out of Babylon lest they should partake of her sinnes and plagues doeth the going out of the people make a Schisme or the sinnes of Babylon It is true that wee haue forsaken that society which wee held with Rome but no farther then Rome it selâ—â—â—ath forsaken Christ and howsoeuer shee pretend the honâ—â—â— of Christ as rebels doe the name of the King and State yet in trueth she is Antichristian in persecuting the members of Christ and as in many other things so chiefly in challenging that vniuersality of power and infallibility of iudgement to her selfe which is onely due to our Sauiour And shall we thinke that he will not in time reuenge this wrong It cannot be but that her sinnes are come vp to heauen and God hath remembred her iniquities and in due time that command will take place Reward her as she hath rewarded you and giue her double according to her workes and in the cup that shee hath filled to you fill her the double in so much as she glorified her selfe and liued in pleasure so much giue ye to her of torment and sorrow for shee saith in her heart I sit being a Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning Therefore shall her plagues come at one day death and sorrow and famine and shee shall bee burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God which will condemne her And thus our assurance is that your threats shall returne vpon your selues verily hee seeth it and doth regard and will in time reuenge it B. C. 9. But I hope and pray that hee will not reuenge it vpon you nor yours but rather that he will shew that your desire to honour him is accepted of him and therefore will mooue you to honour your selfe and your posterity with bestowing the same your fauour vpon his Church in the vnity thereof which you doe now bestow in the Schisme and that hee will reward both you and yours for the same according to his promise not onely with euerlasting glory in heauen but also with long continued temporall honour and security in this world and this is the first reason of my hope grounded vpon the promise of God G. H. 9. You are herein somewhat more manerly in words though litle lesse malicious in heart then Dr. Bishop a bird of the same feather who in an Epistle directed in like manner to his MAIESTIE as yours is spares not to speake out but tels him plainely when they see no hope of remedie the
it to the world that no other sect of heretikes not excepting Turke Iew nor Pagan no not euen those of Calicute who adore the deuill did euer maintaine it by the grounds of their religion Marke by the grounds of their religion that it was lawfull or rather meritorious as the Romish Catholikes call it to murder princes or people for quarrell of religion And although particular men of all professions of religion haue beene some theeues some murtherers some traitours yet euer when they came to their ende and iust punishment they confessed their fault to be in their nature and not in their profession these Romish Catholikes onely excepted And if that be your religion which we finde maintained by the chiefe pillars and Doctours of your Church and determined to bee Catholike by your Popes and Cardinals surely we haue as litle reason to entertaine your doctrine as wee haue good reason euer to be iealous of your practise Your doctrine is That the Pope if hee thinke good may excommunicate and depose kings and dispose of their kingdomes by absoluing their subiects from their allegeance and setting forraine princes to inuade there dominions as if they held not their Crownes from God but from him and as if they were to write no more in their stiles by the grace of God but by the Popes grace king of such or such a kingdom Your doctrine is that treason deliuered vnder the seale of cōfession is not to be discouered though it be to the indangering of your Soueraigns person the subuersion of the whole body of the State Your doctrine is That as many Churchmen as are in the Kingdom which in most is a third part in some more they are all exempted from the coertion of the ciuill Magistrate being for punishment whether in bodie or in estate onely lyable to the censures of Ecclesiasticall courts which haue both dependance vpon the Popes authoritie and direction from his Canon Law Your doctrine is That as many Bishops and Arch-Bishops as are any where consecrated ought to take their oath to bee true and loyall to their good Lord and holy Father of Rome to the vtmost to execute and further his Commaunds without any limitation or reference to the authoritie of their Soueraigne Lord the King as may appeare by the tenour of the oath here ensuing which I haue annexed to the end the Reader may iudge whether this be the onely Religion as Mr. Doctour pretendeth to keepe Subiects in obedience to their Kings I Iohn Bishop or Abbot of A. from this houre forward shall be faithfull and obedient to S. Peter and to the Holy Church of Rome and to my Lord the Pope and his Successors Canonically entring I shall not bee of counsaile nor consent that they shall lose either life or member or shall bee taken or suffer any violence or any wrong by any meanes Their counsaile to mee credited by them their messengers or Letters I shall not willingly discouer to any person The Popedome of Rome the rules of the holy Fathers and the regalities of S. Peter I shall helpe retaine defend against all men The Legate of the Sea Apostolike going and comming I shall honourably intreate The rights honours priuiledges authorities of the Church of Rome and of the Pope and his Successors I shall cause to bee conserued defended augmented and promoted I shall not bee in Counsell Treatie or any act in the which any thing shall be imagined against him or the Church of Rome their rights states honours or power And if I know any such to bee mooued or compassed I shall resist to my power and assoone as I can I shall aduertise him or such as may giue him knowledge The rules of the Holy Fathers the decrees ordinances sentences dispositions reseruations prouisions and commandements Apostolike I shall keepe to my power cause to be kept of other Heretikes Schismatikes and Rebels to our Holy Father and his Successours I shall resist and persecute to my power I shall come to the Synode when I am called except I bee let by a Canonical impediment The lights of the Apostle I shall visite personally or by my deputie I shall not aliene or sell my possessions without the Popes Councell so God mee helpe and the holy Euangelists No meruaile then that Henry the eight when he commaunded the forme of this Oath to bee publikely reade in Parliament complained to the Speaker Sir Tho. Audely and some others whom for that purpose he sent for that he had thought the Clergie of his Realme had bene his Subiects wholly but now we haue well perceiued sayeth hee that they are to vs but halfe Subiects or indeed scarce Subiects at all Finally your doctrine is that the Christians in the Primatiue Church abstained from taking armes not so much for conscience sake as because they wanted strength which must needs open a wide gappe to the people vpon any humorous discontent when they once feele their owne strength like an vntamed horse to cast their rider if they may and that I may speake in your own phrase to make no bones of violating the Maiestie of the king and his children and is this a Religion fit to keepe Subiects in obedience to their Soueraignes Whereas our doctrine on the other side is That the persons of princes are sacred and by Gods ordinance priuiledged from all violence and for their actions that they are onely accomptable to God their Crownes and Scepters not disposeable by any but by him who set the one vpon their heads and the other in their hands who hath the name written on his thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords who as Iob speaketh leadeth Princes away spoiled and ouerthroweth the mightie and againe he powreth contempt vpon Princes and weakeneth the strength of the mightie Lastly our doctrine is that the Subiects duetie is not by any dispensable but by him alone who by his diuine prouidence subiected them to that power Now whether of these doctrines ours or yours is most likely to keepe men in obedience euen our enemies shall bee our Iudges Yet this to bee your doctrine your bookes witnesse and no man of learning and ingenuitie among you will denie But for our doctrine you pretend the opinions of Caluinists and those countrey Caluinists and those met in an Ale-house not in plaine termes but by consequences gathered not by sober or setled braines vpon iudgement but by working heads of greater libertie at their pleasure and that not in their bookes or speeches but in their liues and practises Thus the mountains swell as if wee should haue a giant borne but at length after much expectation wee haue a little mouse brought into the world What Mr. Doctour are there no principles in the Romish Catholike Religion from whence working heads of greater libertie doe at their pleasures draw the like dangerous consequences in their liues and practises If there bee none how comes it to passe that there are so many
of these were ioyned in Ely and Samuel and the other two in Moses The name of Presbyter Iohn seemes to import that they haue beene or should bee Priests and at this day the Kings of Malabar in the East Indies are all of them Bramenes that is Priests whereby it appeares that the Office of a King and a Priest are not incompatible in the same person but as they are not incompatible so neither among the Heathen was the Priest-hood essentially annexed to the Regall power as M. Doctor affirmeth Romulus indeed ioyned them but Numa disioyned them and Augustus againe reioyned them aswell for the safetie as the honour of the Emperour yet not so but that they might and afterwards did fall asunder Indeede the Bishop of Rome now as he succeedes those Emperours in place so doth he in that chalenge assuming to himselfe but in another sense then hee spake it whose Successour hee pretends himselfe Regale Sacerdotium a royall Priest-hood And being Christs Vicar he cannot for shame take to himselfe the title of Emperour or King but a power aboue them all as you truely tell vs CHRIST had but to none other purpose as I conceaue but from him to deriue it to his Vicar he being not only that Spirituall man who iudgeth all things himselfe being iudged of none by which hee is inabled to depose Princes but a Spirituall Prince himselfe which is the most fauourable construction that possibly can be giuen of those words Hunc vnum super omnes Gentes omnia regna principem constituit where Christ vnto whom all power was giuen both in heauen and earth is made to make the Bishop of Rome his Vicar the Soueraigne Lord and graund Commander of all the Nations and Kingdomes in the world applying that as properly meant of himselfe which was figuratiuely spoken to the Prophet I haue this day set thee ouer the nations and ouer the Kingdomes to roote out to pull downe to destroy to ouerthrow to build and to plant but in that hee makes himselfe a Prince he goes beyond euen the literall Commission of the Prophet The vse hath beene that the Christian Emperours at their Coronation should administer to the Pope in place of Subdeacon should put on a Surplis be admitted as Canonicks not onely of S. Peters Church in Rome but of St. Iohn Laterane which argues their acknowledgement of some Ecclesiasticall power to haue beene in them Nay Maximilian the first a Catholike Emperour went so farre as to attempt the vniting of the Papacie to the Empire The Pope neuer yet attempted so much in open shew and plaine termes but hath effected no lesse nay more indeede and in trueth in making the Papacie the Substantiue and the Empire the Adiectiue But among Christians saith our Dr. the Spirituall and Temporall authoritie haue two beginnings as if hee who gaue his Apostles Commission to preach the Gospel did not also proclaime in the eight of the Prouerbes By me Kings reigne it is there deliuered in the person of wisedome by which no doubt is to be vnderstood the second person in Trinitie the wisedome of the Father It may be his meaning is that the Spirituall authority is from the good God and the Temporall from the euill god distinguishing as the Manicheans did Or that the Spirituall is from God and the Temporall from the people or the Spirituall from Christ and the Temporall from Antichrist Howsoeuer from a double beginning he inferres a double Supremacie whereas to speake properly that is onely Supreme which giues beginning and not that which receiues howbeit in themselues since the institution of the Leuiticall Law wee must confesse them distinct and independant the Priest depending on the Prince in regard of externall coactiue iurisdiction but not of inward vocation or outward ordination Power of the keyes of administring the Sacraments of preaching the Word in himselfe hee hath not and consequently cannot confer it vpon others and therefore was Saul reproued by Samuel for sacrificing a burnt offering and Vzziah plagued with leprosie for burning incense in the Temple Yet by special dispensation Moses the Supreme ciuil Magistrate consecrated Aaron the high Priest and is in regarde of preheminence termed his god and Iehoshaphat King of Iudah by his ordinary power gaue instructions aswel to the Priests as to the Iudges how to administer their seuerall charges himselfe being as it were the head and these two as his two eyes or armes Indeed before the Kingdome was erected I take the high Priest and the chiefe Iudge among the Israelites to haue bene as two heads without any appeale either from each to other or to any Superior But when once they had a King appeales lay to him from both Thus did Saint Paul appeale from the high Priest of his owne Nation to Caesar though an Heathen Emperour and from him was there no appeale at all So that the Spirituall authoritie was then subordinate to the Temporall but when once it began to interpose it selfe in Temporall affaires and within a while after to oppose it selfe against the Temporall power it made a ready way to the destruction of both B. C. 35. As for your wealth it is true that the Crowne hath more pence payed vnto it now then in the Catholike times it had but it hath neuer the more wealth It is but the gaine of the tellers to haue more money True wealth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is the richest Prince that hath meanes to maintaine the greatest armie and to doe most magnificent workes both in warre and in peace wherin the facts of your Catholike ancestors doe appeare vpon good Record your Maiesties are but yet hoped for and if euer you haue the helpe of Catholike Religion to assist you I hope you shall excell them all otherwise I assure my selfe the Schisme will doe what it can to make you poore and then complaine that you are not rich It was indeed one of the maine pretenses in the statutes of Henry the VIII that the Schisme might inrich the King and maintaine his warres but God did not blesse it for notwithstanding all the Church lands and goods and tenths and fruits and premuniries King Henry the VIII was faine to abase his coyne more then once and yet he died not so rich as his Catholike father left him And since his time what is become of the Court of Augmentation what benefit doe you receiue of all the Church lands more then your Progenitors did when they were in the hands of the Clergie what ease haue your Subiects of Subsidies thereby or in briefe how much your Coffers are inriched you may be pleased to bee informed by those that haue to doe in those offices and can readily giue you an account for mine owne part I haue diligently read ouer the Statutes made by Henry the VIII and doe finde that
the euents are so cleane contrary to the Prefaces and pretences of them as if God of purpose would laugh them to scorne G. H. 35. If the Crowne haue more Pence paid in now then in former times it must needes follow that were it not by default of officers the meanes might bee greater to doe great workes both in peace and in warre whereas you vpbraid his Maiestie that his are but yet hoped for hee hath had other occasions as the world well knoweth of expence then his ancestors had and those occasions that they had hee hath not whether in building at home or in warring abroad theirs it may be were more conspicuous but his more necessary and yet I doubt not but vpon iust occasion his Maiestie would bee able to maintaine as great and as powerfull an armie as any of his predecessors to the terror of Rome and the Romanists who are so farre from complaining of his Maiesties wants as they would rather triumph most in this that hee were not rich Gretser in your account I am sure a good Catholike complaines not butscoffes at his Maiesties neede of money in his answere to Monsieur Plessis his Epistle Dedicatory to his Maiesty prefixed to his Mysteriū iniquitatis in which his Maiestie being incouraged by that noble Lord to lay by his Pen and take his sword in hand though it were to the passing of the Alps and the sacking of Rome Gretser in his replie makes it the burden of his song in diuers periods Sed deest pecunia But the onely sure way you say for his Maiestie to inrich himselfe is to turne Romane Catholike as if it were not fresh in memorie what infinite masses of treasure the pretence of that Religion carried out of the land to the triple Crowne of Rome and other forreiners well neere as much as was brought to the Crowne of England it selfe as appeares in Bonners Preface to Gardiners oration of true obedience In the reigne of King Henry the third it amounted by iust computation to the summe of 60000. markes which amounts to an incredible masse at this day and was more then the standing reuenues of the Crowne at that time as the Author of the British antiquities reports it out of Matthew Paris in the life of Boniface Archbishop of Canterburie in which relation are also set downe the grieuances which the Bishops the Abbots the Barons and the king himselfe exhibited in their seuerall Letters to his Holinesse touching the grieuousnesse of his exactions the effect whereof was as followeth That the Pope being not content with that aide which is called Peter-pence hee made money here in England by a thousand cunning sleights and trickes without the consent of the King against the ancient Right and Liberties of the Kingdome and against the Appeales put in by the Kings Ambassadours and Proctors in the Council of Lions That the Benefices and Prebendaries in England were by him conferred vpon Italians and Romanes not able to speake or so much as to vnderstand our language and that many times one Italian succeeded another as in lawfull inheritance the Church reuenues being by this meanes wasted and caried out of the kingdome the word of God not preached Ecclesiasticall dueties not obserued hospitality almes and Diuine Seruice neglected and lastly the walles and roofe of Chancels and Parsonage houses suffered to drop downe to the indangering of many soules and the vtter desolation of the Church That of those Churches into which hee thrust not strangers he exacted Pensions against his owne promise by letter That the natiue English were vpon all occasions drawen by Citations to the Court of Rome against the Customes and Common Law of the Kingdome and against the Popes owne priuiledges formerly granted To like purpose is that which I finde in a Manuscript of Mr. Hales a man renowned in his time aswell for his learning as his honestie his words are these speaking of the cunning fetches of the Bishops of Rome for the enriching of themselues and their Clergie to the impouerishing of the King and the State First saith hee they exempted the Clergy aswell the Secular as the regular from the authoritie of the Kings of England whereby they neither would obey the Prince but when and wherin it pleased them nor albeit they had the greater part of the possessions and profits of the Realme they would be contributory to the charges of the defence thereof but when it listed them Secondly they reserued to themselues the collations generally specially of all Archbishopricks Bishopricks Abbies Priories all other dignities and benefices in England which many times they gaue to aliants that neuer dwelt in England nor euer came into England So the reuenues thereof were not spent in the Realme but caried out of the same when they gaue them to any of the Realme they made them pay exceeding summes of money for Palls Annats First fruits Tenths and such like whereby the Realme from time to time was very much impouerished Thirdly they vsed to dispence not onely with their owne Lawes and Canons but also many times with Gods word in matters of Matrimony and otherwise whereby they sucked no litle treasure out of the Realme Fourthly in causes testamentary in causes of Matrimony and diuorces right of tithes oblations and obuentions they had decreed that men might appeale from any Court within this Realme to the Court of Rome whereby the people of this nation was very much troubled by reason it was so farre distant from this Realme and when they came thither they could not in long time haue redresse but with long delayes were constrained to spend whatsoeuer they had Fiftly with dispensations for eating flesh and white meates for pardons and redemption of soules out of Purgatory for dispensations with vowes and such like beggery they scraped together infinite summes of money and because no fish should escape for lacke of bait they had their Dataries and Collectours continually gaping for the prey resident here in England Lastly the Clergie of this Realme being animated by the authority of the Bishop of Rome the Arch-bishops Bishops and such as had Spirituall Iurisdiction within this Realme not onely vnreasonably troubled and vexed the people of this realme in their Courts but also exceedingly pilled polled and robbed them vnder colour of Fees and duties The Parsons and Vicars were not content with the moderate Mortuaries and Corse-presents but also daily increased the same and would haue what it pleased them without any consideration of the misery and pouerty of the widow and children liuing yea and many times where the dead had but a bare vse and no property in the goods and chattels they were found in his possession and in many places they would neither baptize nor marry nor bury but they would haue some extraordinary reward the common sort of Priests would not depart with any their Masses or praiers vnlesse they were sure to haue money Of these and the
like most vnsufferable vexations Iohn of Sarisbury in his 6. booke and 24. chapter De nugis Curalium complaines Polidor Virgil himselfe an Italian in his 8th booke and second chapter De inuentoribus rerum is not sparing in the relation of them and the booke aboue mentioned intituled Antiquitates Britannicae is so full of them as it seemes to haue bene written to none other purpose which notwithstanding I finde not gainesaid by any Romanist And can wee expect then that his Maiesty by the helpe of Romish Catholike Religion should euer bee enriched Surely in reason that which is the meanes of impouerishing his Realme and his subiects can not be a meanes of inriching him In the want of people saith Solomon he might as well haue sayd in the peoples want is the destruction of the Prince For as the multitude of people is the kings honour so the wealth of the people is the kings riches and the welfare of the people the kings safety But saith Mr. Doctour one of the maine pretenses of Henry the VIII was to enrich himselfe in the spoile of the Church which notwithstanding in euent proued to be contrary to which I reply with the Poet Careat successibus opto Quisquis ab euentu facta not anda putat Actions are not so much to be measured by their issues and euents as by the causes from which they spring and the ends to which they are directed When the people exceeded too much in offring gifts toward the worke of the Sanctuary by the discretion of Moses they were restrained and a proclamation made throughout the Campe they should bring no more Why should it not be as lawfull for Henry the VIII to restore it backe againe to the owners if too much were giuen as for Moses to restraine them for giuing hee tooke it out of their hands who vpon al occasions at the Popes command were ready to vse it as a weapon against himselfe and in defence of their holy Father and conferd it vpon those who therewith were to serue both himselfe and the State in peace at home and in wars abroad As the Church prayes for the ciuill state so is it to shield the Church and better it were the Church should quit a part of her maintenance then that the whole should lie obnoxious to the â—acrilegious hands of forreine vsurpation If in performance hereof that which should haue bene ordained to publike or sacred was by some ill disposed persons or the king himselfe turned to priuate and prophane vses or if that which inseperably belongs to the maintenance of Ecclesiasticall persons were put into the possession of those who serued not at the altar this manner of proceeding might so staine and vitiate the whole action as it might carry a secret curse with it vpon the authours and actours of it No doubt but a good cause and in it selfe most iust both may bee and oft is marred in the handling and being handled neuer so well yet in the issue it may miscarry Gods iudgements being alwayes in themselues most iust but many times their causes hidden from vs. I vndertake not the defence of Henry or any other Prince or person in robbing the Church but to his vnfortunate euents we may oppose the happy successe of Queene Elizabeth his daughter and successour both in gouernment and in opposition to the Church of Rome She maintained long and chargeable wars in diuers kingdomes abroad against Balak and Balaam Gog and Magog to the infinite expense of her treasure and yet at her death she left more in her coffers then her Romish Catholike sister and immediate predecessour notwithstanding her peace abroad her mariage with the Lord of the Indies and her readmittance though with much adoe of the Popes authority Lastly for full satisfaction in this point Mr. Doctor hauing so good intelligence of his Maiesties disposition and being so inwardly acquainted with his secrets as he makes himselfe could not well be ignorant that his Maiesty is so farre from inriching or hoping to inrich himselfe in the spoile of the Church vnder colour of religion that to his immortall fame since his comming to the Crowne he hath bound his owne hands and his posterity from alienating the reuenues consecrated to the Churches vse so that your inuectiue in this place is malicious against King Henry if in no other regard yet because it is impertinent in regard of his Maiesty who hath no Monasteries to pull downe nor as your selfe before confesse will to pull downe Churches but though he haue no will to pull downe Churches but rather to set them vp it followes not but that he should be willing to preserue that Church wherof vnder God he is set by God as the chiefe Gouernour from the spoile and tyrannie of forreine vsurpers Nay the latter may not vnfitly be inferred vpon the former And if in regard of that preseruation onely wee now pay his Maiesty what those tyrants formerly receiued he receiues nothing but what he rightly may nor we pay but what in duety and conscience we ought B. C. 36. There is yet another obiection or two in reason of state concerning your Maiesty which seeme to be harder to answere then all the rest Whereof the one is that your Maiestie hath vndertaken the cause in writing and set out a booke in print and it must needes be great dishonour to you to recall it This indeede is it which I haue heard the Caluinists of England often wish for before it was done and much boast of after it was by meanes effected that your Maiestie should no longer be able to shew your selfe indifferent as you did at the first but were now ingaged vpon your honour to maintaine their party and oppugne the Catholikes and altogether to suppresse them But there is nothing in that booke why your Maiesty may not when you please admit the Popes Supremacie in spirituals and you are partly ingaged thereby to admit the triall of the first general Councels and most ancient fathers and as for the question of Antichrist it is but an Hypotheticall Proposiâ—ion and so reserued as you may recall your selfe when you will And howsoeuer that booke cameforth either of your owne disposition or by the daily instigation of some others that did abuse your clemency and seeke to send you of their owne errand it cannot serue their turnes nor hinder your Maiestie from hearkening to an end of conteâ—tion For if King Henry the VIII in the iudgement of Protestants might saue his honour and contradict hiâ— booke from very good to starke naught they must not deny but that your Maiesty may increase your Honour by altering your booke from lesse good to much better G. H. 36. There are not onely two but many more Obiections that might be made in reason of State concerning his Maiesty which not onely seeme but are indeede harder to answere then your poore and slight euasions can giue satisfaction
this time should they plucke vp their spirits to the abandoning of that vniust challenge hauing now a Soueraigne who in his writings last published to the world bearing the date of this yeere Consecrates his Scepter his Sword his pen his endeuours vnto God in a thankefull acknowledgment of the grace bestowed on him in freeing him from the error of this age and his kingdome from the Popes yoke which kept it in thraldome in which God is now sincerely serued and called vpon in a language vnder stood of all in which the people may read the Scriptures without any speciall priuiledge and with the same freedome as the people of Ephesus of Rome of Corinth reade the Epistles written by S. Paul in which they pay no more tribute by the Polle thereby to obtaine the remission of there sinnes as they did scarce one hundreth yeeres yet past neither are they inforced to seeke their pardons beyond the Seas and the mountaines God himselfe presenting them to my Subiects sayeth hee in there owne Countrey by the doctrine of the Gospel and if in this regard it bee that the Cardinall termes the Churches of my Kingdome miserable for mine owne part 1 esteeme our misery aboue his happinesse since then wee haue by Gods prouidence such a Soueraigne let that aspersion neuer be fastened vpon our Nobility which his Maiesty iustly casteth vpon the French that in as much as they gaue way to the acknowledging of their King to bee deposable by the Pope it were fit that withall they should diuest themselues of their titles and resigne them to the third estate who were the only men that could neither bee so drawen by promises nor affrighted by threats but that they euer helde them fast to the maintenance of their Kings honour and the surety of his person B. C. 40. But perhaps the Commons of England doe gaine so much by the Schisme as they cannot abide to heare of vnity Indeed when the Puritan Preacher hath called his flocke about him and described the Church of Rome to bee so ignorant so Idolatrous and so wicked as hee hath made himselfe beleeue shee is then is hee wont to Congratulate his poore deceiued audience that they by the meanes of such good men as himselfe is are deliuered from the darkenesse and Idolatry and wickednesse of Popery and there is no man dare say a word or once mutter to the contrary But the people haue heard these lyes so long as most of them beginne to bee wearie and the wisest of them cannot but wonder how these Puritan Preachers should become more learned and more honest then all the rest that liued in ancient times or that liue still in Catholike Countreys or then those in England whom these men are wont to Condemne for Papists Neuerthelesse I confesse there bee many honest men and women amongst them that being carried away with preiudice or pretext of Scriptures doe follow these Preachers more of zeale and deuotion to the Church as my selfe did vntill I knew it was but Counterfeite and these good people if they might be so happy as to heare Catholikes answere for themselues and tell them the trueth would bee the most deuout Catholikes of all other But the most of the people were neuer lead by Sermons if they were the Catholike Church is both able and willing to supply them farre better then the Schisme but it was an opinion of wealth and liberty made them breake at first and if they doe duely consider of it they are neuer the better for either of both but much the worse G. H. 40. From the Nobles you descend to the Commons entring your discourse with the like imaginary Sermon of a Puritan Preacher as before you brought vpon the Stage in the 16th Section of this Chapter you paint him forth describing the Ignorance Idolatry and Wickednâ—sse of the Church of Rome and surely if this make a Puritan Dante 's and Boccace and Petrarch and Mantuan must bee Puritan Poets too and Guicciardin a Puritan historian and Sauanorola a Puritan Preacher though all Italians and most of them well acquainted with the Court of Rome which is now come in a manner to be all one with the Church of Rome The Ignorance of the people is such that they adore it as the mother of deuotion contenting themselues to beleeue as the Church beleeueth Of their ordinary Priests that my selfe meeting some of them in the streets and inquiring the way in Latin they haue replied they vnderstood not my Dutch Of their Friars that they haue a Company termed the Fraternitie of Ignorance of their Bishops and Cardinals that in the Tridentine Councill scarce twenty of two hundreth durst aduenture to speake publiquely but serued only as cyphers to fill vp the roomes and make vp the number of voyces Nay of their Popes themselues that some haue passed their grants with Fiatur in stead of Fiat others haue excommunicated them who helde the Antipodes as Zacharie at the instance of Boniface Archbishop of Mentz did Vergilius the famous Mathematician And lastly some haue condemned them for heretikes who studied the more refined kind of learning or any way smelt of the vniuersitie as Platina reports it of Paulus Secundus in whose time he liued and with the description of his life ended his owne Touching their Idolatrie when I shall see Doctor Raynolds his booke De Idololatria Romana soundly and fully answered I will in my Iudgement free them from that imputation before then I must take leaue to suspend it Lastly concerning their wickednesse I maruell the Doctor would giue occasion to rubbe afresh vpon that sore which if I should throughly open would proue so noisome and vnsauory Now if this make a Püritan Preacher to informe his auditory of these corruptions in that Church and to thanke God for our deliuerance from them if not in whole yet by Gods grace in some good measure I confesse my selfe to be a Puritan Preacher and thinke no honest minded Minister in England wil refuse that title tendred vnder those conditions and if the people doe not acknowledge this inestimable blessing with hearty thankefulnesse to God for it it is to bee feared he will remoue their Candlesticke and in his iudgement suffer them to relapse againe into their former disease B. C. 41. For wealth the Puritan vnthrift that lookes for the ouerthrow of Bishops and Churches Cathedrall hopes to haue his share in them if they would fallonce and therefore hee cannot chuse but desire to increase the Schisme that he may gaine by it but the honest Protestant that can endure the State of England as it is could bee content it were as it was for hee should receiue more benefit by it euery way The poore Gentleman and Yeoman that are burthened with many children may remember that in Catholike times the Church would haue receiued and prouided for many of their sonnes and daughters so as
themselues might haue liued and died in the seruice of God without posteritie and haue helped to maintaine the rest of their families which was so great a benefit to the Common-wealth both for the exoneration and prouision thereof as no humane policie can procure the like The Farmer and Husbandman who laboureth to discharge his payments hath little or nothing left at theyeres end to lay vp for his children that increase grow vpon him may remember that in Catholike times there were better penny-worths to bee had when the Clergie had a great part of the Land in their hands who had no neede to raise the Rents themselues and did what they could to make other Lords let at a reasonable rate which was also an inestimable benefite to the Commons so that whereas ignorant men carried with enuie against the Clergie are wont to obiect the multitude of them and the greatnesse of their prouisions they speake therein as much against themselues as is possible for the greater the number is of such men as be mundo mortui the more is the exoneration of the Commons and the more the land is of such as can haue no proprietie in them the better is the prouision of the Commons for themselues can haue no more then their food and their regular apparell all the rest either remaines in the hands of the Tenants or returnes in hospitalitie and reliefe to their neighbours or is kept in a liuing Exchequer for the seruice of the Prince and Countrey in time of necessitie so that the Commons doe gaine no wealth at all but rather doe lose much by the Schisme G. H. 41. You proceede and assure the Commons that our separation from Rome makes much against their wealth and libertie for proofe whereof you beginne with the Puritan vnthrift who lookes for the ouerthrow of Bishops and Churches Cathedrall hoping to haue his share in them Now I denie not but some such vnthrifts there may bee shrouding themselues vnder the vizard of those whome you call Puritans but their power is not so great God bee thanked as wee neede feare them nor I hope shall bee whiles his Maiestie and his posterity sway the Scepter who is so farre from pulling them downe or giuing any way vnto it that hee hath not onely to his immortall fame bound his hands from withdrawing any thing from them but restored them in Scotland and both often and openly professed No Bishop no King and as for them which looke for that ouerthrow let their eyes drop out of their sockets with looking and the yong rauens deuoure them I haue heard of a platforme of our Church gouernment deuised by Parsons if the Pope should once againe recouer his footing amongst vs in which one especiall piece of his proiect is the pulling downe of the Bishopricks Churches Cathedrall that his Holinesse and the Padres may bee all in all so that the Iesuites may most properly bee termed those Puritan vnthrifts And I make no doubt but if his Holinesse could dispence with those who withhold the Tenths of the Church he might as well dispence with the pulling downe of Bishoprickes and Cathedrall Churches Now for those honest Protestants who for matter of religion could be content it were as it was conditionally themselues might receiue more benefit their heads may bee in England but sure their hearts are in Rome deceiuing themselues aswell in vndervalewing the benefit they haue as in expecting that they haue not nor are euer like to haue the faire pretexts and promises made them from Rome being like the Apothecaries boxes haâ—â—ng Catholicon set on their front in capitall letters as if they conteined a soueraigne medicine for all diseases but within are full of deadly poison or like the apples of Sodome which are to looke to beautifull buâ— being touched onely with the finger presently are turned into dust The first apple you present the Commons if they yeeld to the reentertaining of Popish religion is increase of wealth But before we goe any farther in the triall of this point I shall desire all ingenuous Papists rightly to informe both themselues and others what the two Monkes Matthew Paris and Matthew of Westminster haue left vpon record touching the Bishop of Romes most intolerable exactions in this kingdome whiles his authority here preuailed and then to iudge indifferently whether by submitting our neckes to that yoke which our fathers were not able to beare it be likely the wealth of our land should be increased That which one of the Popes pronounced touching our Countrey was doubtlesse the opinion of them all I speake of latter times Verè hortus noster deliciarum est Anglia verè puteus inexhaustus est vbi multa abundant de multis multa possunt extorqueri England is our Paradise of pleasure a well neuer to bee drawne drie and where much abounds much may be taken It was the speach of Innocent the IV. reported by Maâ—thew Paris anno 1245. about which time S. Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury vndertooke a voyage to Rome to complaine of the great vexations and extortions offered the Clergie and people by Caâ—dinall Otho his Legate who hiding himselfe in the tower of Ousnie Abbey for feare of a tumult of the Schollers of Oxford they termed him Vsurer Simonist rent-racker money-thirster peruerter of the King subuerter of the kingdome enriching strangers with the spoiles of the English but Edmund returning home without successe in his complaint and weary of his life in England by reason that hee could not redresse the Popes oppressions made choise of a voluntary banishment at Pountney in France where hee died with the honour and opinion of a Saint Not long after his Holinesse desirous to see England caused his Cardinals to write their letters to the King that it would be a thing tending much to his honour and safety and to his kingdomes immortall glory to enioy the Lord Popes presence who did long to view the rarities of Westminster and the riches of London but the Kings Counsell told him plainely that the Romane rapines and simonies had enough stained the English puritie though the Pope himselfe came not personally to spoile and prey vpon the wealth of this Church and kingdome the like deniall of entrance hee had found both in France and Arragon it being said that the Pope was like a mouse in a sachell or a snake in ones bosome who but ill repay their hosts for their lodging and the infamies of his Court deserued none other whose filth saith our Monke sent foorth a steame and stench as high as the very cloudes These and worse were the effects of the Bishop of Romes vsurpation here in England by imposing continuall taxes and tallages being sometimes the tenth sometimes the fifteenth sometimes the third sometimes the moity of all the goods both of the Clergie and Laity vnder colour of maintaining the Popes holy warres against the Emperour and the Greeke Church who were then
ordinary confessing and communicating as Mr. Doctour it being rightly obâ—erued by a worthy gentleman who confesseth that hee brought with him into those parts this perswasion that surely in this there must needes bee a very great restraint to wickednesse a great meanes to bring men to integrity and perfection when a man shall often suruey his actions with diligence censure them with griefe and shame confesse them with punishment eâ—piate and extinguish them with firme intent neuer to returne to the like againe whatsoeuer had defiled or stained the soule notwithstanding saith he hauing searched into the meaning thereof in those parts I finde that as all things whereof humane weakenesse hath the custody and gouernâ—ment fall away decaying by insensible degrees from their first perfection and purity and gather much soile and drosse in vsing so this as much as anything for this point of their religion which in outward shew carieth a face of seueâ—ity and discipline is become of all others the most remisse and pleasant and of the greatâ—st content to the dissolutest mindes the matter being growen with the common sort to this open reckoning what neede wee refraine so fearefully from sinne God hauing prouided so ready a meanes to be rid of it when we list yea and the worser sort will say when we haue sinned we must confesse and when we haue confessed we must sinne again that we may also confesse again and withal make worke for new Indulgences and Iubilies making account of Confession as drunkards doe of vomiâ—ing who drinke till they vomite and vomite that they may drinke againe yea I haue knowen of those that caried shew of very deuout persons who by their owne report to excuse their acquaintance in matters criminall haue wilfully periured themselues in iudgement onely presuming of this present and easie remedie in Confession and others of more ordinary note amongst them when the time of confessing was at hand would then venture vpon those actions which before they trembled at as presuming to surfet and surcharge their stomacks by reason of the neighbourhood of the phisitian which phisitian also himselfe is perhaps more apparently infected with the noysome disease his patient discloseth then the patient who is not any way bettered by the counsell which the Phisitian giueth but this must be granted to bee the fault of the people yet a generall fault it is and current without controllement howbeit the Priests are no more excusable on their parts then the people telling the penitent that God is mercifull and whatsoeuer sinnes he committeth so long as hee doth penance and is no Lutherane there is good remedy for him and for their penance it consisteth ordinarily but in Aue Maries and Pater nosters with Almes deedes by those that are able and fastings by them that are willing yea I haue knowen when the penance for horrible and open blasphemy besides much other lewdnesse hath bene none other then saying of their Beades thrice ouer a matter of some houres muttering and which in Italy they dispatch also as they goe in the streets or ride on the way or doe their busines at home making none other of it then as it is indeed two lips and one fingers worke but were the penance by the Priests inioyned neuer so hard and sharpe the Popes plenary pardons sweepe all away at a blow Now whether seruants be not with them vnfaithfull to their masters children disobedient to their parents people vndutifull to their Prelates Subiects disloyall to their Soueraignes aswell as with vs I leaue it to them to iudge who haue had experience of both Did not Clement and Rauilliac and the Powder-traytours vse Confession and those villaines who assaulted the Prince of Aurange the one sorely wounding the other murdering him and did not their confessions serue to harden them in their damnable resolutions Lastly for the seale of Confession without which you say it is impossible to vse the thing it selfe wee hold it being rightly limited a lawfull yet an humane constitution as neither in trueth is particular confession it selfe to men any other and he that will not forbeare in conscience and common honesty to disclose a secret reuealed in such manner will hardly forbeare for feare of punishment and sure I am of opinion better no seale to at all then such a concealement imposed as is by the factours of the Romish Church maintained and was not onely preached by Garnet but in him commended by Eudaemon and Bellarmine and in others by his example bee the issue thereof neuer so deuilish or toward the king and kingdome neuer so dangerous and although it be true as his Maiesty truely obserueth that when the Schoolemen came to bee Doctours in the Church and to marre the old grounds in Diuinity by sowing in amongst them their Philosophicall distinctions though they I say maintained that whatsoeuer thing is tolde a Confessour vnder the vaile of Confession how dangerous soeuer the matter bee yet is hee bound to conceale the parties name yet doe none of them specially of the old Schoolemen deny that if a matter be reuealed vnto them the concealing whereof may breede a great and publike danger but that in that case the confessour may disclose the matter though not the person and by some indirect meanes make it come to light that the danger thereof may be preuenâ—ed But no treason or deuilish plot though it should tend to the ruine or exterminion of a kingdom I vse his Maiesties owne word must be reuealed if it be told vnder Confession no not the matter so farre indirectly disclosed as may giue occasion for preuenting the danger therof though it agree with the conceit of some 3. or 4. new Iesuited Doctors yet is it such a new and dangerous head of doctrine as no king or State can liue in security where that position is maintained And here it shall not be amisse to remember that vnto ward answere which Binet the Iesuit shaped to Casaubon in the kings library in Paris two or three moneths before the death of Henry the great as they talked of Garnets execution which the Iesuit termed martyrdom It were better quoth he that all kings should perish then that the seale of confession should once be broken vp adding withal this reason that the gouernment of kings was but an humane constitution wheras confession was a diuine ordinance which wheÌ„ I heard saiâ—h Casaubon Obstupui steteruntque comae vox faucibus haesit But afterwards reading the bookes written by men of the same mettall and societie and perceiuiâ—g hee had sayd nothing which they taught not in effect though not in the same wordes I left wondring sayeth hee and censured mine owne folly Notwithstanding all this the same Mr. Casaubon confesseth and not onely for himselfe but for vs speaking in the plurall number in the Page immediatly going before that it was an ancient decree of the Church full of pietie and wisedome that it should not bee
as to be a scourge to other States or for some other temporall seruice which either their predecessors had done or theÌ„selues might doe or lastly as S. Ierome notes God thereby inuites them by his bounty that theÌ„selues should bee conuerted from their owne sins See T. Fitzâ—herbert of this poiâ—t in his treatise of Policie and Religion part 1. ca. 17. 4 His ordinary guarde in Constantinople and there about are but 24. thousand and though many of them be taken from the breasts of their Christian mothers yet is it not the greatest part as you auouch 5 Their facilitie in admitting other religions aswell as their owne to hope of Saluation should in reason rather weaken their Empire then fortifie it and those other principles of great importance rather serue to make a tyrant then to increase or maintaine a temporall Christian gouernement Rom. 13. De Ciuit dâ—i lib. 5. Cap. 21. 1 Since it was first a Church there were neuer so many able labourers in it nor religioÌ„ so sincerely preached and professed as by Gods gracâ— it is at this day so that it rather deserues the name of a body and yours of a shadow 2 By Schisme and Heresie you vnderstand schismatikes and heretikes and among them you ranke his Maiestie Such is the great honour you doe him as the Iewes dealt with Christ so doe you with his annointed they said Haile King of the Iewes and they 〈◊〉 him with theâ—r rods Iohn 19. 3. 1 Obserue the moderation of this reconciler who would beare the world in hand that Christ is none otherwise present among vs in our Churches then he is among the deuils in hell 2 If they shall say vnto you Behold he is in the secret chambers beleeue it not Mat. 24. 26. 1 Who are more guilty of this then your Priests and Iesuites 2 Was not this the pretence of Thomas Pâ—râ—y Earle of Northumberland and Charles Neuill Earle of Westmerland when they tooke armes and raised forces against their Soueraigne in the yeere 1569. and yet sent out Proclamations and Commissions in her name which notwithstanding they ceased not to bee Popish traitouâ—s howbeit the Spanish expurgatory index labours to cleare them from that imputation as also the Earle of Desmond and a notorious traitour of Ireland by rasing that â—estimonie of them in M. Cambden who iustly records them so to posterity 3 Who haue serued their own turnes most and raised more sedition the Clergy of Rome by their vniust vsurpation or the Clergie of England by their iust reformation I leaue to the world to iudge 1 This is the hope and prayer oâ— you all as long as you want stâ—ength but if you had that once we should quickly heare you change your note and sing another song In the meane time we can account your prayer none other then as theirs in the last Psalme saue one who haue the praise of God in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hands either be what you would seeme or seeme to be what indeed you are * Psal. 73. * Psal. 103. 1 In the front of this reason you seeme to disstinguish it from the former but in the pursuit of this Section you meerely confound them 2 In saying so you cannot but put his Maiestie to rebuke also there being the like none other reason of him and of other Kings who haue disclaimed vnion with Rome 3 I meruaile much where those rules were to be found for the space of the first 300. yeeres after Christ and whether the greatnesse and Maiesty of the great Turke or King of China be not beyond all the rules that Catholike Religion deliuereth in that kind 4 What they are that despise gouernement and speake euill of those that bee in authoritie his Maiestie is not now to seeke 1 De Laâ—ciâ— cap. 7 2 De Ponti Ro. lib. 1. cap. 7. 3 Ibidem 4 Ibidem de Cler. cap. 20. 5 De Pontif. lib. 3. cap. 16. * Lib. 5. cap. 8. 6 De Laicis cap. 8. 7 De Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 8. 8 De Pontif. lib 2 cap. 26. 9 De Pontif. lib. 4. cap. 15. 10 Dâ— Clericis cap. 28. 11 Ibidem 12 Ibidem * 2. Sam. 7. 14. * Psal 82 6. * 1. Sam. 24. 11. * 2. Chro. 9. 8. * 2. Sam. 14. 20. * 2. Sam. 21. 17. * Isay 49. 23. * Rom. 13. 5. * 1 Tim. 2. 2. * Rom. 13. 4. Matth. 22. 11. 1 Neither the Dutch nor the French acknowledge his Maiestie their chiefe 2 They ioyne together against the visible Monarchie of the church or rather the tyranny of the Pope which you call order but good it can not be being not from God 3 I desire to learne where you find that the deuils torment one another once we are sure if they did but helpe to cast out one another their kingdome could not stand 4 You seeme to intend the Netherlands which notwithstanding was neuer a kingdome nor their Bourgers Princes but how the Pope hath turned the ancient kingdome of the Romanes into a new State and made himselfe of a Priest a temporall Prince wee are not ignorant 5 Neither can I perswade my selfe that your Catholikes will euer ioine together to make one King ouer them all though the Iesuites it may be both desire and endeuour it 1 The word Geuse in their language signifies a begger 1 Bellarmine chargeth not only Calum with this opinion but Zuinglius and Kellison Melancthon who were not Caluinists 2 Surely that Pope who in his Conclaue told his Cardinals that the dominican Frier murdered the French King by the will of God by his ordinaÌ„ce by the aide of the Almighty by his speciall helpe spake litle lesse yet is that oration verified by Warmington a Romish priest sometimes Chapleine to Card. Allen from whom himselfe got a copie 3 They might quickly bee as learned as your selfe in the Scriptures for any thing appeares in this Epistle 4 Belike your selfe were present to take your part of the ale or you had good intelligence with the alewise 1 1 In his speech in Parliament after the Powder treason * Iob. 12. 19. 21. In 1. 2. d. 129. n. 2. In 1. Iac. 10. reas cap. 8. Demonst. 1 3 7. Lection 8. par â— De sig lib. 3. cap. 5. In hâ—â— epist. to Cham. In his Suruay l. 5. c. 2. Bib. sel. li. 8. c. 11 De amis gra lib. 2. cap. â— 3. Lib. 3. q. 12. de sac l. 1. pa. 4. c. 12. 2. d. 34. q. 1. art 3. 1. q. 13. art 1. pa. 1 9 3. 1 2. q. 93. art 6. pa. 4 96. 2. d. 37. q. 1. 1. par q 49. ar 2 Lib. 1. dist 41. In 9. ad Rom. lect 3. Torquet ac flectit in eis inuisibiliter operando * Vers. 27. 28. * Vers. 5. * Cap. 1. 21. * Cap. 10. 15. 1 Foelix scelus virtus vocatur had it taken effect that which now is stiled an horrible
what you should meane by the preface of the Gospel in this place except your intent be aswell to scoffe at the Gospel as at Caluins Instit. 7 I desire the sight of that Law which makes against the doctrine of it 8 If it be cried vp by voyces it is by the voyces of the grauest Bishops and learnedst diuines of our land as I shew in mine answere 9 By other places belike you meane the Netherlands which I haue already answered * Maâ—â— 1. 27. * Acts 17. 18. 1 Consâ—ntiâ—â—us in eo quod conuenit non in â—e quod â—eceptum est Morâ—saâ— moriâ— retentiâ— res turbulentâ—â—que ac nouitas * Iosh. 9. 4 5. Cambden in vita Regi Elizab. 〈◊〉 lib. in quo partim Belgarum motus exorts c. 1 Tract 2 cap. 4. 2 Tract 8. cap. 3. diuis 31. 3 Cap. 7 diuis 4. 4 D. Whitakers duplicationis cap. 1. 5 B. Bilson in his booke of the true difference betweene c. part 3. pag. 509. 1 The multitude theÌ„ on your side are made fooles by your owne confession but if any of vs should say so much it were presently a slander 2 How should his Maiestie commaâ—d them to turne who are vnder the Popes command and must looke which way please his Hâ—linesse and he for his part will hardly be perswaded to permit them to looke so much as a quarter about 3 There are some Puritaâ—call Preachers then on your side as well as on ours belike you meane the Iesuits with whom notwithstanding if we may beleeue Pelitâ—â—rs report you sided at your comming to Pariâ— and dyed amongst them 4 How wel you vnderstood all sides I made it appeare before in the Controuersie of Images in the mean time you do wel to commend your own honestie and learning 5 The difference betwixt these three I haue alreadie set downe and if the matter of doctrine may by his Maiestie be compounded it must either be by abrogating the Trident Canons or the English Articles or by reconciling the one to the other the impossibilitie whereof things standing in the termes they doe I haue alreadie proued * 1. Cor. 4. 3. Verse 4. 1 In Cap. 9. ad Rom. disp 5. 2 Câ—m ea tamen ipâ—issima sit D. Augustini sentantia 3 Calâ—inâ— Turâ—is lib. â— cap. 7. 4 De Christo li. 2 cap. 19. 5 Lib. 1â— de Trinitate 6 Secundâ— dialogo quem inscribit Dubitantius 7 In Prâ—fatione libri de Sancto Ioh. Baptista 8 Demand 48. 9 Apol. cap. 1. * Iude. 9. * Acts â— 60. * Luke 23. 34. 1 Yet in the next Section you assure vs that King Henry wished himselfe in the Church againe 1 Were not those fauorites Roman Cath. 2 He dispensed not with himself but the Archbishop of Canterbury dispensed with him by the consent of our owne many forraine Vniuersities all our Bishops concurring therein onely Rochlster excepted 3 His fathers chiefe fouÌ„dation I take to be the Chappel he built at Westminster and that he ouerthrew not 1 Qui 〈◊〉 7. Sacramenta 〈◊〉 quorum defeâ—sâ—nem Titulus datuâ— est sed due vâ— triâ— tanium esâ—e contâ—â—dit Pag. 20. 2 Thus did hee intitle Philip the 2. King of Spainâ— to Irdand in the yeere 1580. 3 Ad Card. Bâ—ll Respons pag. 55. 4 Lib. de Priseis Anglorum legibâ—s â—ol 13â— The originall of which Treatise was preserued in the Library of the Citie of London and there found and published by Mr. Lambert 5 Besides all this hee bestowed the reuenues of the Gray Friars in London vpon the Citie of London toward the reliefe of their poore making of the Friery a Parish Church whereunto hee gaue 500. marks yeerely of lands for euer one thousand marks also he commanded to be giuen to the poore and to twelue poore Knights at Windsore each of them twelue pence a day for euer * Actâ— 2. 29. * Dâ—ut 34. 6. 1 Out of this Bull as out of the Troâ—an horse issued so many Conspiracies as followed after Mich Sands * â— Tim. 1. 5. 1 Cum accepisâ—â—m quantum valeres â—ngeme quâ—ntos progressiâ—s in literis Graecu Latinis haberes f. 2. p. 1. Quid admirabâ—luâ—s quam in foeminâ— virilem constantiam in virgine senilem prudentiam in summa opum affâ—uentia 〈◊〉 modestiae laudeâ— emineres pag. 2. Laudibus manâ—uetudâ—uis lenitatis quae cumistius formae venustate coâ—sentiunt excellis fol. 3. p. 1. 2 M. Cambden in his Annals of Q. Eliz. fol. 58. where the copy of the letter is to be seene 3 Hâ—c curantibus â—liquot aurcorum millia fuisse promissa fama obâ—inet The same author 4 Marquesse of North. Earle of Bedford Thomas Parry Edward Rogers Ambrose Caue Francis Knâ—lles William Ceâ—ill Nicholas Bacon 5 Will. Parâ—â— Edward Seyâ—ur Thomas Howard Henry Cary. Oliuer Saint-Iohns 6 Bonner of London Tunstall of Durham White of Winchester Watson of Lincolne Thurby of Ely Bourne of Bath Wels Christopherson of Cicester Baâ—â—e of Cou. and Leich Turberuile of Exeter Pole of Peterborough 7 By the Earle of Arran 8 Adolphe duke of Holts 9 By Erike king of Sweden * Math. 7. 25. 1. Cor. 10. 4. * Psal. 22. 12. 13. * Iâ—dg 5. 21 10 His discontent arose for being put by the Gouernment of Wexford which he hoped for 11 Bizar hist. Genâ—ens pag. 568. 12 Quodlibet pag. 269. 277. 13 D.R. of C.C.C. 14 Epist. 48. 1 That which you call the doctrine of diuision was taught long before the diuision you speake of was made as hath beene already shewed and his Maiestie in regard of his father and grandfather may aswell be called the fruit of Schisme as Queene Elizabeth 1 See the Relatition of the whole proceedings against the traitours Garnet and his consederates 2 Who was herein touched so neere as his Maiestie 3 From England From Portugale From France From Austria 4 Dominantibus semperinuisus quâ—squis prâ—â—â—iâ—us designatur This Letter was sent by Sr. Robert Cary. 1 Mine answere touching wealth I leaue to the next Section which is the proper place for it 2 That which you cal the vnity of the Church is indeed the building of the kingdome of Antichrist 3 How is he a Soueraigne if hee haue aboue him an higher power to command him 4 That is his Holines of Rome 5 Indirecte too at least and in oâ—dine ad spiritualia they supply his place in ijs quâ— sunt iuris humanâ— 6 We find that verified in the spreading of the Romish religion 7 What makes a great man but great power in commanding if a great king cannot gouerne them how shall a meane prince be able to command them 8 For any thing I can finde in my reading of the Chronicles of our own land or forraine histories Princes had more adoe in gouerning their subiects before the reformation then since I meane those Princes who haue imbraced that religion 9 You might rather haue