they obey all the lawes therof Inward loyaltie differeth from outward obedience the first we owe alwaies the second in all things we may not yeeld I hope Sir you will not accuse the Apostles of disloyaltie who yet obeied not all the commaundements of their Princes nor of want of loue to their countrie though they yeelded not to all the lawes thereof But you will proue by sundrie examples and that of the Scripture that we are not bound alwaies to loue our countrie as by the examples of Abraham and Lot yea that we may rebell against Prince and Countrie by the example of Ieremie Ieroboam and Iehu Did Abraham or Lot cease to loue their countrie because at Gods speciall commaundement they left it or did not the Prophet Ieremie loue his countrie because by speciall Reuelation and appointment from God he perswaded the people to deliuer vp Ierusalem into their enemies hands for whose destruction foreseene and by God reuealed vnto him he breaketh forth into that patheticall exclamatioÌ„ Oh that my head were full of water and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe daie and night for the slain of the daughter of my people For whoâ—e deliuerance he so often so heartily praied and was forbidden by the Lord to praie any more for them whose destruction after it happened he bitterlie bewailed in his mournful lamentations do these things proue he loued not his country Or because the Lord himselfe did rent the kingdome out of the hands of Salomon gaue ten Tribes to Ieroboam from Rheboam Salomons sonne And because he also expreslie commanded Iehu to destroy the whole house of Ahab his master doth it hence follow that subiects may be disloiall and rebell against their Princes who but a Popish Parasite would make such conclusions The generall proposition I trow holdeth true that no man may commit murther though Abraham by Gods commaundement speciall and extraordinarie might lawfullie haue slaine his owne sonne and that no priuate man may vsurpe the sword though Phinehes extraordinarilie moued did execution vpon Zimri and Cozbie A priuiledge is no law In summe God might commaund Ieremie to will the Iewes to yeeld to the Chaldeans and Ieroboam to take tenne tribes from Rehoboam and Iehu the kingdome from Ioram because he alone beareth rule in the kingdomes of the earth and he may giue them to whom he will he may set vp one and pull downe another but this proueth not that at the Popes bidding anie may play the lustie swash buckler and pull the Princes by force from the Throne which your defender of Catholikes laboureth stronglie to proue Therfore this position is not for ought this wrangler can alleadge to be controlled that euery Christian ought to striue to keepe these three sound within his brest his conscience before God his loyaltie to his Prince and his loue to his countrie And that his owne example of Athanasius will verifie who was farre from disloyaltie to his Prince or want of loue to his countrie for to shew his loyaltie to his Prince he departed at his Princes commaundement from his countrie which he ceased not to loue though for a time he did leaue it I neuer resisted the commaundements of your highnesse saith he no no God forbid I should But will you yet further see the liuely picture of an impudent cauiller because I say that all obedience is due to the Soueraigne Magistrate alleadging the wordes of the Apostle That we must subiect our selues to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as to the superiour c. And first he exclaimeth all obedience is due to Princes yea all obedience c. crying out of the conscience of an Atheist or of a seruile minde c. If I had said we must obey our Princes in all things I had vsed the Apostles phrase concerning the obedience of children towardes their parents Children obey your parentes in all things shall anie Atheist then crie out against the Apostle Children must obey their parentes in all things yea in all things a conscience of an Atheist a seruile mind c. But as the Apostle by all things meaneth all such things as are not contrarie to Gods commaundement as he elsewhere expoundeth himselfe Children obey your parents in the Lord so is my meaning as cleare as the light that we must obey Princes in all things that imply not disobedience to God generall and vnlimited obedience we teach not to vow and performe to anie man it being due onely to God who cannot erre in the things he commaundeth Wee neuer held our selues in that sort bound to any King or Emperour though your Iesuites vow such obedience to their Superiours The very Poet may teach that Omne sub Regno grauiore Regnum est Each kingdome here a greater hath aboue Therefore sith earthlie King are vnder the King of Kings wee must so obey the inferiour as wee disobey not the Superiour The highest King hath set downe his law to earthlie Kings as well as others in the two tables if they presume to make a law contrarie to this lawe therein we are not to obey It was not disloyaltie in the AEgyptian Midwiues in forbearing to murther the male-children of the Israelites at Pharaohs commaundement nor in Obadiah in hiding the Lordes Prophets contrarie to Achabs will neither in the Apostles in not forbearing to preach in the name of Iesus at the Rulers commaundement they did as they ought preferre obedience to God before obedience to man when they cannot both stand together By all obedience then it is plaine that I meant true and sincere obedience from the heart not dissembling obedience onlie for feare as the Apostle when he perswadeth the Philippians to walke worthie of the vocation whereunto they are called with all humblenes of minde meaneth by all humblenes true sincere inward humilitie not counterfeite and hypocriticall And if mallice had not here lost both her eyes and her wits this scoulding cauiller might haue seene that in the very entrie to this point of obedience I doe manifestlie affirme it for I say these three things euery man ought to keepe sound within his breast first his Conscience before God secondly his Loyaltie to his Prince thirdly his Loue to his Countrie Now how is it possible a man should keepe sound his Conscience before God which I set in the first place if hee obey his Prince in things against God nay that I place first because it must be the director of vs in our Loue and Loyaltie both to Prince and Countrie If the Lawes of the Prince or Countrie commaunde any thing contrarie to it wee ought in such things not to obey our Prince and for such things we may flie our Countrie but yet not rebell or fight against them as you seeke to perswade saying that Christ alloweth greatlie of them that despise Father Mother Countrie and Kinred yea
though I will not burst out into any impatience as considering more what is fit for me to speake then for him to heare yet I hold that in the grieuous accusation of flatterie I ought not to be silent Therefore I allow it not onely for wittie but worthie to be imbraced for truth that which you alleadge concerning flatterers I hold the answere to the question no lesse true in the whole then in part The question was What beasts were most perilous And the answere is Of all wilde-beastes a Tyrant of tame-beastes a flatterer and if you can as easily free such as you seeke with might and maine to defend from the iust imputation of tyranny as I shall be able to cleare my selfe from any the least intention to flatter you shall doe more then euer any could doe for them before Antisthenes is reported to be wont to say he had rather haue rauens resort to his house then flatterers yeelding this reason that rauens do but pray vpon the carcasse being dead but flatterers deuoure both bodie and soule aliue To enterprise the enumeration of great States and Princes through flatterers vtterly ruinated were to vndertake an endles labour but as the verse hath Blanditiae plusquam dira venena nocent Sugred and sweet flatterâ—â—â—â—â—teth more Then deadly poyson thâ—â—gh thou drink great store So were it not hard to â—hew more seigniories and kingdomes subuerted by secret flatterie then by open hostilitie by how much the more earnestly I beseech the Lord that if her Maiesties Court cannot be altogether free from flatterers who as burres doe commonly hang vpon the sleeues of Princes yet by her princely wisedome she may alwaies espie them and finde them out saying as the Philosopher is reported that was Nephew to Plato Define adulari nihil enim proficis cum te intelligam leaue thy flearing and fawning thou preuailest nothing for I perceiue thee well enough But I pray you Sir N. D. where learned you that skill to take vpon you to affirme and proue that to publish the commendation of Princes vpon iust desert is flatterie I doubt me for all your desire to be thought a great Clerke it will trouble you and all your colleagues to fortifie this position But not to dwell long vpon this point disdaine not to heare what Democritus will tell you Rectè quidem facta laudare honestum est mala verò laudibus vehere adulterini est animi impostoris To giue due praise to good deserts is honest but to praise and extoll euill deeds argueth a corrupt and a couzening mind and therefore I doubt not with farre more ease to free my selfe from flatterie wherewith you falsely charge me for commending the good things of our land then you shal be able to auoid the iust imputation of an adulterous and deceiuing mind in deprauing Gods blessings with your Macheuilian wit and false interpretations And if I had leasure to stand vpon iust retortion of vniust accusations I could send you to the Popes Pallace where a man may finde more shamelesse flatterers then I thinke were euer to be found in any Christian Princes Court Panormitan as is by sundrie learned men alleadged shameth not to flatter your Pope so farre as to make him almost equall with God Excepto peccato Papa potest quasi omnia facere quae Deus potest Sinne excepted the Pope can in a manner do all things that God can doe Againe another clawbacke Non minor honor debetur Papae quam Angelis c. No lesse honour is due to the Pope then to the Angels for which cause he receiueth of Christian people adorations prostrating themselues on the ground and the kissing of his feete which the Angell would not permit by Iohn the Euangelist to be done to him Another Imperatoria Maiestas tantò est inferior Papa quantò creatura Deo The imperiall Maiestie is so much inferiour to the Pope as the creature is to God Others that he is Ens secundae intentionis compositum ex Deo homine And in a word the Canonists roundly in the Glosse Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope Which blasphemous flattering speech Doctor Raynolds noteth that the Cardinals and others deputed by Gregorie 13 to reuise correct and purge out such things as by errour had crept into the Glosses annotations in the booke of decrees and decretals c. yet haue not only not remoued this blasphemie but not so much as giuen the least castigation vpon it belike because they thought that could not fit the Pope which the Apostle writeth of Antichrist that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God vnlesse they should suffer a place to be extant wherein he is plainely called Lord God in a popish worke by the Papists themselues corrected printed at Rome and that at the Popes own speciall commandement and so much concerning your accusation of flatterie The which yet you labour to enforce because I take vpon me to speake of infinite blessings from Almightie God by her Maiesties gracious gouernment powred vpon this land and yet my selfe you say confesse a thousand feares and frights and imminent perils which hang ouer vs in these words I doubt not but you are men of wisedome and can easily conceiue what dangers we stand in by that which hath beene said before And againe The life of Religion Queene and Countrie is at the stake Verely if I should speake of the great blessings bestowed vpon this land in the happie establishing of true Christian Religion amongs vs and should think the contrarie I should iudge my selfe worthie to be taxed with so odious a crime as flatterie is For I will say as he in the Poet Odi etenim ceu claustra Erebi quicunque loquuntur Ore aliud tacitoque aliud sub pectore claudunt I hate as gates of hell who euer thou art That one thing say'st another think'st in hart But good Sir what contrarietie is there in my words May not a land be truly blessed from God in hauing a gracious Prince by whom Idolatrie is remoued and true Religion planted and yet for want of due acknowledgement of the Lords goodnes and true fruits of thankfulnes be by forraine enemies maligned or by home-traitors hazarded The remembrance of Iosiah saith Iesus Syrach is like the composition of perfume that is made by the Art of the Apothecary it is sweet as hony in all mouthes and as Musicke at a banquet of wine He behaued himselfe vprightly in the reformation of the people and tooke away all abomination of iniquitie he directed his heart vnto the Lord and in the time of the vngodly he established Religion Highly was Ierusalem blessed by the raigne of good Iosiah rooting out Idolatrie and restoring to the people the booke of the Law as is this land likewise by the like blessed Raigne of our gracious Iosiah and yet euen in his time for the Idolatrie committed
Churches of Christendome where the Gospel and truth of Christ Iesus is embraced to be of the same iudgement and in this blessed vnitie grounded vpon veritie the Lord for euer keepe vs. And how scornefully soeuer you tearme this to be our Parliament Religion be it knowne to you that the reuerent assemblie of States and Commons in Parliament haue cause to praise God for their ioyning to present such lawes and for her Maiesties consenting to establish such lawes as tende to so holy a purpose as to hem in the ignorant that they may frequent the holy assemblies to learne to professe and obey the truth and to restraine the headstrong humors of Papistes and Atheists who are forward to runne astray from God and all godlines As for your tricke of cunning often grated vpon with a desire to disioyne our affections by calling some Puritanes other Protestants this malicious purpose of yours I hope the Lord of might mercy will turne to the good of his Church and I trust it will please him by his grace to direct the hearts of our Church-men to see how needfull it is for them to ioyne heart and hand together to defend the doctrine of faith which they all hold against the calumniations and slaunders wherewith you and men of your sort seeke to load the truth of our profession and to crosse the cunning and most dangerous plots laid also to mingle at the least our blessed and most holy profession with a toleration of cursed Poperie if not to alter all to Poperie to the rooting out of Gods true Religion wholly from amongst vs. And howsoeuer some dissent hath appeared about the toleration or abrogation of some things yet I doubt not it doth shall wel appeare that the dissention is not such as this turbulēt spirited fellow would faine haue it and that all sides will manifest to the whole world that howsoeuer they may in these outward things dissentire yet it shal be concordi discordia and so much for your cunningly deuised distinction of Puritane and Parliament Religion not without a setled and grounded malice to both But Sir your vaunt of a generall vnitie before alteration of Religion amongst vs if I had leasure to sift it would proue more boldly then truly vttered for how worshipped you one God when you serued so many Idols Or how glorified you the Creator when you gaue his glorie vnto creatures not onely to his true Saints as to the blessed virgin whom you call the Queene of Heauen as God is King of Heauen and one of your greatest pillars affirmeth as Doctor Raynolds alleadgeth him that the King of kings hath giuen halfe his kingdome to this Queene and of the chiefest treasures of this kingdome namely Iustice and Mercy hath reserued Iustice to himselfe but his mercie he hath granted to her but euen vnto vile base and dumbe creatures as when they pray for their crosse of mettall that as by Christ his crosse the world was deliuered from the guilt of sinne so by the merit of this crosse of mettall they that offer it may be freed from all the sinnes they haue committed and to the crosse they pray crauing that of a dumbe creature which the Creator onely can giue that is God blessed for euer O Crux aue spes vnica Hoc passionis tempore Auge pijs iustitiam Reisque dona veniam All hayle O Crosse our onely hope In this time of the passion In faithfull people grace increase And grant of sinne remission If Lactantius should iudge of your Religion he would scarce allow you to worship God at all who denieth that creatures may be worshipped with him yeelding this reason Si honos idem alijs tribuitur ipse omninò non colitur cuius Reltgio est illum esse vnum ac solum Deam credere If the same honour be giuen to others he is not worshipped at all whose Religion is to beleeue that he is one and the onely God The best that probablie may be made of your worshipping is that it is like the Religion that the Gentiles learned which were brought from Assiria to inhabite the Cities of Samaria who worshipped the Lord and Idols together Likewise of your owne faith and beliefe might be shewed how vaine a presumption it is when as you are so miserablie rent in sunder into so innumerable diuersities and sects of Friers and Munkes putting holines in diuers institutions of life some being white some blacke some wearing linnen some wollen some going shod some bare-foote with infinite diuersities more which are by learned men handled It shall be sufficient for me onely to remember you of the stirre betwixt the Franciscans and Dominicke Friers about the conception of the blessed Virgin the Franciscans or gray Friers affirming that she was neuer Subiect one moment in her conception to originall sinne the Dominicke or blacke Friers teaching that she was conceiued in sinne as are all the children of Adam which controuersie occupied all schooles and vniuersities almost throughout the whole Christian world which was at the length doughtelie decided by Pope Sixtus the fourth quite contrarie to that Word which shall iudge all at the last day Of your one head your vaunt is the like which being the Pope how can you haue one head vnles you reiect Christ If you meane one visible and ministeriall head how can that be when as Christ hath promised to be with vs to the end of the world And in the Reuelation Iohn saw him walking in the middest of the seuen golden Candlesticks if he be thus alwaies present with his Church by his spirite to guide the whole and euery member thereof how shall any presume to take vpon him to be a ministeriall head of the Church because Christ is not visiblie present Againe how haue you had one visible head when there hath been so many Antipopes So often Such tumults and schismes about the Papacie Which though your men would deriue vpon the Emperours intermedling with the election though very falsely yet as a learned man proueth of thirtie schismes in the Church of Rome so many as no Church can boast of besides the worst and the longest hath been since that time that the election was deuolued onely to the Cardinals euen the 29. which lasted for the space of 50 yeares first with two Popes at one time and then with three c. So that to cease any further to examine your assertions who intend onely a defence of mine owne by you carped at and traduced your great brag of vnitie in your Religion the like whereof you deeme is not amongst vs to be found is in deede nothing but meere vanitie But to returne from whence I digressed Secondly by the establishment of true Christian Religion amongst vs this great blessing we haue obtained that the Scripture and word of God which is the incorruptible seede whereby we are begotten to God the sincere milke that
nothing can be said sufficiently but as a paineful compiler of the ecclesiasticall Historie thinketh all places considered where the Romish Phalaris hath intermedled France Flanders Italy Spayne and whersoeuer the gripes of this greedie griffin as Chaucer compareth him could râ—ach it would be hard to say whether the Romane heathen Emperors in the prime-daies of the Church or the Romish Bishops in the latter had caused more Christian bloud to be spilt And whereas this Encounterer wringeth out a malediction from hence pretending by this chaunge of Religion the torturing hanging and racking of so many learned Priests c. he shall neuer be able to proue so farre as euer I could learne that any one either Priest or Lay-man learned or vnlearned hath in this land these fortie yeares beene put to death onely for being a Recusant and of a contrarie Religion as the libertie and home-dwelling of so many Recufants without dread of any such daunger may proue sufficiently The Wolfe persecuteth the Lamb not the Lambe the Wolfe As for those fewe which haue suffered in these fortie yeares not comparable to the number of those which were martyred in Queene Maries fiue yeares I am so farre off from reioycing at their death that with all my heart I wish they had neuer sucked the poyson of treason from your Iesuites breastes that so they might haue preuented the due and iust shedding of their owne bloods To these may be added other corporall blessings in a short view among which this is not the least that the establishment of true Religion hath quite remoued from our neckes the yoke of popish bondageâ— How miserablie this poore land was oppressed and impouerished by the Popes dispensations exactions contributions besides his continuall subsidie of Peter-pence nothing being able to satisfie his greedie appetite and insatiable auarice our stories in sundry places make lamentable mention Now he must haue the tenth of all the moueables in England Wales and Ireland then foure markes of euerie able Church and where one was not able to reach there the other poore Churches must ioyne to make vp the money shortly by a new Mandat all beneficed men must pay the first part of their reuenues then prouision of English benefices for boyes of Rome 300. at a clappe and what not Poore England was continually pilled and polled and almost suckt drie whereof to vse one example for many the Nobles ioyntly with the Commons complain in the Raigne of Henrie the third in which their complaint hauing made mention of the continuall subsidie of Peter-pence and other contributions they adde these words And now see wee beseech you which is lamentable to behold what iniuries we sustaine by you and your predecessors who not considering those our subsidies and contributions before remembred doe suffer also your Italians and forrayners which be out of number to be possessed of our Churches and benefices in England c. And immediatly which forrayners neither defending the said religious persons neither hauing the language whereby they might instruct the flocke take no regard of their soules but vtterly leaue them of wilde beastes to be deuoured Wherefore it may truly be said of them that they are no good shepheards for that neither they doe know their sheepe nor the sheepe doe know the voice of their shepheards neither doe they keepe any hospitalitie but onely take vp the rents of those benefices carrying them out of the Realme wherewith our brethren our nephewes and our kinsfolkes might be sustained who could and would dwell vpon them and employ such exercises of mercy and hospitality as their dutie required whereof a number for meere necessitie now are lay-men and faine to flie out of the Realme And now to the intent more fully to certifie you of the truth you shall vnderstand that the said Italians and strangers receiuing of yeerely rents out of England not so little as threescore thousand markes by yeare besides other auailes and exises deducted do reape in the said our kingdome of England more emoluments of meere Rents then doth the King himselfe being both Tutour of the Church and Gouernour of the land c. they further proceeded in their complaint which for breuity sake I omit The conclusion is miserably was this land oppressed vnder the Romish Pharaoh not onely the skinne flayed from the flesh but the flesh in a manner rent from the bones from which by this happy chaunge of Religion wee are deliuered the Lords name be praised therefore The name of peace is sweete and the thing it selfe both pleasant and profitable with which blessing the Lord hath also greatly blessed this land these fortie yeeres that in this respect her Maiesties raigne hath beene as the raigne of Asa of whom it is written that he had no warre in those daies for the Lord his God had sent him peace round about For as for the late tumults and stirres of Ireland it is euident to whom they are to be ascribed by the sending thither of Saunders and of Italian bandes by the Pope who is the common Trumpeter of Sedition in all Christian Common-weales which seeke to shake off the yoke of his tyrannie There kindled vpon the like occasion the flame of Rebellion in the North but bessed be God it vanished quickly like a smoke Spayne likewise attempted an inuasion but with such successe as neither hath he cause to boast of his winnings nor wee to complaine of our losses for as the starres fought in their course for Israel against Sisera so did the windes for England against Spayne other warres to speake of we haue had none but such as we haue voluntarily vnder-taken for the reliefe and support of those that were oppressed And this it selfe is no small blessing that England in the raigne of a Woman hath beene the common refuge to all Christian nations eyther rent asunder with ciuill warres or oppressed with forraine forces so that a Queene hath sit as Arbitrer of peace and warre amongst Christian Kings France is witnesse hereof What should I speake of Suethland c. what of Flaunders being receiued into our tuition and societie yea the Turke himselfe who happily before the renowmed raigne of her Maiestie had neuer heard the name of this little Island moued with the Maiestie of her name hath laid armes aside and through her intercession hath granted peace to the Polonians being almost brought to extremitie To these I might adde the blessing of riches plentie and aboundance such as hath not lightly beene knowne in this land before which God hath aboundantly sent vnto vs. Whereby we haue beene enabled to minister to the necessities of so many oppressed and to sustaine such voluntarie warres as honourable respects haue moued her Maiesty to vndertake for the needfull succour of others which who so seeth not is blind and who so acknowledgeth not is verie ingrate I may also adde the multitude of people increased mightily since her Maiesties first enterance
might when the valiant Souldier of Iesus Christ Thomas Hawkes was before him and alleaging against the Popish manner of baptising both the addition of many ceremonies deuised by man as their oyle creame salt spittle candle coniuring of water c. as also that they wanted the chiefe thing meaning preaching alleaging the text Goe teach all Nations baptising them c. by and by replieth vpon Master Hawkes and taketh this exception against that allegation Thou speakest that because I am no Preacher And as if to taxe a Bishop for being no Preacher had been so hainous a matter though the man of God answered that he spake the text and meant not of him yet all his Doctors and seruants present spake with a loude voice making a great noise he speaketh it of you my Lord. And yet the latter part of King Henries raigne and the short but happie raigne of King Edward helped you to farre moe Preachers by their faint yeelding then in former times of Poperie haue been accustomed to be as is not onely apparant in this kingdome but in others if I had leasure to inlarge The onely example of Doctor Bassinet a man of great learning and authoritie in France shall suffice me at this time who in his first answere to the oration of the Bishop of Aix perswading to set vpon the Merindoâ—ians and as heretikes to destroy them confesseth his owne ignorance of true Religion till of late he fell to reade the Scriptures and yet he was a Iudge of heresie and with all his rash condemning of those whom they call Lutherans to death although he was content so farre to yeelde to punish them with fines and banishment which should speake too intemperately against the constitutions of the Church and of the Pope his words are thus Englished The cause why in conscience I am thus disquieted is this that now of late since I haue giuen my selfe more diligently to the reading and contemplation of the holy Scriptures I perceiue that the most part of those Articles which they that are called Lutherans doe maintaine are so conformable and agreeing to the Scriptures that for my part I can no longer gainsay them except I should euen wilfully and maliciously resist and striue against the holy ordinances of God albeit hitherto to maintaine the honour of our holy Mother the Church and of our holy Father the Pope and of our Order I haue consented to the opinions and doings of the other Doctors as well through ignorance as also because I would not seeme to attempt any thing against the will and pleasurâ— of the Prelates and Vicars generall Against which his confession when the Bishop of Aix replied thus Is there any difference thinkest thou betwixt heresies and blasphemies spoken and maintained against the holy Scriptures and opinions holden against our holy Mother the Church and contrarie to our holy Father the Pope a most vndoubted and true God in earth Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest not these things Doctor Bassinet more fully layeth open the generall and common blindnes and darknes of those times in these words Are not they those which haue forsaken Iesus Christ the fountaine of liuing water and haue digged vnto themselues pits or Cesterns which will holde no water Truly euen those they are which vaunt themselues to be the salte of the earth and yet haue no sauour at all which call themselues Pastors and yet are nothing lesse then true Pastors for they minister not vnto the sheepe the true pasture and feeding neither deuide and distribute the true bread of the word of life and if I may bee bolde to speake it would it not be at this present as great a wonder to heare a Bishop preach as to see an Asse flye Are not they cursed of God which glorie and vaunt themselues to haue the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen and neither enter in themselues nor suffer them that would enter to come in c. By which and infinite other euidences may appeare that there is in a manner as great difference betwixt kingdomes professing the Gospell of Christ as this land now doth through Gods blessing and those that are subiect to Poperie as was sometimes betweene Aegypt and Goshen As for your allegation against those my speeches to passe by your bolde assertion that England had continued aboue a thousand yeares vnder that darkenes of Poperie the vanitie whereof is by sundry learned men discouered it is euident by Beda his plaine testimonie in these words Haec in praesenti iuxta numerum librorum quibus lex diuina scripta est c. This I land at this present according to the number of the bookes in which the lawe of God is written doth search out and confesse one and the selfe same knowledge of the highest truth and of the true height in liue tongues namely of the Angels of the Brittaines of the Scots of the Picts and of the Latines which in meditation of the Scripture is made common to all the rest Wherein he meaneth that the Latin tongue was common to all the learned of those foure peoples as the vulgars were to the vnlearned So that in former times this Iland had the Scriptures in their owne tongue to be a lanterne to their feete and a light to their steps and delighted not in ignorance of the Scriptures and in darkenes as of late as also the most and chiefest points of your blinde errors haue been hatched long since the time you prescribe as in the particulars of the patching together of the Masse by degrees and successiuely of the absurd doctrine of Transubstantiation with other like is by men of great learning and iudgment manifestly proued Yet by the way this I note that by your secret confession you yeeld almost 600. yeares to the truth we professe before your Religion was hatched seeing both your selfe and others commonly make claime for a 1000. yeares But to passe by this doth not this Encounterer strongly thinke you refute mine assertion of the darkenes in times of Poperie when he saith speaking of the state of this kingdome in those times And it was accounted then as wise learned valiant noble and flourishing a kingdome as France Italy Spayne c. An argument by which the Religion of the heathens may aswell be freed from darknes and ignorance For was not Rome when it had those lightes of learning and eloquence Cicero Crassus Hortensius and others as also those famous and wise both Counsellors and Captaines Marius Scilla Pompey Caesar Cato Scipio and such like was not I say Rome then accounted as wise learned valiant noble and flourishing a kingdom as France Italy Spaine or any other Christian kingdomes be at this day and yet it is true that their knowledge was ignorance and their light darkenes vnlesse the Apostle be deceiued who saith of them all generally Their foolish heart was full of darkenes and when they professed themselues to be
before and since the beginning of her Raigne Or was it because in setting downe the iust iudgement of God and the punishment of Iustice iustly inflicted vpon Doctor Storie I doe in the ende thereof desire that al they which wish to Queene Elizabeth as he did for those be my words pagina 27. may speed as he did Other matter I am sure you can find none from the 18. page vnto the 49. of my booke which all in this Encounter you take vpon you to answere And I pray you Sir are these such matters as may iustlie prouoke anie to such furie outcrying opprobrious names and grieuous accusations as in this your Encounter you haue vsed against me the matters are all iustifiable as shall after more fully God willing appeare and as well might Cushi who bringing newes to Dauid of the ende of Absolon said the enemies of the Lord the King and all that rise to doe thee hurt be as that young man is be charged with a bloudie mouth the worme of heresie woodnes and furie as I for desiring as I did against her Maiesties enemies My heart I thanke God is free from thirsting after the bloud of anie and the true conuersion reformation of my countriemen who are deuoted to the Bishop of Rome and the Romish newe faith should be more ioy and comfort to me then anie worldlie thing which both doe argue that I loue their persons though I detest their Popish Religion and traiterous practices I wish that Papistes may liue and that Poperie may dye and I ioyne with Saint Augustine concerning Papists in generall who are not particularly tainted with actuall treason Non oramus vt moriantur inimici sed vt corrigantur sie mortui erunt inimici iam enim correcti non amplius erunt inimici Wee pray not for the death of our enemies but for their correction and amendment so our enemies shall bee dead for being amended they shall bee no more our enemies But now to the seuerall parts of your Encounter as they follow in order with as much breuitie as I may It offendeth you greatly that I impute her Maiesties deliuerance from great daunger in the time of Queene Mary to bee wholly and onely wrought to her from Gods goodnes and this out of the madnes of your idle braine you blasphemously call a miracle of Milne-wheeles but with all the craftie wit you haue how greatly soeuer you vaunt thereof imagining that I cannot vnderstand plaine humane reason you shall not be able either to make her deliuerance lesse strange and admirable then I haue said it was or to cleere any of those that I haue accused to hunt after her life at that time But I pray you Sir N.D. why should this matter so much displease you as to vrge you to write so many lines in seeking to disproue my saying Is it because you would flatter her Maiestie and perswade her that she was better beloued then she thought she was Or is it because you are vnwilling to heare that God should so honour the Gospell as to bring in the free publishing and profession thereof into this our Land by one that was marueilously preserued to be a Prince and nourse vnto vs Or is it because you would free those daies from such malice and crueltie as her Maiestie did sensiblie perceiue Or for that you would shew your skill in carping at my sayings Whatsoeuer occasion you did take for iust cause had you none you might haue done better to haue spared your labourâ— and to haue said as we doe with the Church in Dauids time vpon the like occasion in preseruing Dauid to be King of Israel This is the Lords doing and it is marueilous in our eyes If any Israelite then discontented with Dauids gouernment should haue said you are miracle-makers and framers of miracles of Milne-wheeles because in humane reason there may bee imagined diuers pregnant and potent causes which did concur to the preseruation of Dauids life and his admission to the kingdome as namely that Ionathan was his friend he was beautifull and valiant he had married the Kings daughter and the people did honour him should not such a one haue shewed himselfe a blasphemous deprauer of Gods worke and an enuious repiner at Dauid his safetie and honour Yes out of question Looke then to your selfe Sir Encounterer and learne to speake more reuerently of Gods marueilous workes and in charitie reioyce with them that reioyce Iubemur saith Bernard colligere fragmenta ne pereant id est ne minima beneficia obliuisci We are bidden to gather vp the very fragments and crums that is not to forget the least benefits How much more then should wee magnifie the power of God in his wonderfull workes But how doth hee disproue my sayings First hee laboureth to proue that her Maiesties life and blood was not sought after neither was shee in such danger as I haue affirmed next hee sheweth certaine humaine causes of her Maiesties preseruation That she was subiect to suspitions and that she was had in ielousie and did hold the Queene and state in suspence and care this Encounterer denieth not alleaging cunningly some such reasons thereof as namely her inclination to true Religion the attempts of Wyat Courtney Carow c. and the condition of the Queene of Scots thereby endeuouring after his cunning manner both to leaue her Maiestie to be suspected at the least of some disloyaltie to her Sister as also to cleare the chiefe pillers then of Poperie from doing her wrong and the Queene of Scots from working of treason against her since that time But let him write neuer so cunningly seeking to leaue the matter doubtfull by way of presumption as he shall neuer be able to tainte her Maiestie with the least shew of disloyaltie in those dayes who witnessed with her Diamond the soundnes of her heart and innocent behauiour in these words Much suspected by me nothing proued can be So shall he neuer bee able to free either the State then from troubling and wronging of her Maiestie vniustly neither to cleare the Queene of Scots of such treasons as she was iustly condemned for But how proueth he that she was in no danger of life euen because shee was preserued For saith he there being power in them to put her to death and no power at home or abroad to hinder them if there had been such a seeking after her death as I haue affirmed then by forme of argument iustified by Cicero in his Rhetorickeâ—◠〈◊〉 have been effected Alas poore fiâ—â—ie Encounterer must my speech which onely accuseth the Romish Cleargie then in place of credite to seeke her life include the King and Queene Or must it needs follow where there is a soueraigntie and outward strength for that I â—â—ke you meane by power ioyned with will there the matter must needs be effected If this reason were good how was Moses preserued there being power and will
Subiects are absolued froÌ„ their oath of fealtie allegeance and those that obay her are accursed What though all Catholiks are not priuie to your Popes reasons informations may it not be concluded necessarily notwithstaÌ„ding that that such as acknowledge the Popes supreme authoritie ouer Prices and hold it for a maxime that in a definitiue sentence he cannot erre are enemies to Queene Elizabeth the State I know in deed some as Master Hart may deny that the Pope hath any thing to doe with disposing of kingdomes deposing of Princes and so the Bull may not any waie concerne them but I doubt there be but a few that will affirme the Popes supremacy in teÌ„poral things to be vsurped But because you post ouer this matter to other treatises esteeming of me in matter of dispute as Goliah did of Dauid whoÌ„ he scorned I wil also referre the ChristiaÌ„ reader to such learned treatises as are extaÌ„t for this Pandora her box descrying the hurtful and vnholsome euils that lye in the bowels of the seditious Bull. And because in this place before you consider further of this Bull you take exceptions against a proposition of mine which you terme ridiculous to proceede from deepe ignorance and a base breast I will a little fortifie my saying and make it apparant to the indifferent reader either your grosse mistaking or wilfull and malicious peruerting of my said speech as for your Lucyfer-like pride it is more then apparant alreadie my words are these As though it were in the power of any one mortall childe of man to dispose of Kingdomes to depose Princes or to dispense with subiects for not onely disobeying but rebelling against their lawfull Soueraignes c. Is this such a ridiculous proposition Sir Encounterer or doe these words either make temporall Kingdomes matters of Godhead and immortalitie or necessarily conclude that wicked Princes such as Nero and Caligula must bee obeyed in all things with which flourishes and false gloses you seeke to discredite my sayings Your malice did master your reason and your will did ouerrun your wit in this your lewde construction That which I said I may lawfullie still vphold that Princes are not depriuable by any mortall man neither can any man dispense with subiects for refusing to yeeld that obedience which the Lorde requireth them to yeeld The Prophet Daniel acknowledgeth that it is God that hath this power to take away Kings and to set vp Kings and to giue the kingdome to whom hee will and saieth that the Lord ordereth the States and Princes of the world at his pleasure Marie the blessed Virgine reserueth this honor wholie to God He putteth down the mightie from their seate and exalteth the base reade ouer the bookes of Kings none euer disposed of kingdomes but the Lorde of Lordes neither were any throwne from their thrones but by the Lords speciall appointment as in the deiection of Ieroboam Baasa Elah Achab and Ioram is apparant There was neuer any King of Israel or Iudah remoued from the Crowne by any Priest or Prophet though all the Kings of Israel were open Idolaters as also the most part of the Kings of Iudah euen fourteene of them But it may be you thinke because the Prophets denounced Gods iudgements annointed some to be Kings and some others by speciall commandement and authority did execute Gods iudgements as Iehu vpon Ioram and Achabs children that therefore my proposition is infringed which cannot be Sir Encounterer for it was done by Gods speciall appointment as Iudge and superiour ouer Princes and not by their owne motions or in their owne name No Priest no Prophet no Apostle no Bishop euer had authoritie to depose Princes Hee that saith By mee Kings raigne doth challenge this power to himselfe and it is plaine blasphemie to giue it to any other Saint Augustine expressely resolueth that Kings neede not to feare to lose their Kingdomes or that their Kingdome shall bee taken from them as wretched Herod feared and therefore out of all question there is no such authoritie giuen to any mortall child of man to depose Princes But although I thus confidently and vpon good grounde doe pleade against the Popes vsurped authoritie yet I am neither so seruily sottish or so superstitiouslie conscienced as either to adore earthlie Princes or to denie that any Prince established may be touched or disobeyed in any matter for as I haue learned to giue to Caesar that which is Caesars and to God that which is Gods worshipping the Lord onlie with Religious worship so I know vsurpers may be suppressed by rightfull inheritance as Athalia by Iehoiada and in our land Richard the third by Henrie the seuenth and to our Princes wee must yeeld such obedience as the Lorde alloweth obeying them in the Lord chusing rather with the Disciples to obey God then man when man commaundeth wicked and vnlawfull things And so leauing you Sir Pope-Idolater to your palpable flatterie and to please and defend your Nero and Caligula as a more fit fellow to flatter seriouslie and to adore such saints then my selfe I stand as becommeth me in loyaltie for my Christian and religious Soueraigne and so will doe by Gods grace whilest I liue to my last breath Your three points which you would haue to bee considered vpon my speech of the Bull come next to be handled by which you would gladlie proue that not the malignitie of the Pope and Papists against our Prince brought forth this roring Bull but some dealings of ours and that the Popish Recusants are not to be accused for it or inforced by meanes thereof to change their olde beleefe about the Popes authoritie The first point to be considered is that the Bull of Pius Quintus camâ—â—â—rth in the thirteenth yeare of her Maiesties raigne and not before as by our owne Chronicles you say appeareth Let it bee so Sir N.D. though the Bull was set vp in the thirteenth yeare of her Raigne and dated 1567. 5. Calend. Martij what conclude you hereupon Must it therefore needes follow that the Bull proceeded not from any malignitie of the Pope and Papists but of some other cause as out of mine owne words you would seeme to proue Your argument is verie weake your conclusion cannot bee inforced vpon such slender premisses The malignitie of the Papists is most apparant by their consulting to excommunicate her Maiestie as before I shewed out of Cardinall Allyn by Doctor Stories words by informations giuen against her which you confesse whereupon the Pope in his Bull chargeth her with many things most vntruely and falselie The hatred of the Pope is most euident calling her a pretended Queene and an vsurper euen in the title and beginning of the Bull. And though the Bull was not published till the 12. yeare being yet concluded vpon about two yeares before as the date sheweth yet both the Pope and his adherents might as well fret
and storme at her enioying of the Crowne as at her Christian and Religious gouernment Buls are not hastelie procured your Pope must be sued vnto and false informations must be giuen and it might be as they had vaine hopes for a time to feede themselues with so those hopes fayling the fittest season for publishing of the Bull was thought to be when others were prepared to raise rebellion The second point is a matter of as deepe consideration as the former wherein hee telleth vs by enumeration of diuers hard vsages offered by her Maiestie and the Protestants against the Pope and Popish Catholicks that it must needs be that not malignitie of the Pope and his adherents against her but diuers iniuries and cruelties offered inforced the publication of the Bull. I will not vouchsafe to make an Apologie for defence of those things which you Sir Encounterer recken vp as wrongs and iniuries offered to your Pope and Pope-worshippers this onely I say for answere that as her Maiestie hath done nothing in the reformation of Religion in requiring an oath of her people for acknowledgement of her authoritie in inforcing her Subiects to the true seruice of God in punishing offenders and obstinate persons and such like proceedings but that which God commaunded her and the godlie zealous Princes haue done before her so it doth not necessarilie follow that notwithstanding all those things haue been done in godlie zeale and louing care for the saluation of the soules of her people therefore you are free from malignitie your faultines wherein I haue euidentlie proued before though in your deepe and cunning flatterie you would gladlie denie it you fawne vpon her Maiestie and yet accuse her most falselie of breach of promise in altering Religion you seeme to free her from a desire to publish Gods Gospell and yet affirme that your Pope had great cause to proceede against her Other Princes as Edward the first Richard the second Henrie the fourth haue made lawes against the Bishop of Rome his authoritie and vsurped iurisdiction and yet haue not tasted so much of his malice which sheweth the malignitie of your Pope and his adherents against her Maiestie As for your Poperie and superstition rooted out of this land it was not of so long continuance as you boast for but little before William the Conqueror Kings were Gods Vicars for gouerning his Church Ecclesiasticall liuings were bestowed by the Princes they made Ecclesiasticall lawes Priests were married and your Transubstantiation was not then knowne You blasphemouslie scoffe at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and ye glorie in the dissention betweene vs and the Lutherans but as the Lord is of will and power to mocke mockers so can hee make the infirmitie of his seruants worke to his glorie and their good I passe ouer many things willinglie in this your Rhetoricall flourishing contenting my selfe to haue shewed the non sequitur of your allegation The third point which you would haue considered is that it was an acte of iurisdiction from an Ecclesiasticall superiour as also an auncient kinde of proceeding against Princes in our land as well as in other places without any trouble to the people for the same and therefore you would not haue your Catholikes to be charged with it or troubled for it For answere thereunto this I affirme that as wee acknowledge not your Popes superioritie or Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction ouer vs he playing the vsurping Tirant in censuring our Prince so we neither yeelde that this his proude and malicious cursing and excommunication of Princes hath been of long continuance or that those his adherents who iustifie his proceedings are to bee freed from blame We acknowledge that Princes the annointed of the Lord are the higher powers ordained to execute Iustice and Iudgement ouer the good and euill We knowe no other Superiour in nations and kingdomes next and immediatelie vnder God but such as the Apostle Peter willeth vs to be subiect vnto when he saith Submit your selues vnto all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as to the Superiour c. he speaketh of one not of many superiours where a Monarchie is established The time was when your Bishop of Rome was far from hauing a superioritie euen in Rome and his dominions for both Charles the great and Otho the great had right soueraigntie and royaltie of the Countries giuen to your Popes with acknowledgement to bee their Soueraigne Lordes in regarde of which they yeelded tributes and other seruices vnto them as also in former times the Emperours had their Lieutenants and deputies in Rome euen to Gregorie the seuenths time and your Popes obtained not the Soueraigntie which now they challenge till it was almost 1200. yeares after Christ in the daies of Alexander the third and Innocentius the third both Bishops of Rome Your vsuall engine of excommunication and depriuing of Princes of their Crownes is likewise far short of that antiquitie by which you would seeme to mitigate the rigour and crueltie thereof For as there was neuer any Romane King or Emperor excommunicated and depriued of his kingdom by any Bishop of Rome before Henry the fourth Emperour of Rome who was excommunicated cursed by Gregory the seuenth the brand of hel who being a Necromancer a periured person and a most wicked man confessed at his death to a Cardinall that he was set on by the Diuell to raise vp discord and warres in Christendome so in England from the conquest vnto King Henrie the eight there was no Prince of this land deposed by your pope but onely King Iohn It is a noueltie Sir N.D. and not a matter of antiquitie as Sigebert telleth you to teach that people owe no subiection to euill kings c. As for that you say that Subiects heretofore in our land haue not beene troubled or forced to alter their beliefe concerning the Popes power notwithstanding his cursing and depriuing of Princes is more then you know and it maketh no great matter whether it were so or no seeing that your vse of excommunication hath not been so frequent in our land and your dealings were neuer so treacherous and desperate as they haue been of late Our English Nation did neuer at any time since the first receiuing of the faith vnto this day acknowledge the vsurped power of your Pope to depose Princes much lesse hath it been anie matter of our faith your Pope Nicholas and Boniface the eight may put in transubstantiation to be an Article of our beliefe and make your popes supremacie of the necessitie of saluation but wee haue learned to ground our faith vpon the Scriptures of God which teacheth no such absurd and diuellish points The lawes of our land haue heretofore in King Richard the seconds time and Edward the thirds time made it treason to bring in any excommunication from Rome to impugne the lawes of the Realme for benefices and patronages to compasse or imagine the
Catilines of our age when your Popes doctrine teacheth nothing else and they frame themselues in all things to obey him When Rebellions haue been raised within our owne bowels When her Maiesties life hath so many times been shot at and her Kingdome attempted to be inuaded And in the first two sundrie of your Recusants false fingers haue been set on worke and in the third the Inuaders haue promised to themselues and so published great assistance from them and both for Inuasion Rebellion and taking away of her Highnes life who haue been the very Catilines of our Countrie but they Doth not your Captaine and Cardinall Allen openlie blow the trumpet of sedition against her Maiestie teaching all English Papists this Catholike doctrine that since her excommunication and deposition by the Pope she hath no iust title or interest to her Crowne and Kingdome and that no Acte done by her authoritie since the publishing of that excommunication and deposition hath been or can be lawfull by the lawe of God or man and therefore that no man may lawfullie serue her in any action bee it otherwise neuer so iust If Catiline himselfe were aliue could hee more pestilentlie perswade to sedition then doth this Cardinall And are not they Catilines mates so many as yeelde to the perswasion of this Catilinarian Cardinall And what doth the dispensation graunted to Parsons and Campion teach our Papists Doth it not teach them to dissemble Consider the wordes of the dispensation where in the Bull of Pius Quintus all her Subiects are commaunded not to obey her and she being excommunicate and deposed all that doe obey her are likewise innodate and accursed which point is perilous to the Catholikes for if they obey her they are in the Popes curse and if they disobey they are in the Queenes danger therefore the present Pope to relieue them hath altered that part of the Bull and dispensed with them to obey and serue her without perill of excommunication which dispensation is to endure but till that it please the Pope otherwise to determine First they teach generallie that all which obey the Prince by the Pope deposed are accursed which if it be not a seditious and Catilinarian Doctrine let the Reader iudge Secondlie Papists are dispensed with that withâ—out daunger of the Popes curse they may obey thâ— Queene but is it that the Queene may be safe Nâ—â— care of their owne safetie procured this dispensatioâ— or are they taught to obey of Conscience and froâ— the heart Nay flatlie for feare because saith the â—â—â—pensation if they disobey they are in the Queenâ—â— daunger and this is contrarie to S. Paules Doctrinâ— who teacheth to obey the Magistrate not onelie for wrath that is feare of punishment but also for Conscience sake Lastlie how long are they permitted to obey in this sort No longer then the Pope please otherwise to appoint if the Pope send in secretlie some Iesuites to whispher in their eares that hee hath cancelled this dispensation or otherwise publikelie signifie it then by your doctrine they must disobey and rebell or else they are accursed And yet your corrupt construction cannot hereby hold against me that I accuse all Papists to be guilt of these crimes I neuer said it I neuer thought it for though it be euideÌ„t that your Popes doctrine doth teach it generallie to all men yet I assure my selfe we haue many of that professioÌ„ in recusancy who are in simplicity led by the line of their superstiiton very far which yet will not shake hands with them in their treasons either against her Maiestie or their countrie to please Pope or anie forraine Potentate whatsoeuer For that some Papists are not so perswaded of the Popes power that he hath authoritie to depose Princes we haue examples Hart plainelie writeth as before was touched that the opinion of them who hold the Pope to be a temporall Lord ouer Kings and Princes â—s vnreasonable and vnprobable altogether and that â—e hath not to meddle with them and theirs ciuillie â—â—ch lesse to depose them or giue away their kingâ—â—mes that is no part of his commission Yea furâ—â—â—r he confesseth that we giue no more to the â—â—eene by the title of Supremacie then Augustineâ—â—th â—â—th giue to all kings and to this Supremacie of her â—aiestie he subscribed Besides this there is a booke written by one Iohn Bishop a Recusant Papist prouing that the Pope cannot depose her Maiestie or release her subiectes of their alleageance to her In which he handleth these sixe propositions 1. That the Pope and all the Bishops and Priestes are subiect by the law of God to the temporall Magistrate in whose Realme and Dominion they do dwell 2. That they caÌ„not depriue christian princes of their principalities 3. That the Pope cannot loose subiectes of their naturall faith and obedience to their Prince 4. That it is no determinatioÌ„ of faith that the Pope may depose Princes 5. That the Canon made at the Councell of Lateran touching the deposing of Princes the which hath bred the greatest scruple in our English Romane Catholikes neither is nor euer was of force within this land 6. That the sentence pronounced against her Maiestie was neither lawfully nor orderlie done according to the Laterane Canon Therefore I am farre from imputing the crime of sedition to all Recusantes and as I doe not accuse all so can no man trulie excuse all for it cannot be denied but that verie manie haue been ouertaken with this humour by the perswasions of Iesuites and Seminaries as hath been proued before and from hence you may pike out your hard and heathenish hearts wherof you make mention As for the bare sense of an English heart which you snatch out of my words it is such an heart as hauing onely the light of nature without anie knowledge of the true God at all would not so brutishly seeke the life of their lawfull Soueraigne to the betraying of their countrie into the handes of straungers and such an honest heart I wish you at the least After this iangling railer hath vngorged his malicious stomacke against me for this my triple accusation as he will haue it he proceedeth and that with the gal of bitternes for the Ethiopian cannot change his blacknes to inuey against me for setting downe a position which both religion and nature it selfe doth teach vs the position is this That euerie Christian man ought to striue to keepe these three things sound within his breast his conscience before God his loyaltie to his Prince and his loue to his countrie Which after he hath frowardly and peruersely wrested to his owne fantasticall sense he breaketh forth into this exclamation what Atheist would euer say so and I say who but a wretched wrangler would euer cauill so for may not men be loyall to their Princes except they obey all their commaundements Or can they not be louing to their countrie except
were more principall then others being sent with ioynt and equall commission ouer all the world and others by them ordained ouer particular congregations we gladlie yeeld but then were they all Archprelates in comparison of those whose calling was not Apostolik but Pastorlike and limited to a certaine congregation Peter onely was not as ye would haue him an Arch-prelate ouer the rest of the Apostles but they all were equall with him which thing Saint Ciprian plainely testifieth Hoc vtique erant coeteri Apostoli quod erat Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis the rest of the Apostles out of doubt were the same that Peter was endewed with the same fellowship both of honour and power But Sir why seeke you to shrowde your Popes Archprelacie vnder that of the Apostles for it is manifest that Christ gaue no such supremacie to anie one Apostle aboue the rest nay he forbad it saying That the Kings of the Gentiles raigne ouer them c. but ye shall not be so And whereas the promise of this Vniuersall iurisdiction seemeth to be made to Peter in these words To thee will I giue the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. it is plaine that where this promise is performed Iohn 20. Peter hath no more authoritie giuen him then the rest of the Apostles and the keyes to open and shut heauen to loose and bind sinnes is a like giuen to them all neither did that most humble seruant of Christ the blessed Apostle euer chalenge anie such preemineÌ„t authority for as he entituleth himself an elder which is a title of dignitie so he calleth himselfe a fellow elder which importeth an equalitie with not a superioritie aboue the rest And when they of the circumcision contended with Peter about his preaching to the Gentiles vsing as it might seeme rough tearmes Thou wentest into men vncircumcised and hast eaten with them he answered not as his intruding successor that he is to iudge all men and to be iudged of no man but made a iust Apologie for himselfe and yeelded a sufficient reason for his fact As for that councell spoken of in the Actes the primacie of place to be as it were moderator seemeth to be giuen at that time not to Peter but to Iames as one of your owne side confesseth Postquam Peâ—rus dixisseâ— c. After that Peter had spoken Iames by his Bishoplike authoritie gaue the definitiue sentence The rest of the Apostles did not acknowledge in him anie such preeminence of iurisdiction they shewed themselues to haue power to dispose of Peter as of anie other for the good of the Church and therefore when they heard that Samaria had receiued the word of God they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn Yea one Apostle Saint Paule publikelie reproued and withstood Peter to his face because he was to be blamed and to take away all occasion of stumbling from those that doe not wilfully blinde their eyes the same Apostle without tainte of pride saith of himselfe that he was nothing inferiour to the chiefest amongst the Apostles If then neither Christ granted nor Peter chalenged nor the rest of the Apostles acknowledged any singular Primacie of authoritie in Peter aboue them wee may safely subscribe to Cyprians conclusion before alleadged and the Popes vsurped Archprelacie shall remaine as it is indeede not a title of dignitie but a touch of intolerable insolencie The spirituall supremacie wherewith you infeofe your Archprelat as it is not grounded on Saint Peter who had no such if he had it yet the Pope shall neuer be able to proue himself Peters heire more then all other Bishoppes so began it long after Christ to be challenged and wanteth the testimonie of antiquitie The Councell of Nice which not the Bishop of Rome but the Emperour Constantine assembled in which himselfe was present and at his right hand sate the Bishop of Antioch which is called the chiefe or president of that Councell mentioneth foure Patriarches of Alexandria of Rome of Antioche of Ierusalem and appoynteth equall priuiledges to each of them Now where there is an equalitie of foure there is not an vniuersalitie of one aboue all The Councell of Chalcedon standeth for the dignitie of the Bishop of Constantinople and because that was now the Emperours seate and was called new Rome defined that it should haue equall priuiledges with olde Rome and in Ecclesiasticall matters bee of equall power with it By which it is apparant that to Rome and afterwardes to Constantinople some respect of honor was giuen in regarde of the Emperours seate but neither had primacie of power ouer all Iohn Bishop of Constantinople first challenged this vniuersall spirituall Supremacie about 600. yeares after Christ against whome Gregorie of Rome did mightilie oppose himselfe expostulating with him in an epistle Quid tu Christo c. What answere wilt thou make to Christ the head of the vniuersall Church in the account of the last iudgement that thus goest about by the name of vniuersall Bishop to make all his members subiect to thee But that which Constantinople sought Rome shortly after obtained and whereas Constantinople in seeking it did shew himselfe to be the forerunner of Antichrist as Gregorie of Rome then professed Rome in getting and maintaining it sheweth that Antichrist hath there setled his seate But this is not the highest Arch to which this your Archprelate of Rome mounteth he claimeth a ciuill Monarchie and authoritie ouer all Kings and Kingdomes vnder this title of Supremacie saying that Princes hold not their Crownes immediately of God but of him and that he hath power to set vp and pull downe Princes and to giue away their Kingdomes at his pleasure So one of his Chaplaines saith that the authoritie of Christ is principallie in the Pope and that the Pope doth call the Emperour to be coadiutor to him in temporall things By which we may see that vnlesse it had pleased the Pope there should haue been no King nor Emperour yea of that counterfeit Donation of Constantine they saie imagining it to be true that he gaue therein nothing to the Pope but restored his owne sith the Pope is Christes Vicar whose is the earth and the fulnes therof And Boniface the viij in the yeere 1300. one day came forth arraied in his pontificalibus like a Pope the next daie in Imperiall Robes with a naked sword carried before him causing it to be proclaimed that he was both Pope and Emperour and had the Empyre both of heauen and earth Wee haue onely taken a short scantling of the Popes Archprelacie which is so farre from being grounded vpon Peter that his spirituall Supremacie was not knowne till aboue 600. yeeres after Christ and his temporall ouer Kings and Kingdomes to depose and alter them hath not been acknowledged of anie Christian Prince to this daie Philip King of France writeth to the same Boniface the viij claiming both
the Worlde is nowe amended at Rome euen as sower Alemendeth in summer view the dealings of our moderne Popes and those onely which concerne our owne State First the Pope most iniuriouslie deposed her Maiestie from her Royall Crowne dismissed her Subiects from their obedience due to her yea cursed as many as did obey her further hee sendeth Murton into England to stirre vp Rebellion against her and consequentlie as much as in him lay to fill the land with dead corpses and to make our flouds run dyed with English bloud when this succeeded not hee sent Saunders with sundrie forces to inuade Ireland not onlie to increase Rebellion there but to winne it quite from her Maiestie if hee might The bloud by this occasion shed in Ireland could not yeelde his holines an heartie draught and therefore hee setteth on and abetteth the Spanish King in the yeare 1588. to make Inuasion for a full Conquest and to the ende he might throughlie speede and not faile he lendeth him all the helpe he could but especiallie as hee that writeth the Canonization of Didacus affirmeth because by diuine helpe he thought this Conquest might quickelie be atchieued Sixtus Quintus then Pope in that fittest opportunitie of time did Canonize Didacus a Spaniard and placed him in the number of Saints in whose merites the Spanish King did so greatlie trust And that no propertie of a bloudie monster might bee wanting in him hee suborned Parrey and armed him with full remission of all his sinnes besides other promises murtherouslie to kill her Maiestie and to shed her guiltles bloud If these euidences cannot make this popish Sycophant to see and abhor the Popes bloudie humour I can yeelde no other reason in his excuse but that which a Poet of their owne setteth downe AEthiopes vna quoniam nigredine sordent Ille color nulli vitio datur omnibus idem Vultus alterius si quis reprehenderet ora Et sua damnaret c. i. Blacknes for that it dyes each AEthiops face Blacknes with them is held for no disgrace All are like faced who so doth others blame His proper visage he perforce must shame If this fellow were not an horseleach that is bloudie minded himselfe he would easilie acknowledge the bloudie humour of the Pope To shut vp this point whereas he saith that for my speech against the Pope which is both iust and true I am to be restrained and checked euen for the very honour of England it selfe and our nation I referre it to the honorable iudgement of the higher authority what checke and restraint is fit for this fellow who so stifly standeth for her Maiesties professed enemy and will not endure to haue him accused of a bloudy humour who hath pronounced her no Queene stirred rebellions in her Realme against her sent an Inuadour to conquer her and authorised bloudie traitors secretly to kill hir and that for the honour of England it selfe that it may be freed from the ignominie of breeding such vipers and of our Nation that the people of our Nation may not be so inchanted by the poysoned cup of this Cyrce as to degenerate from Christian loyaltie to Antichristian treacherie whereto the Antichrist of Rome this Encounterers halfe God doth call them Whether the Pope be that special Antichrist wherof Daniel our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles doe speake I will not stand here to dispute specially because all the notes set downe in the Scripture of Antichrist are by sundrie learned men fully prooued to concurre in the Pope and in none other and that by Babilon in the Reuelation is meant Rome not onely as it was when the heathen Emperours held it as the Papistes say but as now it is the Pope raigning in it The tenne reasons sillie ones as they be which you alleadge to proue the contrarie with three times tenne more set downe by your Captaine Saunders are by Doctor Whitakers throughly sifted and refelled as also whatsoeuer the great Iesuite Bellarmine could say for his master to free him from this imputation is by diuers notablie learned fully examined and confuted whose bookes with others of the same argument in English because they are extant and almost in euerie mans hand I refer the reader to them contenting my selfe with a cōpetencie of knowledge for the instruction of mine owne conscience and not presuming to take vpon me to be a teacher of others To conclude whereas this Romane aduocate saith that this lande ought to beare more reuerence to the sea of Rome then other Nations for that it hath receiued more singular benefits from thence namely that it was conuerted from Paganisme to Christian Religion by the speciall diligence labour and industry of the same Sea I answere first that it is apparant by sundrie testimonies that this land was conuerted to the faith long before the time by you specified and not by the Bishop of Rome Guildas testifieth that Britanie receiued the Gospell in the time of Tiberius the Emperour and that Ioseph of Arimathia was sent by Philip the Apostle from France hither where he remained till his death And Beda our countriman likewise doth testifie that in his time this land kept Easter after the manner of the East Church by which may be gathered that the first preachers came hither from the East parts of the world and not from Rome more proofes might be set downe but I spare them Secondly though it be granted that Elutherius sending hither preachers from Rome in king Lucius his time did first conuert this land to the Christian faith I say there is not now the same faith in Rome that was then there was then no Masses said the partes of it were not then found out no transubstantiation no setting vp of Images in Churches the communion was then in both kindes administred to the lay people no vniuersall Pope c. Elutherius writeth thus to King Lucius Yee haue receiued of late through Gods mercie in the Realme of Britanie the law and faith of Christ ye haue with you within the Realme both the parts of the Scriptures out of them by Gods grace with the counsaile of your Realme take ye a lawe and by that lawe through Gods sufferance rule your kingdome of Britanie for you be Gods Vicar in your kingdome according to the saying of the Prophet c. Thirdly the latter Popes haue been more beholding to this land for our money then the land for anie good receiued from them our kings haue often complained that the dropsie thirst of these late Romanists cannot be quenched The Priour of Winchester one Andrew being expulsed was faine to giue to the Pope 365. markes yeerely to be restored againe to his place this and manie such like were but slender gleanings in comparison of the mightie haruest that from this land they yeerelie gathered In a word the Apostle saith of the Thessalonians that they were examples to all that beleeue in Macedonia