Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	prince_n	state_n	subject_n	1,779	5	6.3897	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09102	The iudgment of a Catholicke English-man, living in banishment for his religion VVritten to his priuate friend in England. Concerninge a late booke set forth, and entituled; Triplici nodo, triplex cuneus, or, An apologie for the oath of allegiance. Against two breves of Pope Paulus V. to the Catholickes of England; & a letter of Cardinall Bellarmine to M. George Blackwell, Arch-priest. VVherein, the said oath is shewed to be vnlawfull vnto a Catholicke conscience; for so much, as it conteyneth sundry clauses repugnant to his religion.; Judgment of a Catholicke English-man, living in banishment for his religion	Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610.	1608 (1608)	STC 19408; ESTC S104538	91,131	136

from some other T. M. of like condition though in respect of his office somewhat neerer to his maiesty to whome perhaps he might shew the same ●s the other dedicated his and therupon might presume to set it forth Authoritate Regiâ as in the first front of the Booke is set downe somwhat different from other bookes and cause it to be printed by Barker his Ma. ties Printer and adorned in the second page with the Kings Armes and other like deuises wherin our English Ministers do grow now to be very bold do hope to haue in tyme the hand which Scot●ish Ministers once had But I most certaynly do perswade my selfe that his Ma. tie neuer read aduisedly all that in this Booke is conteyned For that I take him to be of such iudgement and honour as he would neuer haue let passe sundry things that heere are published contrary to them both III. As for example his Highnes great iudgement would presently haue discouered that the State of the Question is twice or thrice changed in this Apologie and that thing proued by allegations of Scriptures Fathers and Councels which the aduerse part denyeth not as after in due place I shall shew And againe he would neuer haue let passe so manifest an ouersight as is the charging of Card. all Bellarmine with eleuen seuerall places of contradiction to himselfe in his workes whereas in the true nature of a contradiction or contrariety no one of them can be proued or mainteyned as euery man that vnderstandeth the Latyn tongue and will but looke vpon Bellarmine himselfe will presently fynd IV. Nay some of them are so palpable as euery man of common sense euen without Latyn or learning will espy the same as namely the very first where it is said That Card. all Bellarmine writeth in his fifth Booke of Iustification That for the vncertainty of our owne proper righteousnesse and for auoyding of vayne glory it is most sure and safe to repose our whole confidence in the alone mercy and goodnes of God Which proposition sayth the Apologie is directly contrary to the whole discourse and currant of all his fyue bookes De Iustificatione But euery m●n out of common reason will 〈◊〉 that the opposition betweene one place and fiue bookes is very gen●●● and vncertayne to the Reader He should haue c●ted some one or two or more places out of those fyue bookes which in true sense and wordes had byn contrary to the former place to the end that iudgement might haue byn made therof and this in credit he ought to haue done to conuince so great a man of contradiction to himselfe V. Agayne it is alleadged for a manifest contradiction in Bellarmine for that in one place he saith That the end of the world can not be knowne and in an other That within 25. dayes after Antichrists death the world shall haue an end But what man is so simple or sil●y that will not presently demaund how we shall know the certaynty when Antichrist is to come For therupon dependeth the whole controuersy VI. In like manner wheras his Ma. tie is knowne to be a Prince of most honorable respects in treaty and vsage of others especially men of honour and dignity it is to be thought that he would neuer haue consented if he had but seene the Booke with any attention that those phrases of contempt not only against the Pope at least as a temporall Prince but neyther against the Cardinall calling him by the name of M. Bellarmine should haue passed For so much as both the Emperour and greatest Kings of Christendome do name that dignity with honour And it seemeth no lesse dissonant to call a Cardinall Maister then if a man should call the chiefest dignityes of our Crowne by that name as M. Chauncelour M. Treasurer M. Duke M. Earle M. Archbishop M. Bancroft which I assure my selfe his Ma. tie would in law of honour condemne if any externall Subiect or Prince should vse to men of that State in our Countrey though he were of different Religion Wherfore I rest most assured that this proceeded eyther out of the Ministers lacke of modestie or charity and that if his Ma. tie had had the perusall of the Booke before it came forth he would presently haue gyuen a dash of his pen ouer it with effectuall order to remedy such ouersightes of inciuility VII Furthermore that generall assertiue note gyuen against Card. all Bellarmine that VVhensoeuer he is pressed with any difficult argument of his Aduersary he careth not to contradict himselfe so he may declyne therby the present storme I can hardly belieue that his Ma. tie would haue passed ouer with approbation For so much as it is so generall as I said and would require an induction of many particuler examples to inferre the same wherof no one is heere alledged that can be stood vnto and proued to be a true contradiction in deed That other iniurious and stinging conclusion also that There is no greater difference betweene God and Belial light and darknes heauen and hell then there is betweene the doctrine of the Scriptures and Card. all Bellarmines workes concerrning the dignity of temporall Princes I can not imagine that the equity and grauity of his Ma. tie would euer allow of it being apparantly a passionate exaggeration and refuted euery where by Bellarmine himselfe where he teacheth that temporall Princes haue their Authority from God are Gods substitutes and Vicars in all temporall affayres of their States and Kingdomes are for such to be obeyed not only out of feare to auoyd punishment but of conscience vnder paynes of damnation so as wherin this great and absolute opposition of Scriptures to Bellarmins works about the Authority and dignity of temporall Princes doth consist I see not And if his bookes had byn so derogatory to Princely Authority as heere is said it is very like that so many other Monarches Princes and great States would neuer haue permitted them to haue bene printed in their Dominions as they haue done and do dayly Wherfore neyther this also do I suppose that the great wisedome of his Ma. tie would haue allowed VIII This then remayneth most firme in my persuasion that his Ma. tie had nothing to do with the Booke but only perhaps the allowance therof in generall termes before it was published and this yow will easely see by the substance therof which consisteth such as it is of three principall poynts or partes The first conteynng as it were a preamble to the Breues concerning the nature of the Oath exacted and circumstances therof The second touching the contents of the said Breues the Popes manner of proceeding therin The third the examination of Card. all Bellarmines letter to M. Blackwell the Arch-priest of all which I do promise yow but a small tast as I said for I haue very little tyme and I should offer iniury to others to whome it belongeth to make a

teares and sobbes besought them to make intercession vnto God for him And after that religiously exhorted the Synod to be myndfull of the Fathers Decrees for confirmation of Ecclesiasticall rytes c. Wherupon after seauenty and three Decrees made about Ecclesiasticall matters which whosoeuer will read shall fynd them wholy against the Protestants as setting downe describing the whole vse of the Catholicke Church then in Spayne which concurred with our first Primitiue Church of England conforme to that which now also is seene there they in the last Canon which was the 74. turned themselues to treat in like manner of matters of the Common wealth appoynting the order how their Kings for the tyme to come should be established Defuncto in pace Principe Primates Gen. is cum Sacerdotibus successorem Regni consilio communi constituant The Prince being dead in peace let the Nobility of the Nation togeather with the Priests by common counsell appoynt a successour in the kingdome c. XV. And then next to this they do excommunicate all those that shall attempt the destruction of the present King or shall breake their Oath of Fidelity made vnto him Aut si quis praesumptione Tyrannica Regni ●as●i ium vsurpauerit or if any shall by Tyrann cal presumption vsurpe the dignity of the Crowne aut Sacramentum fidei suae quod pro Patriae Gentisque Gothorum sta●u vel conseruatione Regiae salutis pollicitus est violauerit aut Regem neci attrectauerit If any man shall violate the Oath of his fidelitie which he hath promised for the state or conseruation of his Countrey and Gothish Nation and of the Kings safety or shall attempt the Kings death c. Lett him be accursed say they in the sight of God the Father and of his Angels and cast out from the Catholicke Church which by his periury he hath profaned and let him be separated from all Society of Christians togeather with all his associates in such attēptes And this curse they do renew and repeat diuers tymes in that Canon Vt haec tremenda toties iterata sententia nullum ex nobis praesenti atque aeterno condemnet iudicio that this dreadfull and often iterated sentence of excommunication do not condemne any of vs with iudgement present and euerlasting also if we incurre the same XVI This then was the great care which those ancient Fathers wherof the holy and learned man S. Isidorus Archbishop of Siuill was the first that subscribed had of the dutifull obedience fidelity of subiects towards their Princes vnto whome they had once sworne the same But as for any particuler forme of Oath there prescribed wherby this new Oath now required of Allegiāce may be framed that hath so many clauses therin of scruple of cōscience to the receauer I fynd none at all And no doubt but if this King Sisenandus should haue exacted of any of these Bishops or other his subiects such an Oath of Allegiance as should haue beene mixed with any clauses preiudiciall to any of those points of Ecclesiasticall affaires which are handled and decreed by them in the said 73. precedent Canons of this Coūcell or others contrary to their Conscience or iudgment in Religion they would haue beene so farre of from yielding therunto as they would rather haue giuen their liues then their consents to such an Oath XVII But to go forward and speake a word or two more of this Councell of Toledo After those 70. Fathers had taken this order for the temporall safetie of their Prince and Gothish Nation for that was a principall point that none should be admitted to the Crowne but of that race they turne their speach to the present King Sisenandus and to his successours making this exhortation vnto him Te quoquè praesentem Regem ac ●uturos aetatum sequentium Principes humilitate qua debemus deposcimus vt moderati mites erga subiec●os existentes c. We with due humility do require at your hāds also that are our present King and at the hands of those that shall ensue in future tymes that yow be moderate and myld towards your subiects and do rule your people committed vnto yow by God in iustice and piety and do yield to Christ the giuer of all your power good correspondence by raigning ouer them in humility of harte and indeauour of good workes c. And we do promulgate here against all Kings to come this sentence Vt si quis ex eis contra reuerentiam legum superba dominatione fastu Regio in flagitiis crudelissimam potestatem in populis exercuerit Anathematis sententia à Christo Domino condemnetur c. That if any of them shall against the reuerence of the lawes by proud domination and Kingly haughtines exercise wickednes and cruell power vpon the people committed to their charge let him be condemned of Christ by the sentence of curse and let him haue his separation and iudgment from God himselfe XVIII After this for better establishment of the said present King Sisenandus they do confirme the deposition and expulsion from the Crowne of the foresaid King Suintila which by error of the print is called in the Booke of Councells Semithilana pronouncing both him his wife and their brother to be iustly expulsed for their wickednes though the foresaid S. Isidorus then liuing and writing the History of Spayne dedicated to this King Sisenandus doth speake much good of the former parte of the other King his life and raigne And fynally some fyue yeares after this agayne in the sixt Councell of Toledo being gathered togeather in the same Church of S. Leocadia the said Bishops togeather with the Nobility did make this law and prescribed this forme of Oath to all Kings of that nation Vt quisquis succedentium temporum Regni sortitus suerit apicem non anteà conscendat Regiam Sedem quàm inter reliquas conditiones Sacramento pollicitus fuerit hanc se Catholicam non permissurum eos violare fidem That whatsoeuer future King shall obtayne the height of this Kingdome he shall not be permitted to ascend to the Royall seate therof vntill he haue sworne among other conditions that he will neuer suffer his subiects to violate this Catholicke faith Marke that he saith this which was the Catholicke faith then held in Spayne and explicated in those Councels of Toledo the particulers wherof do easely shew that they were as opposite to the Protestant faith as we are now XIX So as all this is against the Apologer for that in these Councells no particuler forme of any Oath was set downe or exhibited at all to Subiects that we can read of but only in generall it is commanded That all do keepe their Oath of Allegiance sworne to their Princes at their first entrance or afterward Which thing no Pope did euer forbid and all English Catholicks at this day do offer willingly to performe the same to

safety of his Conscience sweare vnto the Articles and branches of the Oath touching that poynt XXVIII Heere then wee see that all Ciuill Obedience and humble acknowledgment of all Temporall Duety is offered to his Maiestie by his Catholicke Subiects in most ample manner that can be deuised or that is offered to any Christian Catholicke Prince lyuing And if this be not accepted then is it euident that more is required then meere and only Ciuill Obedience as heere is often auouched XXIX And now for so much as it is said heere in like manner That very many of his Ma. ties Subiects that were Popishly affected as well Priests as Laycks did freely take the same Oath which he calleth A blessed successe frō God of this godly and wyse intent in deuising and proposing the same I shall be forced also to say somwhat of this matter before I passe any further And first of all concerning the freedome wherby it is heere said That priests and Laycks did freely take the same no man I thinke will deny but that the taking of this Oath is proposed by the Statute it selfe vnder paine of the losse of all goods and lands and perpetuall imprisonment to him that shall refuse it which is the very same freedome and no other that a merchant hath in a tēpest eyther to cast out his goodes into the sea for lightening his ship or to be drowned himselfe And though Aristotle in his Ethicks do seeme to hold it to be Simpliciter inuoluntarium simply against the will of the doer and Catholicke Deuynes That it is Inuoluntarium secundum quid in part inuoluntary and simply voluntary for that all circumstances considered he resolueth fynally to be the best to cast out his goods and saue himselfe yet all agree in this that freedome is taken away by this constraint of the passion of feare For that freedome requyreth full liberty to both extreames or obiects that are proposed which is not in our case For that the displeasure of the Prince the losse of goods and liberty the ruyne of his family the terrour and perswasion of his friendes are heauie poyses and do mightily preponderate on the one side and consequently the mention of this freedome might haue beene pretermitted for so much as no constraint of humane will can be greater then this And yet is it said in the Oath that he must do it both willingly and hartily and as he belieueth in Conscience Let the discreete Reader consider what coherence there is in their tale XXX Secondly as for that multitude of Priests Laycks which he sayeth Haue freely taken this Oath as their freedome was that which now I haue mentioned and a principall motiue as may be presumed the desyre they had to giue his Ma. tie satisfaction and deliuer themselues and others so much as lay in them from that inference of disloyall meaning which vpon the denyall therof some do vse to make so I cannot but in charity assure my self that they being Catholicks tooke the said Oath for so much as concerneth the Popes authority in dealing with temporall Princes in some such lawfull sense and interpretation as being by them expressed and accepted by the Magistrate may stand with the integrity and sincerity of true Catholicke doctrine and faith To witt that the Pope hath not Authority without iust cause to proceed against them Quia illud possumus quod iure possumus saith the law Our authority is limited by Iustice. Directly also the Pope may be denyed to haue such authority against Princes but indirectly only in ordine ad spiritualia and when certayne great importāt vrgent cases concerning Christian religion fall out which we hope will neuer be betweene our Soueraigne and the Sea Apostolicke for so much as they haue past already many yeares though in different Religions in peace and quietnes euen since his Ma. tie began first to raigne XXXI But concerning the generall Question to deny simply and absolutely That the Pope is supreme Pastour of the Catholicke Church hath any authoritie left him by Christ eyther directly or indirectly with cause or without cause in neuer so great a necessity or for neuer so great and publicke an vtility of the Christian Religion to proceed against any Prince whatsoeuer temporally for his restraint or amendment or to permitt other Princes to doe the same this I suppose was neuer their meaning that tooke the Oath for that they should therby contradict the generall consent of all Catholicke Deuines and confesse that Gods prouidence for the conseruation and preseruation of his Church and Kingdome vpon earth had bene defectuous for that he should haue left no lawful remedy for so great and excessiue an euill as that way might fail out XXXII Wherefore for so much as some such moderate meaning must nedes be presumed to haue bene in those that tooke the Oath for safeguard of their Consciences if it might please his Maiesty to like well and allow of this moderation and fauourable interpretation as all ●orreyne Catholicke Kings and Monarchs doe without any prejudice at all of their safety dignity or Imperiall preheminence I doubt not but he should fynd most ready conformity in all his said English Catholicke Subiects to take the said Oath who now haue great scruple repugnance o● Conscience therin both for that the chiefest learned men of their Church doe hold the same for vtterly vnlawfull being mixed and compounded as it is and the voyce o● their chiefe Pastour to whome by the rules of their Religion they thinke themselues bound to harken in like c●ses hath vtterly condemned the same and the very tenour of the Oath it self and last lines therof are That euery one shall sweare without any Equiuocation or mentall reseruation at all that is to say hartily willingly truely vpon the true faith of a Christian. Which being so they see not how they may take the said Oath in truth of Cōsciēce for so much as they find no such willingnes in their harts nor can they induce themselues in a matter so neerly concerning the Confession of their faith to Equiuocate or sweare in any other sense then from his Maiesty is proposed and therefore doe thinke it lesse hurt to deny plainly and sincerely to sweare then by swearing neither to giue satisfaction to God nor to his Maiesty nor to themselues nor to their neighbours And so much of this point XXXIII There followeth an other which is the third about this matter where this Apology saieth That God did blesse this godly deuise and intent of making and vrging this Oath by the admittance thereof by so many Priests La●cks c. Which blessing if it be a blessing must concerne eyther the takers or the exhibitours or both But for the takers what inward blessing of comfort in conscience they may haue receaued thereby I know not But for outward blessing I see small for they remaine either in prisons

and honoured receyued so gladly and with vniuersall ioy meant to serue faithfully trusted that as he had vnited the two Kingdomes in one Obedience by his Succession so would he by his liberality vnite and conioyne the harts of all his Subiects in bearing a sweete and equall hand towards them all From such a King I sa● or vs to expect liberty of Consciēce and equality with other Subiects in this poynt at least of freedome of soule what height of pryde may it be called May it not rather seeme height of pryde in this Minister his ●ellowes that hauing byn● o●d enemyes and alwayes borne a hard hate u●●hand and tongue against his Ma. tie both in their Sermons Bookes Speaches all the tyme of the late Queenes raigne now vpon the suddayne sine vllis meri is praecede●●ious will needs be so priuiledged assume vnto themselues such a confident presumption of his Ma. ties speciall fauour as to suffer no man to stand by them but to hold it for height of pryde in vs to hope ●or any freedome and liberty o● our Conscience at al● What is height of pryde and so●l● i● this be not XXIV But his Ma. tie is wise will as we hope according to his prudence in tyme looke into this sort o●men and manner of proceeding And to returne to the Apologer he reckoneth vp therby to exaggerate the more our ingratitude the particuler fauours his Ma. tie did vnto vs at his first entrance as That he did honour diuers Catholicks with Knighthood being open Recusants That he gaue audiece indifferently to both sydes bestowed equally fauours and honours vpon both professions gaue free con●inuall accesse to all rankes and degrees of Papists in his Court and company freeing Recusantes from their ordinarie payments gaue order to his Iudges with his owne mouth to spare execution of all Priests though they were conuicted gaue libertie by his gracious Proclamation to all Priests not taken to go out of the Countrey by such a day and all Priestes that were taken were sent ouer and sett at liberty and many other gracious fauours benefittes VVhich saith he tyme and paper would fayle me if I would make enumeration of them all in recounting wherof euery scrape of my pen so vse his words would serue but for a blott of the Popes ingratitude and iniustice in meating his Ma. tie with so hard a measure for the same So as I thinke quoth he I haue sufficiently wiped of the teares from the Popes eyes for complayning vpon such persecution c. XXV Thus writeth this man who in naming the Popes ingratitude must much more include ours that are Catholicks for that these benefitts such as they were appertayned nothing to the Pope but only in Christian charity as a common spirituall Father and Pastour he being otherwise a stranger vnto vs in bloud and for other worldly respects And as for Catholicks they accept gratefully whatsoeuer least fauour hath byn or is done vnto them and do not doubt but that if his Ma. tie had not bene preuented by sinister information persuasion of others they had tasted of much greater as due vnto them in that they are naturall borne Subiects of the Realme most loyall in hart affection neuer meaning otherwise but to liue in most orderly and dutifull Subiection and Obedience to his Highnes as to their liege Lord and Soueraigne XXVI And wheras this man for proofe of the contrary nameth the powder-treason of a few therby to discredite the whole though this calumniation haue beene answered before yet now I ad further as one said Distingue tempora scripturam concordabis If there had bene no persecution before that treason this might haue beene assigned for some probable cause of the subsequent tribulations but all England knoweth that this is not so but that his Ma. ties sweete myld aspect towards Catholicks at his first entrance was soone by art of their enemyes auerted long before the conspiracy fell out For that not only all the most cruell Statutes and penall Lawes made by Q. Elizabeth were renewed and confirmed before this with addition of others tending to no lesse rigour acerbitie but also the exaction of the same was put in practice with great seueritie namely the paymēt of the twenty poundes a moneth or two partes of their goods and landes for Recusants once remitted by his Ma. tie as heere is confessed were not only recalled againe but the arrearages therof in like manner exacted and for leuying wherof throughout sundry shyres of the Realme especially in the North there was such ransacking of mens houses such dryuing away of their Cattell frō their groundes such strayning of their Rents such vexing of their tennants not knowne perhaps to his Ma. tie as if the whole Countrey had byn gyuen ouer to spoyle desolation XXVII Nor were mens goods and persons only afflicted but the lyues also of sundry taken away for cause of their Religion before this powder-treason fell out which desperate treason to ascribe as an effect and fruite of too much clemency in his Ma. tie as this Minister doth is a strange assertion no doubt for so much as such effects do not proceed but of exasperated myndes which clemency worketh not eyther in men or beasts Neyther did euer any learned Philosopher that wrote of the good institution of any Common wealth or of the security of any Prince in his Gouernment put such effects for fruits of clemency but rather of the contrary manner of proceeding And if all the disasterous ends of the most vnfortunate Princes that euer haue byn destroyed should be layd togeather and the causes therof exactly inquired it would be found so and consequently that this Minister is no good Counsellour to his Ma. tie in this so great weighty affayre And we hope that Almighty God by the mercy of his dearest Sonne our Sauiour and through the prayers of his Ma. ties good Mother and other holy Princes of his Royall bloud now in heauen will neuer suffer him at the egging of such exasperating people to follow so violent troublesome and dangerous a course and so contrary to theirs whiles they lyued vpon earth and so alienate from his owne sweete nature and Princely disposition XXVIII But to proceed a litle further in the narration of some poyntes of heauy persecutiō that insued soone after his Ma. ties being in England much before the powder-treason was attempted Who doth not know what afflictions were layd vpon Catholicks euen in the very first yeare of his Ma. ties raigne especially towards the end therof much more throughout all the second yeare before the said powder-treason fell out For then not only in the Shires and Prouinces abroad but euen in London it sel●e and in the eyes of the Court the violence and insolency of continuall searches grew to be such as was intollerable no night passing commonly but