morall certitude that it were sinne in them who are vnder the obedience of that Church not to obey the iust Decrees of the present Pope or quarrell at his Electionâ— The Councell of Constance as another Iesuite vrges it hath decreed that this iust feare of which we speake Doth make voide any such Election of the Pope And that If after the Cardinals are deliuered of that feare which possessed them at the Election they then ratifie and confirme that Pope yet he is no Pope but the Election voide So farre doeth this iust feare which cannot be denied to bee in your case extend and vpon so solemne and solid Acts and Decrees is it able to worke and prouide vs a iust excuse for transgressing thereof And in a matter little different from our case Azorius giues the resolution That if an hereticall Prince commaunds his Catholicke Subiectes to goe to Church vpon paine of death or losse of goods if hee doe this onely because he will haue his Lawes obeyed and not to make it Symbolum Hereticae prauitatis nor haue a purpose to discerne therby Catholickes from Hereticks they may obey it And the case in question fals directly and fully within the rule For this Oath is not offred as a Symbole or â—oken of our Religion nor to distinguish Papists from Protestants but onely for a Declaration and Preseruation of such as are well affected in Ciuill Obedience from others which either haue a rebellious and treacherous disposition already or may decline and sinke into iâ— if they bee not vphelde and arrested with such a helpe as an Oath to the contrary And therfore by all the former Rules of iust feare this last of Azorius though there were an euident prohibitory act against the taking of the Oath yet it might yea it ought to be takenâ— For agreeable to this Tolet cyteâ— Caietans opinion with allowance and commendations That the Declaration of the Church that subiects may not adhere to their King if he be excommunicated extends not to them if thereby they be brought into feare of their liues or losse of their goods For in Capitall matters saies your great Syndicator it is lawfull to redeeme the life per fas nefas which must not haue a wicked interpretation and therefore must be meant whether with or against any humane lawes which he speakes out of the strength and resultance of many lawes and Canons there alleadged And therfore it can neuer come to be matter of Faith that subiects may depart from their Prince if this iust feare may excuse vs from obeying as these Authors teach for that neuer deliuers vs in matters of so strong obligation as matter of Faith from which no feare can excuse our departing To conclude therefore this Chapter since later propositions either Adulterine or Suspicious cannot haue equall authority and credite with the first and radicall trueth much lesse blot out those certaine and euident Anticipations imprinted by nature and illustrated by Scriptures for ciuill obedience since the Rules of the Casuistsâ—or â—or electing opinions in cases of Doubt and perplexity are vncertaine and flexible to both sides since that Conscience which we must defend with our liues must be grounded vpon such things as wee may and doe not onely know but know how we know them since these iust feares of drawing scandall vpon the whole cause and afflictions vpon euery particular Refuser might excuse the transgression of a direct law which had all her formalities much more any opinions of Doctors or Canonists I hope we may now pronounce That it is the safest in both acceptations both of spirituall safety and Temporall and in both Tribunals as well of conscience as of ciuill Iustice to take the Oath CHAP. IX That the authority which is imagined to be in the Pope as he is spirituall Prince of the Monarchy of the Church cannot lay this Obligation vpon their Consciences first because the Doctrine it selfe is not certaine nor presented as matter of faith Secondly because the way by which it is conueyed to them is suspitious and dangerous being but by Cardinall Bellarmine who is various in himselfe and reproued by other Catholiques of equall dignity and estimation WEe may bee bold to say that there is much iniquity and many degrees of Tyranny in establishing so absolute and transcendent a spiritual Monarchy by them who abhorre Monarchy so much that though one of their greatest Doctors to the danger of all Kings say That the Pope might if hee thought it expedient constraine all Christians to create one temporall Monarch ouer all the world yet they allow no other Christian Monarchy vpon Earth so pure and absolute but that it must confesse some subiection and dependencie The contrarie to which Bellarmine saies is Hereticall And yet there is no Definition of the Church which should make it so And hereby they make Baptisme in respect of Soueraintie to bee no better then the bodie in respect of the soule For as the bodie by inhaerent corruption vitiates the pure and innocent soule so they accuse Baptisme to cast an Originall seruitude and frailtie vpon Soueraintie which hauing beene strong and able to doe all Kingly offices before contracts by this Baptisme a debilitie and imperfection and makes Kings which before had their Lieutenancie and Vicariate from God but Magistrates and Vicars to his Vicar and so makes their Patents the worse by renewing confirming 2 Nor doe they only denie Monarchie to Kings of the Earth but they change the state and forme of gouernment in heauen it selfe and ioyne in Commission with God some such persons as they are so farre from beeing sure that they are there that they are not sure that euer they were heere For their excuse that none of those inuocations which are vsed in that Church are so directly intended vpon the Saints but that they may haue a lawfull interpretation is not sufficient For words appointed for such vses must not only be so conditioned that they may haue a good sense but so that they may haue no ill So that to say That God hath reserued to himselfe the Court of Iustice but giuen to his Mother the Court of Mercie And that a desperate sicke person was cured by our Lady when he had no hope in Physitians nor much in God howsoeuer subtill men may distill out of them a wholesome sense yet vulgarly and ordinarily they beget a beliefe or at least a blinde practise derogatorie to the Maiestie and Monarchie of God 3 But for this spirituall Monarchie which they haue fansied I thinke that as some men haue imagined and produced into writing diuers Idaeas and so sought what a King a Generall an Oratour a Courtier should be So these men haue only Idaeated what a Pope would be For if he could come to a true and reall exercise of all that power which they attribute to him I doubt not but that Angell which hath so long serued
these imputations but an appeale to our blessed Sauiour and a protestation before his face that my principall and direct scope and purpose herein is the vnity and peace of his Church For as when the roofe of the Temple rent asunder not long after followed the ruine of the foundation it selfe So if these two principall beames and Toppe-rafters the Prince and the Priest rent asunder the whole frame and Foundation of Christian Religion will be shaked And if we distinguish not between Articles of faith iurisdiction but account all those super-edifications and furnitures and ornaments which God hath affoorded to his Church for exteriour gouernment to be equally the Foundation it selfe there can bee no Church as there could be no body of a man if it were all eye 4 They who haue descended so lowe as to take knowledge of me and to admit me into their consideration know well that I vsed no inordinate hast nor precipitation in binding my conscience to any locall Religion I had a longer worke to doe then many other men for I was first to blot out certaine impressions of the Romane religion and to wrastle both against the examples and against the reasons by which some hold was taken and some anticipations early layde vpon my conscience both by Persons who by nature had a power and superiority ouer my will and others who by their learning and good life seem'd to me iustly to claime an interest for the guiding and rectifying of mine vnderstanding in these matters And although I apprehended well enough that this irresolution not onely retarded my fortune but also bred some scandall and endangered my spirituall reâ—putation by laying me open to many mis-interpretations yet all these respects did not transport me to any violent and sudden determination till I had to the measure of my poore wit and iudgement suruayed and digested the whole body of Diuinity controuerted betweene ours and the Romane Church In which search and disquisition that God which awakened me then and hath neuer forsaken me in that industry as he is the Authour of that purpose so is he a witnes of this protestation that I behaued my selfe and proceeded therin with humility and diffidence in my selfe and by that which by his grace I tooke to be the ordinary meanes which is frequent praierâ— and equall and indifferent affections 5 And this course held in rectifying and reducing mine vnderstanding and iudgment might iustifie excuse my forwardnes if I shold seeme to any to haue intruded and vsurped the office of others in writing of Diuinity and spirituall points hauing no ordinary calling to that function For to haue alwaies abstained from this declaration of my selfe had beene to betray and to abandon and prostitute my good name to their misconceiuings and imputations who thinke presently that hee hath no Religion which dares not call his Religion by some newer name then Christian. And then for my writing in Diuinity though no professed Diuine all Ages all Nations all Religions euen yours which is the most couetous and lothest to diuide or communicate with the Layety any of the honours reserued to the Clergie affoord me abundantly examples and authorities for such an vndertaking 6 But for this poore worke of mine I need no such Aduocates nor Apologizers for it is not of Diuinity but meerely of temporall matters that I write And you may as iustly accuse Vitrâ—uius who writ of the fashion of building Churches or those Authors which haue written of the nature of Bees and vse of Waxe or of Painting or of Musique to haue vsurped vpon the office of Diuines and to haue written of Diuinity because all these are ingredients into your propitiatory medicine the Masse and conduce to spirituall and diuine worship as you may impute to any which writes of ciuil obedience to the Prince that he meddles with Diuinity not that this obedience is not safely grounded in Diuinity or that it is not an act of Religion but that it is so well engrau'd in our hearts and naturally obuious to euery vnderstanding that men of all conditions haue a sense and apprehension and assurednes of that obligation 7 The cause therefore is reduced to a narrow issue and contracted to a strict point when the differences betweene vs are brought to this Whether a Subiect may not obey his Prince if the Turk or any other man forbid it And as his Maiestie in his Kingdomes is Religiously and prudently watchfull to preserue that Crowne which his Predecessors had redeemed from the rust and drosse wherewith forraine vsurpation had infected it so is it easie to be obserued that all the other Princes of Christendome beginne to shake off those fetters which insensibly and drowsily they had admitted and labour by all waies which are as yet possible to them to returne to their naturall Supremacy and Iurisdiction which besides many other pregnant euidences appeares by Baâ—ronius his often complayning thereof both in his Annals when he sayes That the Princes of this age do exercise so much Iurisdiction ouer the Clergie that the Church suffers some scandall thereby And in his Apologie of his owne writings against the Cardinall Columna where he notes That the Cardinals deputed for the hearing of those causes at Rome are tired and oppressed in these later times with the Messengers and Appeales of Bishoppes which in euery Countrey complaine how much the secular Princes iniure them And this must of necessity be vnderstood of Countries which professe the Romane Religion because such as are Apostoliquely reformed or are in that way haue shut vp all waies of Appellations to Rome or remedies from thence 8 And not to speake of the Kingdome of France at this time because I haue sepos'd and destin'd a particular Chapter for that consideration nor of the fresh Historie of the Venetians maintaining their iust Lawes for this temporall Iurisdiction which lawes Parsons without any colour of truth or escape from malitious and grosse deceiuing saies they haue recalled when as not to affright you with any of those Authours which write on the Venetian part you may see an excellent relation of that negotiation and vpon what conditions the Pope withdrew his censures in that letter of Cardinall Peron to his Master the French King about Cardinal Ioyeuse his instructions when the Pope sent him to Venice for that purpose nor to looke so farre backe as to consider what the other States of Italy and of Rome it selfe haue done herein which as an Author which liued in profession of that Religion informes vs durst alwaies brauely and boldly defend it selfe against the Popes vsurpations though he protested that if they would but admit him to enter againe into the towne hee would deale no more with temporall matters and this at that time when England vnder Henry the second and the remoter parts trembled at him who trembled at his owne neighbours and Subiects as he pretended To omit all these the Kingdome
drosse and that for temporall blessings hee hath made vs as numerous and as potent as his aduersaries the aduerse partie If you consider the good health and sound constitution of the Reformed Religion and that it is in all likelyhood long-liued because it neither admits vnwholesome and putrifying Traditions and Postscripts after the holy Ghost had perfited his writings which Additions enuenome the pure blood inwardly nor is it outwardly in her practise deformed with the leprosies and vlcers of admitting Iewes and Stewes nor proposes and iustifies any such books as your Taxa Camerae Apostolicae is in which saies your Espencaeus a man may learne more sinne then in all the Summists and Casuists and in which the price of all sinnes are taxed so that one may know before hand what an Adultery an Incest a Parricide or any other enormious sinne will stand him in before he resolue to doe it If you consider how peaceable and compatible it is with secular Magistracy by this experience that more Catholique Princes admit toleration of the reformed Religion then princes of our profession admit yours out of an assurance of the turbulency and tempestuousnesse naturally venting out of the grounds of the Iesuits you will then perceiue how blinde a prognosticator that Dutch-man is who vpon two and fortie vaine and imaginary reasons hath grownded a prophecy of the imminent ruine of this Religion and how hasty that abortion and precipitation was in the French-man who hath written the history of the actuall ruine of this profession whilst it is yet in her growing estate and by the mercy of our Sauiâ—ur euery day more and more aduanced 19 And if you will suffer these things to enter your vnderstanding and iudgement I cannot doubt of your will to conforme your selues For it is truely said Nothing is so contrarie to the will and consent as Errour And whatsoeuer appeares true to the Iudgment seemes good to our will and begets a desire to doe it But if you shut vp that dore and so expose your selues that men may possesse your Will without entring by your Iudgement they enter like Theeues at the window and in the night For though the will bee as a window somewhat capable of light yet your selues benight your whole house by drawing these Curtaines vpon your iudgement And in all afflictions drawne vpon your selues by this will or wilfulnes when you shall say to God as his people did by Esay Wherefore haue we fasted and thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regard'st it not God will answere as he did then Beholde in the day of your fasts you seeke your will That is you pursue your owne stubborne determinations and haue humane and corrupt respects in all your tribulations 20 There was a law amongst some Grecians that if a sicke man drunke wine without aduise of his Physitian though that â—aued his life he should be put to death for doing it before he was commaunded O what bitter punishment must then attend your presumption who in stead of their wine take Gall and poyson and instead of their recouery endanger your selues to a double perishing and are so farre from hauing any direct commandement for it that you haue expresse and iust inhibitions against it O what spirituall Calenture possesses you to make this hard shift to destroy your selues If you be fishers of men why dooth hee which sends you first raise stormes and tempests of Treason and scandall and expose you to a certaine shipwracke It is a note which one of your famous Preachers hath giuen That fish will not be taken with a bloody Nette and yet your Fishermen are sent with no other nets then such as must be stained with our blood if they can get it or if they misse it with yours and their owne 21 They are content to teach in other places That the Pope cannot binde a man to impossible things and to extend the worde Impossible to any thing which cannot iustly honestly or conueniently bee done they are content to teach That the Pope cannot command somethings though they be naturally good and meritorious as to iterate a Confession after it is once made Onely to you they are so rigid and sowre that a Breue which you are not sure was sent and you are sure that it ought not to haue beene sent must binde you to an obedience in these Capitall dangers and like Pythagoras schollers you must suffer your selues to be slaine rather then stirre your foote and tread downe a Beane 22 And what is your recompence You shall bee Martyrs and yet Baronius himselfe who is liberall enough of Martyrdome speakes of your case somewhat inconstantly and irresolutely when he sayes of English and French Martyrs Scimus eos esse in Caelo vt par est credere We know they are in heauen as it is fit for vs to beleeue But as he which died of the bite of a Weasell lamented because it was not a Lyon So consider it is not the Catholicke faith which you smart for but an vniust vsurpation and that it is not the Lyon of Iuda for whose seruice and honour your liues were well giuen but it is for a Weasell which crept in at a litle hole and since is growne so full and pamperd that men will rather die then beleeue that he got in at so little an entrance 23 How hungerie of poyson how Ambitious of ruine how peruious and penetrable to all meanes of destruction are you vpon whom your Iesuits and other Confessors haue not onely the force of those men who are said to haue beene able to kill men by looking vpon them in anger but of those also which can bewitch by faire words and can prayse a man to death For as the angrie eye of the first sort slew some So doe the comminations and terrors of these Breues thrust some of you into these dangers And as if the men of the second sort whereof there were whole families in Afrique did but commend Trees Corne Cattell or Children they prosperd no farther but perish'd presently So after these men with whose families Europe abounds doe but tell you that you are borne of Catholicke parents That onely you are in the Arke That you are in possession of good estates fit sacrifices for the Catholicke Church That tyou are remarkeable and exemplar men by whom your Tenants and Seruants and Children are led and guided That you are chosen by God for pillars to sustaine his materiall Church as Priests are for the spirituall That you are Martyrs apparant and attended and staid for in the triumphant Church you prosper no more but witâ—er in a Consumption and hauing headlongly dissipated and scattered your estates you runne desperately into the danger of the Law or sustaine a wretched life by the poore Crummes of others pensions 24 And that vicious affectation of Priesthood or of Regular Religion which one of
your Preachers notes out of Cassianus to possesse many men whome therupon he cals Sacerdotes non entes hath bewitched you with a stronger charme And as that drawes them from their Office of societie by a ciuill and Allegoricall Death in departing from the world into a Cloyster so this throwes you into a naturall or vnnaturall and violent Death by denying due Obedience and by entring into Rebellious actions Many men sayes that Preacher are caried to this desire by humane respects and by the spirit either of their blood and Parents when they doe it to please them or by the spirit of giddinesse and leuitie or by the spirit of libertie to be deliuered from the bondage and encombrances oâ— wife and childâ—en or else violently by aduersitie and want And these diseases which hee obserued in them I know you cannot chuse but find in your selues and in a more dangerous and deadly measure and proportion 25 And if there bee not too much shame and horror in such a Meditation but that you dare to looke backe vpon all the passages betweene your Church and ours in the time of the late Queene and his Maiestie who now gouernes you shall see that the Rocke was here and all the stormes and tempests proceeded from you when from you came the thunders aâ—d lightnings of Excommunications But as in those times when diuinations and coniectures were made vpon the fall of lightnings those lightnings which fel in the Sea or tops of Mountaines were neuer brought into obseruation but were cald Bruta fulmina so how vaine his Excommunications against Islanders and dwellers in the Sea haue proued we and Venice haue giuen good testimonie as many other great Princes haue done by despising his Bruta fulmina when they haue beene cast vpon so great and eminent Mountaines as their Supremacie is 26 From you also haue come the subtill whisperings of Rebellious doctrines the frequent and personall Trayterous practises the intestine Commotions and the publique and foraine Hostile attempts in which as we can attribute our deliuerance to none but God so we can impute the malignitie thereof originally to none but the deuill Whose instruments the Iesuites as we in our iust warres haue giuen ouer long bowes for Artillerie being men of rounder dispatch then the Church had before impatient of the long Circuit and Litigiousnes of excommunications haue attempted a readier waie and as the inuention of Gun-powder is attributed to a contemplatiue Monke so these practique Monkes thought it belonged to them to put it into vse and execution to the destruction of a State and a Church through which nimblenesse and dangerous actiuitie they haue corrupted the two noble Inuentions of these later ages Printing and Artillery by filling the world with their Libels and Massacres 27 It becomes not me to say that the Romane Religion begets Treason but I may say that within one generation it degenerates into it for if the temporall iurisâ—diction which is the immediate parent of Treason be the childe of the Romane faith and begot by it treason is the Grand-childe But as Erasmus said of that Church in his time Syllogismi nunc sustinent Ecclesiam wee may iustlie say that this Doctrine of temporall Iurisdiction is sustained but by Syllogismes and those weake and impotent and deceiueable And as it cannot appeare out of all the Authors which speake of Saint Peters remaining at Rome whether his body be there or onely his ashes So can it not be cleare to you that the body of Christian Religion is there since it is oppressed with such heapes of ashes and dead Doctrine as this of temporall Iurisdiction so that diuers other Churches which perchance were kindled at that may burne more clearely and feruently then that from which they were deriuedâ— 28 But my purpose is not to exasperate and aggrieue you by traducing or drawing into suspition the bodie of your Religion otherwise then as it conduces to this vicious and inordinate affectation of danger Yet your charitie may giue me leaue to note that as Physitians when to iudge of a disease they must obserue Decubitum that is the time of the Patients lying downe and yeelding himselfe to his bedde because that is not alike in all sicke men but that some walke longer before they yeelde then others doe therefore they remooue that marke and reckon ab Actionibus laesis that is when their appetite and digestion and other faculties fail'd in doing their functions and offices so if we will iudge of the diseases of the Romane Church though because they crept in insensiblie and the good state of health which her prouident Nources indued her withall made her hold out long we cannot well pitch a certaine time of her lying downe and sickning yet we may wel discern Actiones laesas by her practise and by her disusing her stomach from spirituall foode and surfetting vpon this temporall Iurisdiction For then she appeared to be lame and impotent when she tooke this staffe and crouch to sustaine her selfe hauing lost the abilitie of those two legges whereon shee should stand The Word and Censures 29 And if the suspicious and quarrelsome title and claime to this temporall Iurisdiction If Gods often and strange protection of this Kingdome against it by which he hath almost made Miracles ordinarie and familiar If your owne iust and due preseruation worke nothing vpon you yet haue some pitie and compassion towards your Countrey whose reputation is defaced and scandalized by this occasion when one of your owne Authors being anguished and perplexed how to answere these often Rebellions and Treasons to put it off from that Religion layes it vpon the nature of an Englishman whom in all professions he accuses to be naturally disloyall and trecherous to his Prince 30 And haue some pitie and compassion though you neglect your particulars vpon that cause which you call the Catholicke cause Since as we say of Agues that no man dies by an Ague nor without an Ague So at Executions for Treasons we may iustly say No man dies for the Romane Religion nor without it Such a naturall consequence or at least vnluckie concomitance they haue together that so many examples will at last build vp a Rule which a few exceptions and instances to the contrarie will not destroy 31 I call to witnesse against you those whose testimonie God himselfe hath accepted Speake then and testifie O you glorious and triumphant Army of Martyrs who enioy now a permanent triumph in heauen which knew the voice of your Shepheard and staid till he cald and went then with all alacritie Is there any man receiued into your blessed Legion by title of such a Death as sedition scandall or any humane respect occasioned O no for they which are in possession of that Laurell are such as haue washed their garments not in their owne blood onely for so they might still remaine redde and staind but in the blood of the Lambe which changes
as his witnesses are all of â—o high dignity as no ambition can be higher then to be admitted amongst those witnesses of Christ â—or they are thus laide downe First the Baptâ—st then his Miracles then his Father and then the Scriptures 9 How soone God beganne to call vpon man for this seruice by sealing his acceptation of Abels sacrifice in accepting Abel for a Sacrifice for so saith Chrysostome Abel in the beginning before any example first of all Dedicated Martyredome And as soone as Christ came into the world after he receiued the oblations of the kings presenting part of their temporall fortunes the next thing wherein he would be glorified was that Holocaust and Hecatombe of the innocent children martyrd for his name 10 And though wee cannot by infinite degrees attaine to our patterne Christ the generall Sacrifice yet we must exceed those Typique times and Sacrifices of the old law and be no more couetous of our selues then they were of their beasts when that Sacrifice is required at our hands for when we sacrifice our concupiscences by rooting them out we equall them who sacrificed their beasts but we exceede them when we immolate our soule and body to God 11 The blood of the Martyres was the milke which nourished the Primitiue Church in her infancy and shall it be too hard for our digestion now It was the seede of the Church out of which we sprung and shall wee grudge to Tithe our selues to God in any proportion that hee will accept As Zipporah said to Moses vere sponsus sanguinum es mihi the Church may well say to Christ who lookes for this Circumcision at her hands and this tribute of blood which he hath so well deserâ—edâ— both by begetting the Church by his blood vpon the Crosseâ— and feeding her still wiâ—h the same blood in the Sacrament 12 But those whom hee hath pre-ordained to this supreame Dignity of Martyrdome God doth ordinarily bring vp in a nouitiate and Apprentisage of worldly Crosses and Tribulations And as Iâ—stinians great Officer Tiberius when out of a reuerence to the signe of the Crosse he remoued a Marble stone from the Pauement and vnder it found a second stone with the same Sculpture and vnder that a third and vnder all great plenty of treasure had not this treasure in his hope nor purpose nor desire before hand but satisfied himselfe in doing that honour to that signe which those first times needed So is the treasure and crowne of Martyredome seposed for them who take vp deuoutly the crosses of this life whether of pouerty or anguish'd consciences or obedience of lawes which seeme burdenous and distastefull to them for all that time a man serues for his freedome and God keeps his reckoning from the inchoation of his Martyredome which was from his first submission to these tribulations which Chrysostome testifies thus That when one is executed he is then made a Martyr that is declared and accepted â—or a Martyre by the Church but from that time when he begunne to shewe that he would professe that Religion he was a Martyre though he endured not that which Martyres doe 13 Saint Paulâ—aith â—aith of himselfe I die daily and Chrysostome of Dauid He merited the Crowne of Martyrdome a thousand times in his purpose and disposition and was slaine for God a thousand times And these persecutions are not onely part of the Martyredome but they are part of the reward for so St. Marke seemes to intimate when hee expresseth Christ thus No man shall forsake any thing for my â—ake but he shall receiue a hundred folde now at this preâ—ent houses Brothers Sisters Mothers and Children and land with Persecutions So that Christ promises a reward but not to take away the persecution but so to mingle and compound them and make them both of one taste and indifferency that wee shall not distinguish which is the meate and which is the sawce but nouriâ—h our spirituall growth as well with the persecution as with the reward 14 For this high degree of a consummate Martyre is not ordinarily attained to per Saltum but we must be content to â—erue God first in a lower ranke and Order for as much Kings as come to the possession of a Kingdome by a new or a violent or a litigious Title doe vse at the beginning to signe their Graunts and Edicts and oâ—her publâ—que Acts not onely themselues but admit the Subscription and testimony of their Counsellers and Nobility and Bishoppes but being estâ—blished by a long succession and entring by an indubitate Title are confident in their rights and come to signe Teste me ipso So doth our Sauiour Christ ordinarily in these times when hee is in possession of the world seale his graces to vs by himselfe in his word and Sacraments and doâ—h not so frequently câ—ll witnesses and Martyrs as he did in the Primitiue Church when he induced a new Religion and saw that that maner of confirmation was expedient for the credite and conueiance thereof And if a man should in an immature and vndigested zeale expose his life for testimony of a matter which were already beleeued or to which he were not called by God he did no more honor God in that acte then a Subiect should honour the King by subscribing his name and giuing his Tâ—stimony to any of the Kings Graunts CHAP. II. That there may be an inordinate and corrupt affectation of Martyrdome THe externall honours by which the memories of the Orthodox Martyres in the Primitiue Church were celebrated and enobled as styling their deaths Natalitia obseruing their Anniuersaries commemorating them at their Altars and instituting Notaries to register their actions and passions inflamed the Heretiques also to an ambition of getting the like glory And thereupon they did not onely expose and precipitate themselues into â—ll dâ—ngers but also inuented new wayes of Martyredome with hunger whereof they were so mâ—ch enraged and transported that some of them taught That vpon conscience of sinne to kill ones selfe was by this acte of Iustice a Martyrdomeâ— vpon which ground Petilian against whom Saint Augustine writes canonized Iudas for a Martyre The rage and fury of the Circumcelliones in extorting this imagined Martyrdome brought them first to solicite and importune others to kill them and if they fail'd in that suite they did it themselues And another Sect prospered so farre in heaping vp numbers of Martyres that their whole sect was called Martyriani 2 And a zealous scorne to be ouertaken and â—qual'd in this honor prouoked sometimes those who write the Actes of the Orthodoxe Martyrs to insert into their Histories some particulars which were not true and some which were not iustifiable for of the first sort of these insertions which proceeded as he saith out of too much loue to the Martyrs Baronius in his Martyrologe complaines and by the Canon which forbids these Histories to be reade publiquely in the
Romane Church it seems they were careful that the people should not thereby be taught and encouraged to bring such actions into consequence and imitation as if the immediate instinct of Gods spirit did not iustifie them would seeme indiscreete and intemperate Nor were they onely which corrupted the stories in fault but out of Binius the last compiler of the Councels we may perceiue that euen they which were Orthodoxe proâ—essors had some tincture of this ouer-vehement affectation of Martyredome for he saies that the sixeteth Canon of the Eliberitane councell by which it is enacted That those Christians which attempted to breake the Idols of the Gentiles and were slaine by them should not be numbred amongst the Martyrs was made to deterre men from following such examples as Eulalia who being a maide of twelue years came from her fathers house declared her selfe to be a Christian spit in the Iudges face and prouoked him to execute her To which they were then so inclinâ—ble that as a Catholique Author hath obserued that state which inflicted those persecutions sometimes made Edicts that no more Christians should be executed because they perceiued how much contentment and satisfaction and complacency some of them had in such dying 3 And although these irregular and exorbitant actes be capable of a good interpretation that is that the spirit of God did by secret insinuations eâ—cite and inflame them and such as they were to puâ— feruor into others at that time yet certainly God hath already made his vse of them and their examples belong no more to vs in this part and circumstance of such excesses 4 And though this secret and inward instinct and mouing of the holy Ghost which the Church presumes to haue guided not onely these martyres in whose forwardnesse these authors haue obserued some incongruity with the rules of Diuinity but also Sampson and those Virgines which drowned themselues â—or preseruation of their chastity which are also acounted by that Church as martyres although I say this instinct lie not in proofe nor can be made euident yet there are many other reasons which authorize and iustifie those zealous transgressions of theirs if any such were or make them much more excuseable then any man can be in these times and in these places wherein we liue 5 For the persecutions in the Primitiue Church were raised either by the Gentiles or the Arrians either the vnity of the God-head or the Trinity of the persons was euer in question which were the Elements of the Christian Religion of which it was fram'd and complexioned and so to shake that was to ruine and demolish all And they were also the Alphabet of our Religion of which no infant or Neophyte might be ignorant But now the integrity of the beliefe of the Roman Church is the onely forme of Martyrdome for it is not allowed for a Martyrdome to witnes by our blood the vnity of God against the Gentiles nor the Trinity of persons against the Turke or Iew except we be ready to seale with our blood contradictorie things and incompatible for the time past since euidently the Popes haue taught contradictorie things and for the time present obscure and irreuealed thinges and entangling perplexities of Schoolemen for in these yea in future contingencies we must seale with our blood that part which that Church shall hereafter declare to be true 6 This constant defence of the foundation and this vndisputable euidence of the truth was their warrant And they had another double reason of making them extremely tender and fearefull of slipping from their profession which was first the subtilties and Artifices of their aduersaries to get them to doe some acte which might imply a transgressing and dereliction of their Religion though it were not directly so and so draw a scandall vpon their cause and make their simplicity seeme infirmity and impiety and secondly the seuerity which the Church vsed towards them who had done any such acte and her bitternesse and aâ—ersenes from re assuming them euen after long penances into her bosome For by the third Canon of the Eliberitane Councâ—l which I mentâ—oned before it appeares that euen they whom they called Libellaticos because they had for money bargained and contracted with the State to spare them from sacrificing to Idolles though this were done but to redeeme their vexation and trouble were seperated from the holy Communion But none of these reasons can aduantage or relieue those of the Romane perswasion in these times because no point of Catholique faith either primary and radicall or issuing from thence by necessary deduction and consequence is impugned by vs nor their faith in those points wherin it abounds aboue ours explicated to them by any euidence which is not subiect to iust quarrell and exception nor are our Magistrates laborious or actiue to withdrawe them by any snares from their profession but only by the open and direct way of the word of God if they would heare it nor is the Church so sowre and tetricall but that she admits with ease and ioy those which after long straying not only into that Religion but into such treasons and disobediences as that Religion produces returne to her againe CHAP. III. That the Romane Religion doth by many erroneous doctrines mis-encourage and excite men to this vicious affectation of danger first by inciting secular Magistracy secondly by extolling the value of merites and of this worke in special by which the treasure of the Church is so much aduanced and lastly by the doctrine of Purgatory which by this acte is said certainely to be escaped The first part of Principallity and Priest-hood HAuing laide this foundation that the greatest Dignitie wherewith God hath enriched mans nature next to his owne assuming thereof may suffer some infirmitie yea putrefaction by admixture of humane and passionate respects if when we are admitted to bee witnesses of Gods honour we loue our owne glory too much or the Authoritie by which this benefit is deriu'd vpon vs too little which is the function of secular Magistracie We are next to consider by what inducements and prouocations the Doctrine and practise of the Romane Church doth put forward and precipitate our slipperie disposition into this vicious and inordinate affection and dangerous selfe-flatterie 2 In three things especially they seeme to me to aduance and â—oment this corrupt inclination First by abasing and auiling the Dignitie and persons of secular Magistrates by extolling Ecclesiasticke immunities and priuiledges Secondly by dignifying and ouer-valewing our merits and satisfactions and teaching that the treasure of the Church is by this expence of our blood increased And thirdly by the Doctrine of Purgatorie the torments whereof are by this suffering said to be escaped and auoided 3 And in the first point which is a dis-estimation of Magistracie they offend two wayes Comparatiuely when they compare together that and Priest-hood and Positiuely when not bringing the Priestly function
not confesse vppon â—hat racke they must bee vtterly expunged as wee noted of others before 12 And vpon this superabundant value of the merite of Martyredome Bellarmine builds that conclusion which wee now condemne which is That because many martyres haue but fewe sinnes of their owne and their passion is of a large and rich satisfaction a mightie heape of Satisfaction superabounds frâ—m martyrs And so they being sent hither as Factors to encrease that banke and Treasurie it appears â— thinke sufficiently that this doctrine of meritâ—s dooth mis-prouoke and inordinaâ—ly pâ—â—forward inconsideâ—ate men to this vitious â—ffecâ—ation of Martyrdome To which also the Docâ—â—ine of Purgatory contributes as much perswasion THE THIRD PART OF PVRGATORY AS Morbizan the Turke being mooued by a Bul of Pius 2. by which he granted Indulgences to all theÌ„ that would take Armes against him by a Letter to the Pope required him to call in his Epigrammes againe And as a great learned man of this time calls Panlus the fifts Excommunication against the Venetians Dirum Carmen And as Bellarmine saies of Prudentius when he appoints certain Holydaies in Hect Paenarum celebres sub styge feriae That he did but play More poetico So all discourse of Purgatorie seemes to me to bee but the Mythologie of the Romane Church and a morall application of pious and vseful fâ—bles 2 To which opinion Canus expresses himselfe to haue an inclination when he saies That men otherwise very graue have gathered vp rumours and transmitted them to posterity either too indulgent to themselues or to the people and that Noble Authors haue beene content to thinke that that was the true law of History to write those things which the common people thought to be true And this censure he forbears not to lay vpon Gregory and Bede by which two so many fabulous things were conuaied to posterity To which ingenuity in Canus Lypsius his Champion saies iudgementâ— But in this onely their discretion and an abstinence from a slippery and inconsiderate creduliâ—ie is in qâ—estion and euen in matter of iudgement in as good iudgement as this Authour hatâ— Canus wâ—lâ— iustly enough in that Church haue a good â—oo me And if this Authour as hee preâ—ends â—n that plâ—ce accâ—pt none of these fables but such as the authoritie and iudgement of the Church hath approued either many of the Stories must loose their credit or els the Popes that approued them 3 Who haue beene wisely and prouidently most liberall and carefull to affoord most of that sustentation of Approuing to â—hose things that were of themselues most weake and indeffensibleâ— so so S. Brigids Reuelations are not onely approued by Boniface the ninth but confirmed by Martin the fift Both which hauing concurred to her canonization one reason why it was done on her part is because at her marriage being at thirteene yeares of age and her husband eighteene she vowed one yeares continency and the reason on the Popes part was That there might some goodnesse proceede out of the North for she was oâ— Swethland According to which superstition in their Mysterious ceremonies when the Gospell is song all other parts being done towards the East hee must turne to the North from whence all euill is deriued and where the Diuels dwell But for all their barbarous and prophane despite and contumelies which they impute not to the Diuell but to Princes and all sorte of people beyond their Hilles their Stories are full of the memorie of Benefites which Sea hath receiued from Northern Princes and Binius confesses that the remote and Northerne people did so much honour the Romane Church that whomsoeuer they heaâ—ed to sit in that Chaire and to be Pope though but in name without any discussion of his entrance they reuerenced him as S. Peter himselfe which saies he is a wonderfull thing to be spoken Which imputation since Binius laies vpon Northerne Catholiques they are fairely warned to bee more circumspect in their obsequiousnesse to that Church without discussing the persons and the matter which is commaunded them 4 But to returne to this Comique-Tragicall doctrine of Purgatory if Canus weigh nothing with them Sir Thomas Moore of whose firmenesse to the integrity of the Romane faâ—th that Câ—urch neede not be ashamed intimates as much when he saies That hee therefore vnâ—ertooke to translâ—te Lucianus Dialogue Philopseudes to deliuer the world from superstition which was crept in vnder Religion For saies he superstitious lies haue beene tolde with so much authority that a Cosoner was able to perswade S. Augustine thogâ— a graue man a vehement enemy of lies that a tale which Lucian had before derided in this Dialogue was theÌ„ newly done in his daies Some therfore thinkâ— saies he that they haue made Christ beholden to them for euer if they inuent a fable of some Saint or some Tragedie of hell to make an olde woman weepe or tremble So that scarce the life of any Martyr or virgine â—ath escaped their lies which makes me suspect that a great part of those fables hath beene insâ—rted by Heretiques by mingling therof to withdraw the credite due to Christian Histories 5 And in our daies Philip Nerius the Institutor of the last Order amongst them who was so familiar in heauen whilst hee liued vpon earth that he was faine to intreat God to depart further from him And to draw back his minde from heauenly matters and turne them vpon earthly before he was able to say Masse And could heare the Musique and Symphonie of the Angels And could distinguish any vertue or any vice by his smelling This man I say was euer an enemie to these Apparitions and vsed to say That God would not take it ill not to be beleeued though he should truly appeare to vs in any shape And to a Scholler that tolde him that our Lady appeared to him in the night he said next time she comes spit in her face which he did and found it to be the diuell Nor did hee easily beleeue possessions but referred it commonly to the indispositions of the body and suspecting iustly the same diffidence in others which he found in himselfe hee prayed to God that he would worke no miracles by him 6 So that not onely for feare of illusions and mistaking bad spirits for good for for that their greatest Authors which haue writ of that subiect euen in these cleare curious times are still confident that An euill spirit what shape so euer hee appeare in may be knowne by his feete or hands And that he is euer notoriously deformed either by a Tayle or by Hornes And that hee will vanâ—sh if one vse him as Friar Ruffin did who when the diuell appeared to him ordinarily in the forme of Christ crucified by S. Francis his counsaile said to him Open thy mouth implebo stercore and thereupon was deliuered from that
muddie search to offer to trace to the first roote of Iurisdiction since it growes not in man For though wee may goe a steppe higher then they haue done which rest and determine in Families which is that in euery particular man considered alone there is found a double Iurisdiction of the soule ouer the body and of the reason ouer the appetite yet those will be but examples and illustrations not Rootes and Fountaines from which Regall power doth essentially proceede Sepulueda whom I cited before saies well to this purpose That the soule doth exercise Herile Imperium vpon the body and this can be no example to Kings who cannot animate and informe their Subiects as the soule doth the body But the power of our reason vpon our appetite is as he saies pertinently Regale Imperium and Kings rule subiects so as reason rules that 7 To that forme of Gouernement therof for which rectified reason which is Nature common to all wise men dooth iustly chuse as aptest â—o worke their end God instils such a power as we wish to be in that person and which wee beleeue to be infused by him and therefore obey it as a beame deriued from him without hauing departed with any thing from our selues 8 And as to the end of this power is alwaies one and the same To liue peaceably and religiously so is the power it self though it be diuersly complexioned and of different stature for that naturall light and reason which acknowledges a necessity of a Superiour that we may enioy peace and worshippe God did consent in the common wish and tacite praier to God and doth rest in the common faith and beliefe that God hath powred into that person all such authority as is needefull for that vse Therefore of what complexion soeuer the forme of gouernement be or of what stature soeuer it seeme yet the same authority is in euery Soueraigne State thus farre That there are no Ciuill men which out of rectified Reason haue prouided for their Peaceable and religious Tranquility but are subiect to this regall authority which is a pâ—â—er to vse all those meanes which conduce to those endes 9 For those diffrences which appeare to vs in the diuers â—ormes are noâ— in the essence of the Soueraignty which hath no degrees nor additions nor diminutions but they are onely in those instruments by which this Soueraignty is exercised which are ordinarily called Arcanâ— and Ragion di stâ—to as I noted beforeâ— and as the soule it selfe hath as good vnderstanding in an Idiote and as good a memory in a Lâ—thargique person as in the wisesâ— and liueliest man So hath this Soueraignty in â—â—â—ry state equall vigour though the Organes by which it workes be not in all alike disâ—osed And therefore the gouerneâ—eâ—t amongst the Iewes before Saâ—le was fully a Kingdoâ—e in this accepâ—ation nor did they attend any new addition to this power in their solicitation for a King but because they were a people accustomed to warre they wished such a Soueraigne as might lead their Armies which office their Priestes did not and they grudged that their enemies should be conduced by better persons then they were 10 And so though some ancient Greeke states which are called Regna Laconica because they were shortned and limited to certaine lawes and some States in our time seeme to haue Conditionall and Prouisionall Princes betweene whom and Subiects there are mutuall and reciprocall obligations which if one side breake they fall on the other yet that soueraignty which is a power to doe all things auaileable to the maine endâ—s resides somewhereâ— whichâ— if it be in the hands of one man erects and perfects that Pambasilia of which we speake 11 For God inanimates euery State with one power as euery man with one soule when therefore people concurre in the desire of such a King they cannot contract nor limitte his power no more then parents can condition with God or preclude or withdraw any facultie from that Soule which God hath infused into the boâ—dy which they prepared and presented to him For if such a company of Sauadges or men vvhom an ouerloaded kingdome â—ad auoided as vve spake off before should create a King and reserue to themselues a libertie to reuenge their owne wrongs vpon one another or to doe any act necessary to that end for which a King hath his authority this liberty were swallowed in their first acte and onely the creation of the King were the worke of rectified reason to which God had concurr'd and that reseruation a uoide and impotent act of their appetite 12 If then this giue vs light what and whence the Kings Iurisdiction is we may also discerne by this what our obedience must be for power and subiection are so Relatiue as since the King commaunds in all things conducing to our Peaceable and Religious being wee must obey in all those This therefore is our first Originary naturall and Congenite obedience to obey the Prince This belongs to vs as we are men and is no more changed in vs by being Christians then our Humanity is changed yet hath the Romane Church extolled and magnified three sorts of Obedience to the preiudice of this 13 The first is that which they call Caecam obedientiam which is an inconsiderate vndiscoursed and to vse their owne word an Indiscreete surrendring of themselues which professe any of the rules of Religion to the command of their Prelate and Superior by which like the vncleane beasts They swallow and neuer chaw the cudde But this obedience proceeding out of the will and electioâ— of them who applie themselues to that course of life cannot be of so great authority and obligations as the other which is naturall and borne in vs and therefore farther then it agrees with that it is not out of rectified reason 14 And though it seeme scarce worthy of any further discourse yet I cannot deny my selfe the recreation of suruaying some examples of this blinde and stupid obedience and false humility nor forbeare to shew that by their magnifying thereof and their illations thereupon not only the offices of mutuall society are vncharitably pretermitted but the obedience to Princes preiudic'd and maimed and the liuely and actiue and vigorous contemplation of God clouded and retarded 15 For when a distressed Passenger intreated a Monke to come forth and helpe his Oxe out of the Ditch was it a charitable answere to tell him That he had bin twentie years dead in his graue and could not now come forth Yet it may seeme excusable in them to neglect others if this obedience make them forget themselues as certaine youthes whom their Abbot sent with Figges to an Ermit loosing their way sterued in the Desart rather then they would eate the Figges which they were commanded to deliuer Is it likely that when Mucius a Monke at the commaund of his Abbot who bid him cast his crying sonne into the riuer and
him to be a Saint And so it seemes doth that Catholique Priest who hath lately published a History of English Martyres For that which in the Title he calls Martyrologe in his Aduertisement he calles Sanctiloge And therefore it becomes both our Religion and Discretion to consider thoroughly the circumstances of their History whom we admit to the honour of Martyrdome 7 All Titles to martyrdome seeme to me to be grounded vpon one of these three pretences and claymes The first is to seale with our bloode the profession of some morall Truth which though it be not directly of the body of the Christian faith nor expressed in the Articles thereof yet it is some of those workes which a Christian man is bound to doe The second is to haue maintained with losse of life the Integrity of the Christian faith and not to suffer any part thereof to perish or corrupt The third is to endeuour by the same meanes to preserue the liberties and immunities of the Church 8 By the first way they entitle S. Iohn Baptist because he died for reprehending a fault against a morall Truth and that truth being resisted the Authour of truth is despised And therefore all truth is not matter conuenient for the exercise of this vertue as the conclusions of Artes and Sciences though perfectly and demonstratiuely true are not but it must be such a truth as is conuersant about Christian piety and by which God may be glorified which cannot be except he might be iniured by the denying thereof So the Euangelist when our Sauiour spake of S. Peters Martyrdome saies He signified by what death hee should glorifie God For all Martyredome workes to that end And this first occasion of martyrdome seldome fals out in Christian Countries because in Christ the great Mirrour of all these truthes we see them distinctly and euidently But sometimes with Heathen Princes before they arriue to this rich and pregnant knowledge men which labour their conuersion begin or touch by the way some of these Morall dueties and if they grow odious and suffer for that they are perfect Martyrs dying for a morall Trueth and in the way to Christ. 9 By the second claime which is the Integritie of Catholicke Religion the professors of any Christian Church will make a specious and apparant Title if they suffer persecution in any other Christian Church For the Church of Rome will call the whole totall body and bulke of the points of their profession Integritie of Religion and the Reformed Churches call soundnesse puritie and incorruptnesse integritie The Roman thinkes Integritie hurt by nothing but Maimes and we by Diseases And one will prooue by his death that too little is professed and the other that too much But this aduantage we haue that by confession of our aduersaries all that wee affirme is True and Necessarie and vpon good ground we assure our selues that nothing else is so and we thinke that a propensenesse to die for profession of those points which are not necessarie will not constitute a Martyrdome in such a person especially as is of necessarie vse 10 Amongst other things which our Blessed Sauiour warnes his followers this is one That none of them suffer as a busie body in other mens matters but if he suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God And in another place hee cals them blessed If others say all maner of euill of them falsely and for his sake So that the prohibition forbids vs to suffer for those things which doe not certainely appertaine to vs And the instruction ties the reward to these conditions That the imputations be false That they be imputed for Christs sake that is to dishonour him and that we suffer because we are Christians 11 Since therefore some of you at your Executions and in other conferences haue added this to your comfoâ—t and glory of Martyrdome That because the Kings mercie hath beene offred you if you would take the Oath therefore you died for refusing the same Though your Assertion cannot lay that vpon the State who hath two discharges One that you were condemn'd for other Treasons before that offâ—r The other that the Oath hath no such Capitall clause in it yet since as I said you take it vpon your Consciences to bee so Let vs Examine whether your refusall of the Oath bee a iust cause to Die vpon this point of Integritie of Faith by that measure which our Sauiour gaue in his Prohibition and in his Instruction 12 Is it then any of your matters or doeth it belong to you by your Doctrine and by your Example in refusing the Oath to determine against Princes Titles or Subiects Alleageance If this be any of your matters then you are not sent onely to doe Priestly functions And if it be not then you suffer as busie bodies in other mens matters if you suffer for the Oath 13 And then what is imputed to you which is false which is another condition required by Christ if you be called traytors then when after apparant transgressing of such lawes as make you Traytors you confirme to vs a perseuerance in that Trayterous disposition by refusing to sweare Temporall Alleageance Wherein are you lesse subiect to that name then those Priestes which were in Actuall plots since mentall Treason denominates a man as well as mentall heresie You neither can nor will condemne any thing in them but that they did their treason before any Resolution of the Church and haue you any resolution of the Church for this That the King may be deposed when he is excommunicated If you haue you are in a better forwardnesse then they and you may vndertake any thing as soone as you will that is as soone as you can For you haue as good opinions already and as strong authorities That a King of another Religion then Romane is in the state of an excommunicate person before Sentence as you haue for this That an Excommunicate King may be deposed And would you thinke it a iust cause of Martyrdome to auerre that the King is already vnder excommunication 14 And to proceede farther in Christs Instruction are these things said of you for Christs sake Are you if you be called Traytors for refusing the Oath reproued for anie part of his Commandements If it were for exercising your Priestlie functions you might haue some colour since all your Catholique Religion must bee the onely Christian Religion But can that state which labours watchfullie and zealouslie for the promouing of Christs glorie in all other things bee saide to oppose Christ or persecute him in his Members for imputing trayterous inclinations to them who abhorre to confirme their Alleageance by a iust Oath 15 Lastly can you say you suffer as Christians that is as Christ there intended for Christian faith which is principally the matter of Martyrdome Aquinas cites this out of Maximus The Catholique faith is the mother of martyrdome And he explicates
as those principles of faith or as the duties of euery particular man for though we know naturally that Princes must be obeyed yet you wil say som cases may occur in which we may not obay then there must be some certaine way for vs to aâ—taine to the knowledge therof by discourse industrie if we may aduenture these dangers for it and we may not aduenture them till we haue by that industrie sought it out For if we shall say that some things are to be held by a man De fide of which he shall still be vnder an inuincible ignorance though he bestow and employ all possible diligence as it is said of Cyprian that bee did erre in matter of faith after he had vsed all possible industrie then contrarie opinions in matter of faith may be iust caâ—ses of Martyrdome and yet one of these opinions must of necessitie bee Hereticall For if Cyprian were vnder an inuincible ignorance he was bound to doe according to his conscienceâ— since he had no way to rectifie it So that he must haue died for his Conscience in that case that is for such an opinion as all his Aduersaries were bound to die for the conâ—rarie But since this seemes incongruous and absurd the other opinion will stand safe and vncontrouled that our Conscience whose office is to apply our knowledge to something and to present to vs some law that bindes vs in that case cannot binde vs to these heauy incommodities for any matter but that which wee therefore beleeue that wee know because there are certainely some meanes naturally and ordinarily prouided for the knowledge thereof and that wee haue vsed those meanes Now in a man in whom there are all these iust preiudices and prescriptions That Nature teaches him to bey him that can preserue him That the Scriptures prouoke him to this obedience That the Fathers inteâ—prete these Scriptures of Regall power That subsequent acts and Experience teaches Regall power to be sufficient for that end what can arise strong enough to defeate all these or plant a knowledge contrary to this by any euidence so neere the first Principles as this is grounded vpon If it were possible that any thing could be produced at last by which all these reaâ—ons should be destroyed yet till that were done which is not yet done both the priority and birthright of the â—easons and rules of nature which are on that side for Rules are elder then the excepâ—ion and the dangers which would ouertake and entrapâ— and depresse such as refused the Oath must preuaile against any thing yet appearing on this part for thus farr the Casuists agree as in the better opinion That although thâ—t which they cal Metum iustum which is such a feare as may fall vpon a constant man and yet not remoue his habite of Constancy doth not excuse a man from doing any Euil yet that is meant of such an Euill as is Euill naturally and accompanied with all his circumstances for though no such feare can excuse me in an absolute deniall to restore any thing wâ—ich wâ—s committed to my trust yet I maybe excused fâ—om deliuering a sword committed to me if I haue sâ—ch a iust feare that the owner will therewith offend me or another And thâ—y account not onely the feare of death to be this iust feare which may excuse in transgressions in any thing which is not naturally euill but the feare of Torture Imprisonment Exile Bondage Losse of temporall goods or the greater part thereof or infamy and dishonour And not onely when these are imminent vppon our selues but vppon our wiues and children And not onely when a law hath directly pronounced them but when the State threatens them that is is exasperated and likely to pâ—oceed to tâ—ese inflictions And though Canonists are more seuere and rigid in the obseruation of theiâ— lawe yet the common opinion of Diuines is That this iust feare excuses a man from the breaking of any humane lawe whether Civill or Ecclesiastique anâ— that none of those lawes binde vs to the obseruation therof in danger of death or these distresses except in this case that these punishments are threatned to vs because we will not breake the law in contempt and despite of that authority which made the law for then no feare can excuse vs because the obedience to Superiour authority in general is morall and naturall and therefore the power it selfe may not be contemned though in case of this iust feare I may lawfully thinke that that power which made the law meant not to binde me in particular in these heauy inconueniences To apply this to our present purpose since this Oath is not Naturally Euill so as no circumstance can make it good for then it would haue appeared so at first and the Pope himselfe could by no Iudult or Dispensation tolerate it which I thinke they will not say nor offered in contempt of the Church of Rome or in such sort as it should be a signe of returning to our Religion or abandoning the Romane profeâ—sion but onely for the Princes security certainely though the refusall thereof were commanded by any law of humane constitution and so it became Euill because it was Forbidden yet in these afflictions certainely to be endured by the letter of an expresse law by euery Refuser and in this bitternesse and exasperation of the whole State against that whole Partie and the cause of Catholiques the taking of the Oath were so excusable as the refusing thereof could not be excused For in such a iust Feare euen Diuine Positiue Law looses her hold and obligation of which sort â—nâ—egrity of Confession is by all helde to be and yet such sinnes may be omitted in confession as would either Scandalize the Confessor Endanger the penitent or Defame a third person In which the Casuists are so generally concurrent that wee neede no particular authorities And in the matter of the greatest importance which can be in that Church which is the Election of the Pope and an assurance that he whom they acknowledge for Pope is true Pope which Comitolius a Iesuite as much more peremptorie then the rest of the Iesuites as they are aboue all other Friars sayes To be an Article of Faith and that we are bound to beleeue the present Pope to bee Christs Vicar with a Diuine and with a Catholicke Faith and that all Decrees of Popes which annull all Elections if they appeare after to haue beene made by Simonie intend no more but to declare that GOD will neuer suffer that to bee done or discouer it presently in which opinion that matter of fact should so binde our Faith hee is for any thing which I remember to haue read singular and I had occasion before to name one greaâ— Doctor of his owne Religion directly contrarie to him in the very point In these Elections I say which induce by his Doctrine a Diuineâ—aith â—aith and necessarily such a probable and
of this Collection but that a better must be attended out of the Originals 9 But if his errour were onely in Chronologies as to giue Pope Nicholas a place in the Councell of Carthage who was dead before Or in Arithmeticke as when purposely he enumerates all the Councels to make the number lesse by foure If this weaknesse had onely beene that he was not able to spell and so in a place of much importance to Read Ephesus for Erphesfurd Hierome for Ieremie and Hereticke for Henrie and a hundred such If he had stopp'd either at mistaking of true Authors as to cite out of Saint Peter that which Saint Paul sayes which libertie his Glosser extends farther and therefore cites a whole sentence for Scripture which is no where Or if he had stai'd at imagining words out of false Authors as to cite the Councell of Geneua and Macharius the Pope which neuer were as he and the Palea doe there were an open way for him as it is said in that Dialogue to say with the Apostle Quia ignorans â—eci 10 But we also finde malignitie and danger to our cause in his Falsifications For to dignifie the Sea of Rome hee cites Ambroses wordes thus Non habent Petri haereditatem qui non habent Petri sedem which in Ambrose is obseru'd to be Petri fidem And to establish the exemption of Clergie men from secular Iustice hee cites this out of a Councell now a thousand yeeres past Clericum nullus presumat pulsare apud Iudicem Saecularem Whereas the words of the Councel are Clericus nullus presumat And so the Councell layes a Commandement vpon the Clergie but Gratian layes it vpon the Layetie 11 Which falsitie Binius citing the Councell aright and Gratians words also right in the Margine forbeares to obserue or reprehend and dissembles the iniurie done to the world therein But Bellarmine hath delt herein with more obnoxiousnesse and lesse excuse then Binius because hauing no reference at all to Gratian hee cites the words out of the Councell it-selfe and hauing said That Counsell pronounces in this point more clearely in these words He cites the words falsely and corruptly as Gratian did before 12 And as for such iniquities as these we haue reason to decline Gratian as iniurious to vs So alâ—o in Charitie towards them which are caried with an implicite Faith in Canons in which name Gratian is enwrapped we are bound to tell you how vnworthy he is to bee relied vpon by you For in the point of the Emperours Electing the Pope hee hath spoken so dangerously that Baronius is forced to giue this censure vpon him Gratian out of too much credulitie improuidently writ out a most manifest imposture and inserted that as a most strong Decree all which with the Author thereof should rather haue beene hissed away and pursued with execrations which also he saies of another place in Gratian to the same purpose and accuses him of mutilating the famous lawes of Charles the Great called Capitularia 13 With like danger to the Romane Sea hee cites a Canon of a Greeke Councell whose sense he apprehended not in the matter of mariage of Priests for he saies that that Canon was grounded vpon the Apostles Canons and yet it is contrarie to the Canons of the Romane Church So that of this place that Archbishop of whom I spoke before exclaimes who can endure this and that by no meanes it may be receaued 14 And not onely in matters of fact though that be the right legge vpon which the Romane Religion especially in Crowne Diuinitie doth stand doth Gratian deceaue you but euen in such things as are matters of faith both naturally and so common to all men As when he allowes that there may be perplexities in euill and so in some cases a necessitie of sinning and then sayes he the remedie is to choose the lesse euill as also of that which is matter of faith especially to the professors of your Religion which is the necessitie of Orall Confession for hauing produced authorities on both sides whether it be necessarie or no he leaues it as indifferent to the Reader to allow choose which opinion he likes best 15 And because the Glosse is now by some thought to be of equal authoritie with the Text it is not an inconuenient way to eneruate both by presenting some of the vanities and illusions of that And though I will not in so serious a businesse insist vpon such thinges as might make sport and moue laughter yet these few I may be excusable to let fall in this place When Gratian speakes of that Parable of the lost sheepe and saies out of the Gospell that the 99 were left in Deserto id est sayes the Glosse In Coelo quod Diabolus per peccatum deseruit Which besides the detortion destroyes vtterly the purpose of our Sauiour in that Parable And so when Gratian out of a Councell cites an Act to be done in Ecclesia Romanorum id est saies the Glosse Constantinopolitanorum 16 In many places Gratian saies that Dioscorus had not erred in fide which being euidently false for he followed and defended Eutyches his Heresie the glosse remedies it thus Non in fide id est non in fide tantum And out of his fauour to Priests where Gratian sayes out of Bede That Priests must alwaies abstain from their wifes the glosse saies Semper id est Horis debitis And when out of the Nicene Councell it was produced That a Prelate might haue in his house no women except his mother or sister or such fit persons as might auoid suspition that is sayes the glosse His mens wiues And when Lanfred a young lusty Bishop and a great huntsman was defamed also for immoderate familiarity with his owne daughter the glosse sayes It was not for any euill for they were too neere in blood but because he kissed her so much openly and put his hand in her bosome 17 And lastly to stay you no longer in this ill aire where the text saies Meretrix est quae multorum libidini patet the glosse brings this indefinite number to a certaine and saies that that name belongs to her when shee hath lyen with 23000. men 18 And as these Authors in whom there are these aspersions and such weedes as these are therefore vnworthy that either the Popes approbation should â—all vpon them or that any obligation should be throwne vpon our consciences from their authoritie so is it impossible that any such approbation should include them both for the glosse doth sometâ—mes when no reconciliation can serue him depart from Gratian with some disdaine as when he sayes Superficialis est Argumentatio Magistri and sometimes in câ—olerâ— as one notes him to say Fateor plane te mentitum Gratiane And sometimes
solemne and famous Canon of Gregory the seuenth Nos sanctorum Of whom since he had made a new rent in the body of the Church as Authors of his own Religion if he had any professe it is no maruaile that he patched it with a new ragge in the body of the Canon law Thus therefore he saies Insisting vpon the statutes of our predecessors by our Apostolique authority wee absolue from their Oath of Alleageance all which are bound to persons excommunicate And we vtterly forbid them to beare any Alleageance to such till they come to satisfaction But to whom shall these men be subiect in the meane time To such a one as will be content to resigne when so euer the other will aske forgiuenesse Ambition is not an ague it hath no fits nor accesses and remittings nor can any power extinâ—guish it vpon a sodaine warning And if the purpose of Popes in these deposings were but to punish with temporarie punishment why are the Kingdomes which haue been transferred by that colouâ— from Hereticall Princes still with-held from their Catholique Heires 29 But who these predecessors of whom the Pope speaks in this letter were I could neuer find And it appeares by this that this was an Innouation and that he vsed Excommunication to serue his own ends because in another Canon he sayes That many perished by reason of Excommunications and that therefore he being now ouercome with compassion did temper that sentence for a time and withdraw from that band all such as communicated with the excommunicate person except those by whose Counsaile the fault was perpetrated which induced the Excommunication And this sayes the glosse he did because he saw them contemne excommunication and neuer seek Absolution for all those whom he exempts by this Canon were exempt before his time by the law it selfe So that where he sayes Temperamus it is but Temperatum esse ostendimus and hee did but make them afraid who were in no danger and make them beholden to him whom the law it selfe deliuered And of this Canon in speciall words one of their great men sayes That it binds not where it may not be done without great damage of the subiect 30 Of his Successor almost immediate for Victor the third lasted but a little I finde another Canon almost to the same purpose for he wrâ—tes to a Bishop to forbid the Souldiers of an Earle who was excommunicate to serue him though they were sworne to him For sayeâ— heâ— They are not tied by any authority to keepe that alleageance which they haue sworne to a Christian Prince which resists God and his Saints and treads their precepts vnder his feete But in this man as Gregories spirit wrought in him whâ—lst he liued for he was his Messenger to publish the Excommunication against the Emperour in Germany so Gregories ghost speakes now for all this was done to reuenge Gregories quarrell though in his owne particular hee had some interest and reason of bitternesse for he had beene taken and ill vsed by Henry in Germany 31 In the 25 Cause there is a Canon which tasts of much boldnesse What King so euer or Bishop or great person shall suffer the Decrees of Popes to be violated Execrandum Anathema sit But these for in this Cause there are diuers Canons for the obseruing of the Canons are for the most part such imprecations as I noted before Gregory the first â—o haue made for preseruation of the priuiledges of Medardus Monastery and some other of the same name of which kinde also Villagut hath gathered some other examples And at farthest they extend but â—o excommunication and are pronounced by the Popes themselues and are intended of such Canons as are of matters of faith that is such as euen the Popes themselues are bound to obserue as appeares here by Leoâ—he â—he fourths Canon Ideo permittente And here I will receiue you from Gratian and leade you into the Decretals whom they iustly esteeme a little better company 32 To proue the Popes generall right to interpose in all causes which seemes to conduce to the Question in hand they cite often this case falling out in England which is vpon seuerall occasions three or foure times intimated in the Decretals It was thus Alexander the third writes to certaine Bishoppes in England to iudge as his Delegates in a Matrimoniall cause And because the person whose legitimation was thereby in question was an â—eire and the Mother dead and the Pope thought it not fit that after her death her marriage should bee so narrowly looked into since it was not in her life therefore he appoints That possession of the land should bee giuen first and then the principall point of the marriage proceeded in And by this they euict for him a title in temporall matters Accessorily and Consequently But if they consider the times they may iustly suspect vniust proceeding For it was when Alexander the third did so much infest our King Henry the second And it seemes he did but trie by this how much the King would endure at his hands for when he vnderstood that the king tooke it ill then came another Letter related also in the Canons wherein hee confesseth that that matter appertaines to the King and not to the Church And therefore commaundes them to proceede in the matter of the marriage without dealing with the possession of the land 33 Another Canon not much vrged by the defenders of direct Authoritie but by the other faction is a Letter of Innocent the third In which Letter I beleeue the Pope meant to lay downe purposely and determinately how farre his power in Temporall matters extended For it is not likely that vpon a Petition of a priuate Gentleman for Legitimation of his Children who doubted not of his power to doe it the Pope would descend to a long discourse and proofe out of both testaments and reasons of conueniencie that he might doe it and then in the end tell him hee would not except hee meant that this Letter should remaine as euidence to posteritie what the Popes power in Temporall causes was Let vs see therefore what that is which he claimes 34 A Subiect of the King of France who had put away his Wife desires the Pope to legitimate certaine Children which he had by a second wife And it seemes he was encouraged thereunto because the Pope had done that fauour to the King of France before The Pope answers thus By this it seemes that I may graunt your request because I may certainely Legitimate to all spirituall capacities and therefore it is Verisimilius probabilius that I may doe it in Temporall And sayes he It seemes that this may be prooued by a similitude because hee which is assumed to bee a Bishop is exempted thereby from his fathers iurisdiction and a slaue deliuered from bondage by being made a Priest And hee addes In the patrimonie I