the world without anie other knowing of the cause Tell me where hast thou learned this fashion of arguing It commeth not from the Apostles who in stead of commending the Ethnike religions by such examples did combat with and beate them downe by the authoritie of the word of God Ier. 2. True it is that in Ieremie God reasoning saith that his people are lesse constant in his truth than the idolaters are in their errours But the Prophet did not endeuor to the end to commend the perseuerance nor the obstinacie of the idolaters to the which in the meane time thou doest intend Thou takest then this fashion of arguing from the oracle of Apollo the which wicked creature did counsell the pagans in times past alwayes to reteine the religions receiued into theyr countrie from all antiquity without chaunging any thing Xenoph in his Com. Cicero dâ—â—egibus lib. 2. Knowest thou not that amongst the Pagans such examples are not concluded and much lesse amongst Diuines which do argue altogether by the worde of God Finally doest thou not knowe that the Gentiles did forsake theyr false religions by the preaching of the Gospell Thou hast done very fairely then in alleadging the Persians Greeks and Romanes in their paganisme to the ende that by their example a man should not inquire after the certaintie and assurance of the true religion Iohn 5. On our side wee see agayne the disciples of Christ with the contentes of his will written within his booke which is the worde of God which doth alwayes remaine But the religions of the Pagans Isay 40. are perished with theyr authors where it appeareth that thou shewest thy religion to bee more wicked than the Pagans did theirs for they neither would nor durst serue so much wickednes and crueltie as thou doest serue thy selfe with in that which thou callest the Romish Catholicke religion Let vs see now whether thou canst profit thy selfe any better in thy fourth Article or not But it will sooner bee found out that through a hotte disease thou wilt fall from the water into the fire The fourth Article THe summe of this may be drawn to this poynt that the Catholicks which do mayntaine the kings parte doe breake the statutes and fund mentall lawe of Fraunce For the proofe of which rupture this Doctor like vnto a mouse that hath but one wretched hoale neyther knoweth how nor can alleadge any other text or reason but a violent and bloudy statute or rather the default of a statute which the last Duke of Guize did wreste by constraint against the last king imitating beggers which doe begge almes with a two handed sworde My leaguerer then the better to fill his paper layeth foorth vnto vs here at large the vnderstanding of his pretended statute which hee calleth the fundamentall lawe of the Realme and the statute of vnyon solempnly sworne vnto by all the estates of the Towne of Bloys in the yeare of our Lorde God 1588. contayning these poyntes that is to saye that the king woulde holde sayth hee for an inuiolable lawe First that hee would lyue and dye in his Catholike Romish Religion Secondly that hee woulde imploye himselfe in good earnest by all the meanes that hee could to race our the heretikes Thirdly that all his subiectes shoulde sweare and binde themselues vnto the same condition And comming to the fourth that the king dying without children no heretike should be receyued to be either king or prince Beholde nowe the substance of the Article And first of all for aunswere It is demaunded who threwe the last king downe headlong into his last troubles The house of the Guize Who caused him shamefully and in daunger of his lyfe to come out of Paris The house of Guyze Who did afterwardes chase him from his other Towne of Chartres The Guyze Who seized himselfe of the most part of his Townes The house of Lorrayne Who mooued the Frenchmen to treason rebellion and reuolting agaynst the same king The same house Finally who constrayned the poore passengers to giue that by by force which they durst not refuse to Robbers which tooke them within Bloys Euen hee himselfe beeing guiltie of high treason a traiterous and wicked vsurper of the estate of the Lord. This was in the same time and state when the last Duke of Guyze demaunded of the last king suche an infamous and detestable raunsome The which this leagued Moonke calleth the Parliament and Statutes of Bloys and the fundamentall lawe of the Realme Patience I pray you Is there any thing more impudent more falsely named and more ridiculous than to call this rauening extortion and constraynte A Statute and a solemne and a fundamentall Lawe of a Realme Doest thou not know that in the making of a Lawe the free will of the lawgiuer is requisite And for want whereof the ordinaunce which shall bee made agaynst his will shall bee rather accounted rebellion and felonye than any iust and true Lawe If thou doest heere obiecte that the swearing of the King passed betweene in suche a Statute thou shalt bee aunswered in lyke sorte That is to saye that the swearing wherein GOD is taken to witnesse in things Deut. 2â— which in theyr owne nature ought to bee holye and iust requyreth likewise a free will that it maye bee thereby able wholesomely to foresee that it promiseth nothing vnto God but that which the conscience telleth vs must bee iustly promised and perfourmed For want whereof the swearing is not onely a nullitie but also ought to bee retracted as beeing made contrary to the institution and ordinaunce of God Whereupon it ensueth that hee which hath sworne rashly redoubleth his faulte if hee continueth and effecteth the same wicked swearing Then wilt thou replye that the King in suche a case ought not to sweare at all wherein I agree with thee but so that thou oughtest to consider that I detest and reprooue it in so much as the feare thereof dooth bring manie kinges to this passe for to sweare rather politikely in Greece than religiously in Iuda when matters doe concerne theyr estates and especially if they fall into anie apparaunt daunger of theyr liues But in such lamentable default why doest thou rather take an occasioÌ„ against the last king who was constrained through the feare of death than the Guyze who without any occasion did first shewe himselfe to bee periured towardes the king by his treason and rebellion And wherefore doest thou so narrowly search this faulte amongst kinges and Princes rather than amongst Popes which cal themselues the vicars of Christ Iesus which doe but sport or ieast at such oathes as this worthie saying doth testifie Heretico non est seruanda fides By and by hee will present a newe occasion to speake of an oath wherefore then wee saye for conclusion of the Article that euen as money beeing taken away by force by robbers theeues cannot bee called a gifte a present or an almes giuen
Ier. 27. that the nation and kingdome which wil not serue Nabuchadnezer king of Babilon shal be visited saith the Lorde And in confirmation whereof Iesus Christ saith giue to Caesar that which is Caesars then Luk. 20. although he was a Pagan and thus is the Minor prooued Againe Iargue thus against the same Canons and decrees which do enterprise to displace Monarkes and kings beeing their Lordes God onely is the authour and giuer of kingdoms wherfore it followeth that Popes and Bishops haue no right to put them out the antecedent is thus proued produced by Ieremy I haue made the earth the meÌ„ Iere. 27 the beasts which are vpon the face of the earth saith the Lord c. I haue giuen to him to whoÌ„ it hath pleased me now haue I giueÌ„ al the earth into the hands of Nabuchadnezer king of Babylon my seruant all people shall serue him and his sonnes and the sonnes of his sonnes To the same ende the wise man did bring in God speaking thus By mee kinges doe raigne Prou. 8. the consequent is prooued in this sort No man hath right or commaundement to take away from any man that which he cannot giue and wherwith he hath nothing to do The Popes Cardinals Bishops haue no right nor any thing to do ouer kingdomes of the worlde from them it followeth that they haue no right to dispossesse them whereof these textes are witnesses Rom 13. Luk. 12. that the powers are ordained of God Giue to all them to whome it is due tribute to whome tribute belongeth and honor to whom honor is due Luk. 12. The kings of the nations do beare rule but it shall not be so with you Oh man who hath appointed me iudge a decider amongst you Marke Christ whose wisedome power was more great than that power of a million of millions of Popes Cardinals would not then although required intermeddle with deciding betweene two brothers Contrarily the Pope without beeing required in any thing will by constraint not onely iudge but parte diuide and take awaye the kingdomes of the worlde to transpose them where he list Mat. 4. imitating Satan when hee tempted Iesus Christ and would haue made him beleeue that the kingdoms of the earth were at his disposition to giue them wher he should thinke good And I holde a third argument against suche Canons and decrees vpon the calling right and nature of kinges to whom as to Soueraignes of kingdomes common-wealthes God hath subiected all other persons Rom. 13. that do owe subiection homage obedience tribute and other like duties vnto them 1. Tim. 2. So farre off is it then that the kings as these Canons would haue them in such sort should be tractable and punishable by the Ministerie of Bishoppes whereas on the contrary such Ministers as their subiectes do owe to them all the foresaid homages euen to be them selues not onely to bee disgraded for default of this theyr dutie but also furthermore to bee punished according to the qualitie and quantitie of the faulte that they commit Now then that the kinges being soueraigne Magistrates haue preheminence dominion and lordship generally ouer all men of their kingdomes of what condition soeuer they be Rom. 13. as appeareth by this generall commaundement of the Apostles proposed by word distributiuely All persons ought to be subiect to their superior powers seeing then that the Bishops are comprehended in the same subiection from thence it ensueth not onely that they haue no right or power to depriue temporall Lordes of their estates and dignities but that contrariwise they ought to maintaine and defend them euen to death if need be Let such Bishops of Rome consider therfore these things and remember themselues what Salomon saith Prou. 19. that it is not conuenient for the seruaunt to rule ouer Princes and for the more celebrate commendations of them the holye Scriptures doe adorne them with the titles of diuinitie Iohn 10. When then the Bishop in stead of reuerencing and respecting his king doth lift himselfe vp against his Maiestie he committeth two other abhominable faultes The first is where he detaineth vniustly that which he oweth to another The second is that hee is a rebell traitour and felon in lifting vp himselfe against his Lorde to whom hee is in subiection by the lawes of God and nature The conclusion is then that a Bishop yea were it the Bishop of Rome vndertaking to destroy and ouerthrow the state of a king is worthie to be hanged S. Iude speaking of such people S. Iude in hâ—â— epist sayth that the obscuritie of darknesse is prepared for them And heere it will not serue sufficiently for him to arme himselfe with a pretence of a Romish preheminence seeing that it hath no proppe nor foundation in the Scripture Let the greatest amongst you be as the least saith our sauiour Christ it was not so from the beginning Luk. 12. Mat. 19. The contrarieties and absurdities which are founde in the Canons and decrees of the Popes doe witnesse sufficiently with what spirite they doe proceede and doe shewe what credite and authoritie ought to bee giuen to them Petrarke who as one that had more knowledge than anye of his time did call Rome the hell of the liuing and the prison of wrath Notwithstanding these leaguers woulde make vs beleeue that when such Bishops shal commit the greatest and most enormious faultes of the worlde such as are their conspiracies against the soueraigne magistrates giuen and appoynted of God that they are mooued by the heauenly inspiration The wise king may heere consider to whome it doth appertaine to destroye the councell of the wicked Prou. 20. as Salomon sayth to turne the wheele vpon them God punisheth such when it seemeth him good It is verie true that the not punishing of these kinde of people proceeding from the ignoraunce and negligence of the soueraigne Magistrates is the occasion that these doe giue themselues leaue continually to do like faults hoping that it will be alwayes with them as with harlottes 2. Pet. 3. which perswade themselues of no punishment for that they alwayes keepe themselues in Townes or publike Stewes of the common-wealth thinking that they are not only tollerable but also to bee maintained as those of Rome But if this iniurious time causeth that there is not founde a Magistrate at this daye in the earth which dooth repaye suche by Iustice when as they manifest themselues to bee seditious trayterous schismatickes heretikes murderers Sodomites Magitians and Atheistes the vengeance of God in the time appoynted can verie well pay the interest of such attentions and dilations This is heere spoken vpon the more than diuelish sawcines of the Bishops of Rome 2. Thess 2. the which by decrees and Canons as Giantes doe take in hande contrary to the ordinance of God not only to disgrade but also to kill and exterminate the
beholde thy second chiefe point discouered and now let vs laie open thy thirde wherewith thou doest so greatly charge thy aduersaries with brutishnes where thou saiest that the Catholiks which defend theyr king and their Countrie are more void of reason than beasts and takest the cranes eagles the hony bee to witnes which wil neuer admit anie to their king but one of the same kinde To this I saie that the example of the Crane beeing a verie dull and hurtfull bird may bee verie well applyed vnto thy selfe First because thou doest exhorte the foolish amongst the French men to be like cranes and so change their condition which is now most free into one that is most seruile and miserable imitating the asse which desireth to serue the Tanner rather than anie other maister Secondly the Cranes doo eate vp the seede from the earth and thou wouldest haue the French men to be eaten vp of the Spaniardes The examples of the Eagles is agreeable vnto the same for they are great gourmandisers of the flesh of beasts and foules which doe not liue vppon anie praie in this thy drift is shewed to bee nothing else but to haue the good people to be deuoured Furthermore the Fagles flic verie farre and so wouldest thou haue the Frenchmens libertie and the Pirence mountaines flie into Spaine Alasse then what should become of our citizens parents wiues and children From whence commeth this that in stead of imitating Bees which are profitable thou doest imitate those droue Bees or rather dragons which doe wound verie sore And if the question bee in this that thou wouldest applie the thing to the imitating of creatures that is altogether agaynst thee because the French men are more bound to follow the Prince of their owne nature and nation than a Spaniard which is their enimie of a contrarie humor to theirs But because here thou wouldest walke more warily with thy treason sale of thy Countrie thou doest heere agayne imploie the difference of religion Whereunto I aunswere that murders and massacres are not the next waies to decide and auoyde the controuersies remember that which is aforesayde and let the promise be mutually discharged without comming anie kinde of way to this madde extremitie in putting vs into the handes of the Spaniardes euen as thy councell doeth aduise beeing drawen from the dungeons of hell But beholde the mischiefe which stoppeth the passage to this ordinarie waie for you euen you doe mocke and scorne maliciouslie and against your conscience because the king doeth offer himselfe to come to that in saying that it is but fayned and altogether contrarie seeing that hee hath promised neuer to chaunge his religion and thou doest adde moreouer that there needeth not anie councell seeing that wee neede neuer call the Catholike Romish religion into anie doubt Finally thou doest conclude that there is no need to attende eppon anie councell because the king doeth nothing else but deceiue the Catholikes with such vaine attentions But because thou shouldest not go vnanswered wee saie that laying aside your lyes excuses and craftie shiftes which tend to no other purpose but to turne backwardes and flie from the listes that the Christian kinges ought to bee carefull for the wholesome religion and to procure conuocations of Synodes and Councels when as they are duely aduertised that there is anie abuse error or superstition brought into the Church Deut. 17. 1. Cor. 14. seeing that God commaundeth them to keepe the whole wordes of his lawe as beeing disposers of the same This duetie was inioyned to Dauid to distribute and giue vnto the successours of Aaron theyr right places and ordinaunces which were before refused in their charges By this same commaundement also 2. Kin. 22. Iosias commaunded Helkiah the high Priest to repayre the temple and to praie vnto the Lorde as well for the king as for the people and to the same ende hee assembled the Prophettes and the high Priestes with the aforesayde people to reade before them all the booke of the Lawe Hee also caused the Passe-ouer to bee celebrated and destroyed the idolatrie amongst the Romane Emperours Theodose the great assembled the Councell of Constantinople agaynste the heresie of the Macedonians In many other places it is apparaunt that diuerse Councells haue bene assembled for such like errour But at this daie it is a question of greate corruption beeing brought into the Church by the pride and couetousnesse of the Bishoppes of Rome in so much as one onely may nowe refuse a synodale conuocation agaynst those that can proue that the infinite nesse of errours in the same haue corrupted and falsefied the true seruice of God Oh what tyrannie and mallice is this but to feare least that your turpitude and filthinesse should be further discouered is the cause of the refusall thereof onely doe but prepare your selues to enter into conference if there bee anie neede and then shall yee finde whether there shall bee anie faining on our partes or not But yee care nothing at all to haue it following the Italian prouerbe which saith Chista ben non si inuoua He that is well let him keepe him so Yee liue at your ease in all delightes and idlenes rather making those beleeue which search out your abuses Quod sunt infideles dubii in fide That they are vnfaithfull and weake of beleefe As thou sayest whilest that in the meane time you doublie cloake your selues with crafte and subtilties for the which cause yee neither require Synode nor councell so fearefull art thou that the king will goe to masse saying that hee ought not to bee trusted although hee woulde saie so Thy English pretended Catholike companion feared likewise the same but thou hast the aunâ—were vnto it looke therein what hath beene sayd vnto him and for the rest thou shalt finde in Saint Iohn that life euerlasting consisteth in the knowledge of the onely true God and of him which hee hath sent Christ Iesus and the king most Christian-like hath protested to continue in the same profession Thou hast therefore these thirtie times shewed thy selfe to bee an impudent slanderer when as thou doest compare him vnto prophane kinges which haue abused religion in seeking vnder the coulour of the same to instal and bring in their tyrannies Now lette vs see wherefore thou doest accuse the king of periurie After that he had sworne sayest thou that hee woulde not innouate anie thing for the space of sixe moneths incontinentlie hee made a statute at Tours by the which hee dooth dispence with the regulars as concerning their obedience which they owe vnto their superiors if they will aduertise him of those things which they should vndertake against him dooth inioyne the confessors to declare the confessions of the Catholickes in the same behalfe What Diuine or Logitian I praye you is this A king commaundeth his subiectes to declare vnto him those which conspire agaynst his person or against his
worlde knoweth that the king is accused of heresie by this Monke and his like forasmuch as hee sayth and holdeth for certaine that the Romish church hath need of reformation vpon the which proposition is demaunded wherefore the king raigning shall bee sooner accused of heresie than infinite others of his like others as wel in Europe Asia or Affrica Besides that which hath beene sayde else where wee faie that in our region the last King constrayned but too late to knowe this truth had giuen charge to a learned personage to set foorth certayne Articles concerning the necessitie of reforming the Church The last Duke of Sauoy sayd to an Italian named Castro Caro professing the reformed religion Thou doest wel to maintaine thy faith Afterwards he placed him as gouernor ouer the vallyes of Angrongne Apol for Herod A Duke of Florence with like purpose answered the Ambassadour of the souldan of Egypt that in Christendome the fooles were shut vp in Monasteries The Venetians haue of long time detested the persecutions of the Popes The best part of Christian kings doe confirme this truth and the noble men in deede as much for it is proued that there are a great many Gentlemen throughout Europe which do euen grone and breath after this reformation If we come to the Ecclesiasticall persons the quantitie of them swarming out of the Couents and monasteries doeth likewise preach on high the same thing vnto vs. The like also is found by the Popes being constrained to produce such a like kinde of cōsent when as one of thē vpon the abuse of the Romane Church which was obiected and proued to him sayde to the protestant Princes of Germanie that his intention was to vnderstand it Sleidan and remedie it To whom it was answered that that did not appertaine to one Bishop alone As for philosophers councellers of lawe-rights and people of the third estate knowing the same truth and necessitie will be found euerie where such a great number that they will be innumerable In Asia an infinite number of Iewes doe deferre their conuersion to the Christian religion for the great abuses and idolatries which they see in the Romish church Let vs passe into Affrica then Presbiter Iohn great gouernour ouer the Ethiopians making profession of Christianitie verifieth the same by the generall permission of holy matrimonie instituted by God by the intire distribution which the Bishops doe make of the sacred signes of the holy supper following the ordinance of Iesus Christ What will then this malecontent saie when as for this cause onely hee accuseth his king of heresie seeing that so many Monarchies Princes Lordes Prelates of the Church Councellors Philosophers and other great godly and learned personages throughout all Europe haue holden sayd reproued confessed the same truth the which hath beene confirmed by so many Doctors and so many arguments that it is impossible for the gainsaiers to answere them The which doctors and arguments durst and dare maintaine and proue that if there be anie Prince in the world clere and purged from the crime of heresie it is our king for following the greatest reformation of Christian religion as euer hath beene sithence the death of the Apostles That it is so thou shalt finde by reading and considering the profession of faith which he hath shewed towards the two last kings which is come to light a long time sithence Therefore take a little paines with patience to conferre it with the holy Scriptures Now let vs come to the examination of the first Article conteining as we haue sayde seuen texts of the Scripture with the which this ligall Monke woulde helpe himselfe for his better reiecting the king if he could The first therefore is taken out of the seuententh Chapter of Deutronomie Deut. 17.17 where it is commanded to the people of Israel to constitute ouer them the king whome the Lorde their God should chuse comprised in the couenant which he had contracted with him from the which place the aaforesayd Monke doth drawe his conclusion as aforesaid that is to saie that the king for being an heretike ought not to be admitted to the crowne of France no more then in oldettme a Pagan might to that of the Iewes Therefore saith he the lawe of Moses concerning the election of the kings of Israel is morall and by consequence doth binde all Christians to the obseruation of the same The answere to this is that seeing Phisicke must be applied to the bodie that is diseased let vs put the case whether the question was concerning a king being an Infidell or an heretike For the regard namely of such a soueraigne I denie the proposition the which I maintain to be false for foure resons to be considered in the examination and circumstance of the text Deut. 17 where Moses saith thus Thou shalt make him king ouer thee whome the Lord thy God shall choose from amongst thy brethren thou shalt not set a stranger ouer thee which is not thy brother Where first of all is to bee vnderstoode that the king which the Lorde woulde giue vnto his people called in the Scripture the annointed of the Lord should be chosen after another fashion and to another end than others were Therefore Moses sayd that God himselfe woulde choose this king differing from them of other nations for that hee woulde haue him represent and figure the Messias his sonne beeing king euerlasting and redeemer of the world and that he would haue him to raigne ouer an holy nation which priuiledge giueth vs to vnderstand that these sacred kings were holy and separated from others Wherefore Moses in this text 1. Sam. 10 and the historie of the Kings doe witnesse that theyr election proceeded from God not from the people for which respects there was a separation and a difference put betweene them and others So as is seene in the election of Saul 1. Chron 28. Iug. 9 Dauid and Salomon The cause why Abimelech being before appointed king of Sichem indured but a while was for that that hee was not so called of God the time of the kings being not yet come Where it appeareth that such proceedinges are not conuenient at this daie for other nations If thou doest replie that christian kings haue one and the selfe same holines as those of the Iewes had proceeding from one common God I answere that it sufficeth to proue that the Christian nations neuer had this particular commandement nor this speciall promise to haue power alwayes to constitute ouer thē a king of their owne religion so giuen of GOD this is a priuiledge onely which the Iewes had for the Christians haue ben and are bound by the generall commandement of God to abide subiect to their Princes which hee hath giuen them of what religion soeuer they haue ben or be as shall be more at large discussed in his place To that which remaineth thou oughtest to proue that this realme is a
chosen kingdome and that the Ecclesiasticall Romanes ioyned with some number of ignorant people seduced by them haue this right of election whereof thou speakest such proues are not in the strength of all your Sorbonne Beholde then the first reason sufficing to declare the falsehood of thy Commentarie And so I come forward to the second drawen from the nature of the people ouer whome the aforesayd king ought to bee appointed where Moses saith thus Thou shalt not set ouer them c. Inferring by this Pronoune that amongst these priuiledges and speciall graces which God woulde giue vnto his people he would giue them a king hauing the quality of a brother and making profession of the same religion which they did for the better distinguishing and separating them from other nations the which should carrie the same common markes of alliance and adoption Gen. 17. and also for want whereof it was sayd in Genesis that euerie man childe not circumcised should be cut off This was not then neither hath beene sithence common to anie other nation for all men knowe that God by the preaching of his Gospell hath neuer called at once whole nations to the knowledge of him and that for the most part he hath rather and first of all conuerted the subiects yea the meanest sort from amongst the sayd subiects as the Apostle witnesseth to the Corinthians where it appeareth 1. Cor. 1. that the faithfull had neither right nor power to appoint a king ouer themselues of theyr religion It behoueth vs then to holde this resolution for a maxime in diuinitie that God onely calleth whome he pleaseth to the knowledge of his truth and giueth the kingdomes of the earth to whom it seemeth him good sometimes to a beleeuing Prince and sometimes to an Infidel The soueraigne God sayth Dauid hath power ouer the kingdomes and there placeth whome he will therefore after Nabuch◠donosor hee placed Balsasar Darius Cyrus all Pagans As also sithence the death of Iesus Christ of long continuance he hath rather called Pagan Princes to gouerne the Empire than Christians the which succeeded one another by the ordinance and pleasure of him euen as Saint Paul taught the christiās Rom. 13 saying that there is no power but of God that those which doe resist resist the ordinance of God From thence it insueth that if anie one opposeth himselfe against God when for the cause of religion hee would depose the soueraigne princes which hee hath placed and hath not called to the knowledge of him Examine then this reason whiles that Ipasse to the third point which goeth altoge ther against thee so good an aduocate art thou Beholde how thou wouldest inferre that because it was forbidden to the Israelites to admit anie heretike for their king that the same ought to be sayd and vnderstood of all Christian people To the which I aunswere denying the proposition and the illation together beginning at the first thou canst not denie but the most parte of the kings of Iuda and of Israel haue beene heretikes as theyr idolatries and abhominable sacrifices doe witnesse recited in theyr actes the which kinges for all that were not deposed from theyr crownes On the other side therefore thou shalt bee constrayned to confesse that the Christians much lesse then ought to depose theyr kinges for causes of heresie Luk. 20. Rom. 13. Tit. 3 seeing that the commaundement of Christ and his Apostles doe forbidde the same as hath beene and shall bee seene And for the fourth reason I silie that the king being a Christian man baptised and nourished in the Christian Church if hee doeth fall into some errour or defaulte deseruing a grieuous censure ought not for the same cause to bee reputed as a stranger whiles that hee maketh some profession of the same religion or whiles that hee witnesseth his loue towardes the same for the which cause Saint Paule speaking of Excommunication which hee calleth 2. Thes 9 marked by the Letter sayeth Conuerse not with him to the end that hee may be ashmed neuerthelesse hold him not as a common enemie but rather admonish him as a brother If thou oughtest to doe this to the meanest in a realme much more then to the soueraigne in neglecting whereof thou shewest thy selfe such a one as thou art Finally this lawe is quite contrarie to that of thine when as thou doest hinder the waie which doeth establish kings at this daie as well approued of God as the ancient lawe of the Iewes the difference beeing onely in the aforesayde circumstances and not in the substaunce of the matter From whence it proceedeth that thou doest resist the ordinance of God when thou doest reiect him which hath right and calling to raigne ouer Fraunce beeing approued and receiued by the naturall and lawfull officers of the Crowne hauing right and commaundement so to doe To conclude from the aforesayd reasons then it followeth that this lawe of Moses is not generall but of old time particular to the Iewes As in deede thou canst not produce anie one example out from the primitiue church thereby to saie that that hath interpreted and vnderstood this text so seeing that that hath taught and practised altogether contrarilie And as for that that thou addest that the king hath bene condemned by the iudgement of the Church it is answered that one Bishop of Italy assisted with his Romish Consistorie neither is neither can represent the vniuersall Church dispearsed throughout the whole world And furthermore that hee of Rome can haue power no where but in his owne diocesse as the auncient Doctours doo witnesse Chap. 23 amongst whom Basile in his booke intituled The solitarie Life sayth That all Bishoppes doo binde and absolue equally as well as Peter The ninth Canon of the councell of Antioch Can. 9 carrieth as much where it is likewise said that euerie Bishop hath power and authoritie ouer his owne diocesse The Romane Bishop ought therefore to content himselfe with his owne at Rome and not to vsurpe ouer all those of France where he hath nothing to doo as hereafter more at large shall be discoursed and proued Now I come to the other text by the which thou dost alleadge that it is lawfull for thee to kill thy king if thy credite could doo the same It is expressed in the fiue and twentith of Numbers Num. 25. that the Lord commanded Moses to take all the heades of the people and hang them vp before the Lord agaynst the Sunne which had committed fornication and idolatrie with the Moabitish women wherof thou dost conclude that the king ought to be hanged as culpable of such a crime This is a leagued hangman that sayth so and I answere that this example is nothing to the matter or to the purpose Beholde therefore the supreame magistrate is not therby to be punished and much lesse to be reiected Secondarily as well the diuines as the politicians do affirme that it is
for a Maxime that by the examples of Christ and his Aposties Math. 11 Act. 13 Kom 10 one neyther can nor may bring men to the beleefe of the Gospell by force seeing that that appertayneth to one onely God to touch and moue the heartes causing them to beleeue to saluation Let vs adde that by a free and amiable conference that all that which shall bee found good and conformable to the word of God in the Romane Church shall bee ratified confirmed and approued What is it then that thou doest require more of a faithfull Prince towardes the christian religion If not a reprehension agreeable to such inuectiues which impudently thou doest produce agaynst his maiestie Thou giuest vs afterwardes a gradation of of heresies touching the reformation of the Church brought into Fraunce the which thou callest the heresie of Caluin more detestable then all the rest To the which is aunswered that it hath beene sufficiently maintayned and proued that the Church of Rome doeth erre in many pointes of doctrine and that it hath neede of reformation Heereupon it is come to passe that many haue renounced her errors idolatries and superstitions to follow christian Religion according to the first institution purity veritie and sinceritie You call this reformation heresie But if in deede in naming good euill All those which will open theyr eyes may see this necessitie a farre off If there were neede to giue place to thy inductions and gradations I would produce two the truth whereof thou canst not denie And the first is that at Rome hath beene made such an assemblie of idolatries 2. Thes 2 errours and superstitions that they doe iustifie the religion of Presbiter Iohn and of the Muscouite The other also should be that the Bishop of the same towne mounting from degree to degree is placed in the most abhominable scate of all Europe Euen as they are alreadie verified proued by those which thou canst not contradict Now then it remaineth after the counterbatterie of thy Ecclesiasticall Canons to repulse the application and interpretation which thou giuest to certaine imperyall lawes which condemne the heretikes in diuerse paines as by bannishment confiscation of goods and other such like From whence thou drawest then this conclusion that the king ought not onely so to bee handled but also to be put to death These are thy proper tearmes when thou sayest If ye will haue the lawes stand in force it is necessarie that the heretike should die And for want whereof the state of France is more miserable than the pollicie of theeues To all that hath beene alreadie aunswered first that the soueraigne gouernours are not to bee comprehended in the like rigor of ciuill punishments as their subiects are for the reasons that wee haue alleadged else where Secondly that such heretikes were punished some for heresies being qualified which did turne vp side down the foundation of Christian religion beeing knowen and approued such by the true Doctours of the Church And for the last so farre off is it that thou mayest saie so of the king that contrarie-wise it hath beene prooued that if there bee anie Prince in the worlde farre from heresie and from anie opinion that may anie kinde of wale approch it it is hee seeing that he followeth Christian religion in the greatest measure of reformation of the same as euer hath bene sithence the death of the Apostles Most truely therefore I conclude that in cursing the king lyke to another Semei and condemning of him to death by the examples of Caiphas 1. Sam. â—â— thou doest demerite meritoriously the condemnation of two And as for the prophesie importing that for not killing of the king the aboue sayde inconueniences woulde come to passe It may easily be answered that in killing the king giuen of GOD for the gouernment of the people of France shoulde bee committed the most great and hainous sinne of the second table of the Lawe by the which notable wickednesse the wrath and vengeance of God should be prouoked And to conclude it is necessarie to shew thee a notable errour vpon the ending of the two Articles within the which thou doest inwarp all thy speech and this it is that thou doest alwaies inferre in thy Arguments that heresie is a greater sinne than all other infidelitie such as are Paganisme Atheisme Idolatrie and generally all other defection from God and his religion The contrarie appeareth by these argumentes Hee that denieth the greatest quantitie of truth is a greater lyar than hee which denyeth the lesse Such therefore bee the Pagans which doe denie altogether all the truth of Christian religion wherefore it followeth that they are greater liers and more to bee condemned chan the heretikes which denie lesse And agayne Euerie man such as is the Atheist which denyeth the essence of GOD and his effects is more abhominable than he which coÌ„fesseth the one the other from whence it proceedeth that Atheists are worse than heretiks To the like effect or end I thus argue Those which doo generally abiure from the true God and his religion are worse than those which doe but in parte from whence yet it followeth that such destroyers are worse than heretikes As in deede such Infidelles are altogether straungers from the common weale of Israel Ephe. 2 the which cannot bee said of the heretike which shall beleeue in one God the contentes of his worde and the truth of his promises failing onely in this point that hee doth vnderstand some Articles and texts of holy Scripture amisse If thou doest obiect that many heretikes haue malicioussie and against their consciences striuen against the truth I answere that in such a case mans iudgement ceaseth seeing that God alone can examine and sound the heartes of men Iere. 20. otherwise to saie the truth if they come to that point they ought not to be called heretikes but Apostatates and arch-enemies of God the which by consequence according to the example of one Iulian should sinne against the holy spirit Possibly Arrius did the like That beeing taken awaie it is necessarie to obserue all such distinctions for feare of enwrapping them in the same condemnation which doe erre by simple ignorance What shoulde become of the most part of the ancient doctors if they were admitted We doe not onely then saie that there is a difference betweene Apostasie and heresie but also between heresie and heresie and moreouer all errour is not heresie Furthermore if it be demaunded into what predicament simple heretikes may or ought to bee put and what iudgement is to bee giuen of them I aunswere that they ought to be handled more fauourablie than those which are excommunicated the reason wherof amongst others is this that because they are not bannished nor reiected of the Church and because they haue neuer done any acts of rebellion or contempts as the aforesaid excommunicated haue Concerning the which neuertheles it is saide 1. Cor. 5. that
they are deliuered to Satan for the destructioÌ„ of the flesh to the ende that their soules may bee saued in the daye of the Lord. Seeing then that excommunication doth not seclude these heere from the hope of saluation much lesse then the heretikes seeing they are lesse withdrawing from the way of repentance than the excommunicates Nowe to shew that all those which do erre in some poynt of heresie are not so foule as this leaguer doth make them wee will produce two examples drawne from the worde of God The Corinthians did erre in one of the most principall articles of the christian fayth in denying the resurrection of the body a quallified heresie if there were euer any seing that it did abolish as S. Paule prooueth the whole benefite of the death and passion of Christ 1. Cor. 15. Let vs come to S. Peter who beeing better instructed than the faythfull Corinthians mistaking an Article of the Christian liberty and beeing vnknowne fell into a poynt of heresie because that after the death of Christ Act. 10. he thought it to bee a pollution of the soule and conscience to eat of all sorts of meat as if in such an abstinence did consist in a part of saluation for mankind quite contrary to that which S. 1. Tim. 4. Paule dooth teach when he sayth that God had created meates to the end that the faithfull which haue knowne the truth maye vse them with giuing of thanks Behold then heere a body of the Church and an Apostle heretikes euery one of them in a point of heresie Neuerthelesse they were not reiected of the church nor deposed froÌ„ their charges for the same Yea such opinions were not imputed vnto them for heresie because there was no obstinacie in them nor a wicked purpose to resist circumstances requisite for a formall heresie Euen as the auncient Doctors haue noted aswell as the Schoolmen affirming that he is no heretike that doth simply erre if there commeth not a wicked purpose betweene and an obstinacie to striue and stand against the trueth To the which promise is alleadged that which S. Augustine sayth I may erre but I will not be an heretike If these considerations doe purge as well the Church of Corinth as an Apostle why not then also a king when as he doth but onely say that the Romane Church doth erre in certaine points A proposition which hath lesse cause to be charged with heresie than the former Notwithstanding let vs graunt such a proposition the Romane church hath neede of reformation be erroneous we may aunswer as before That for not beeing set forwarde with willing purpose of the heart to the end to stand against the trueth it ought not to be imputed heresie If thou doest replye that it is vppon mallice and obstinacie that the king doth maintaine suche a proposition I will aunswere thee as I haue doone elsewhere returning thither Who will bee so wicked to say that the king doth intermeddle or hath intermedled and with a malitious will against his conscience in the cause of religion What profit could come vnto him by the same Leauing then this frenzines vnwoorthy any aunswere I will passe to the thirde Article vppon the which wee neede no more to insist than in the others going before forasmuch as the generall and necessary anweres to this subiect haue beene already produced which will helpe the solution of the Articles following The third Article THe third Article commeth to this poynte that the Catholickes which doe accompany the king doe breake the naturall law in the acte of religion that which the barbarous nations neuer did For this confirmation and commendation of which Article this author alleadgeth diuers examples drawne out of the Pagans shop from whence hee conoludeth that such Catholickes are worse than they because they accompany a king that is not of their religion Therein is contayned two poyntes The first resteth in the knowledge and propertie of the law of nature in the which is the question The second in the nature and force of the examples Therfore we ought first to know what it is to say the naturall law in matter of religion To this purpose therfore S. Paule sayth 1 Câ—â— 2. that the naturall man doth not comprehend the things of the spirite of God because they are vnto him as foolishnes he cannot vnderstand them Wherupon it followeth that for the vnderstanding of them he ought to be otherwise than naturall that is to say Ephe. 5 that he ought to haue some thing from aboue beyond the gifts of the humane soul That which in other places the same Apostle calleth the spirit of reuelation and the eye of the vnderstanding being inlightned Much more then the naturall man will affecte his naturall religion which is not but of the world therfore the further from the true ordinance of God considering that it is foolishnes vnto him so consequently can neuer comprehend it if the supernaturall gifts of the holy spirite doe not come between From whence it coÌ„meth to passe that to imbrace the true religion being supernatural he ought rather to go against the law of nature than to followe the course and conduction of the same It appeareth then that thou doest very badly apply thy naturall lawe in the case of religion But if thou doest reply that by the lawe of nature thou doest vnderstand an inseperation and inclination to be borne nourished together with man tending to the good and preseruation of mans life Vppon such an interpretation thou doest shew thy selfe without comparison to be a greater transgresser of this lawe than those vpon whom thou doest falsely impose such a crime Behold the law of nature requireth that one should be gentle and tractable towards his countriman Which doth demonstrate amiably that the difference in religion dooth desire examination and conference The same lawe abhorreth ciuill warres and dooth lament and detest the effusion of mans bloud it desireth also the good and quiet of her neighbor following the ancient prouerb which saith that man is God to man To be short the law of nature wisheth generally a peaceable estate to the end that all men ought to liue in concord amitie equitie iustice and blessednes Cicero called these things Lib. de scien Sequi naturaÌ„ ducem the following nature as a guide from whence it proceedeth that thou and thy like leagued companions in writing councelling and pursuing the contrary declare your selues to bee enemies to nature and violaters of the lawe And as for the other point touching the example of the Pagans and their zeale concerning their religioÌ„ I dare say that if thou with pride of heart haddest vndertooke to reason in the behalfe of Satan to the ende to commend all the wicked religious which hee hath brought into the worlde thou couldest not haue better proceeded to haue pleased him then in exhorting euerie Countrie to follow the religion which it hath found in