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A09103 A discussion of the ansvvere of M. VVilliam Barlovv, D. of Diuinity, to the booke intituled: The iudgment of a Catholike Englishman liuing in banishment for his religion &c. Concerning the apology of the new Oath of allegiance. VVritten by the R. Father, F. Robert Persons of the Society of Iesus. VVhervnto since the said Fathers death, is annexed a generall preface, laying open the insufficiency, rayling, lying, and other misdemeanour of M. Barlow in his writing. Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610.; Coffin, Edward, 1571-1626. 1612 (1612) STC 19409; ESTC S114157 504,337 690

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not see why she might not be called aswell supreme Head of the Church as supreme Gouernour And if it could not then is there some difference in the names for that according to the Protestant Bishops diuers of King Edwards dayes that made the forenamed Statute all spirituall power descended from the title of Headship which is here denied to descend from the Title of supreme Gouernour And this shal be sufficient for this place WHETHER THE DENYING Of taking this New Oath doe include the deniall of all the particuler clauses contayned therin §. II. IN the progresse of the Argument here handled about the refusall of this New Oath the Apologer affirmeth first as you haue heard that there was no one clause in the whole Oath that touched Religion but were all and meerly of Ciuill Obedience Secondly that a man could not refuse this Oath but he must refuse all euery one of the clauses therin contained The former point hath bene h●ndled in the precedent Chapter of the other we must speake now in this place ●●d for more perspicu●ty we ●●all set downe heere what I wrote before in my Epistle about the same which was this This later Oath said I albeit the Apologer sticketh ●ot to say that it toucheth not any part of the Popes Spi●ituall Supremacy yet in the very next period he contradicteth ouerthroweth himselfe therin For so much as deuiding the said Oath of Allegiance into 14. seuerall partes or parcels twelue of them at least do touch the said Supremacy one way or other as by examination yow will fynd and we shall haue occasion after to declare more at large As for example he writeth thus And that the Ini●stice saith he as well as the error of Bellarmine his grosse mistaking in this point may yet be more cleerly discouered I haue thought good to insert immediatly the contrary conclusions to all the poynts Articles wherof ●his other latter Oath doth consist wherby it may appeare what vnreasonable and rebellious poynts he would dryue his Maiesties Subiects vnto by refusing the whole body of that Oath as it is conceaued For he that shall refuse to t●ke this Oath must of necessity hold these propositions following First that our Soueraigne Lord King Iames is not the l●wfull King of this Kingdome and of all other his Maiesties Dominions Secondly that the Pope by his owne authority may depose c. But who doth not see what a simple fallacy this is which the Logicians do call à composito ad diuisa from denying of a compound to inferre the denyall of all the parcels therin conteyned As if some would say that Plato was a Man borne in Greece of an excellent wit skilfull in the Greeke language most excellent of all other Philosophers and would require this to be confirmed by an Oath some Plato●ist perhaps would be content to sweare it but if some S●●icke or Peripateticke or Professour of some other Sect in Philosophy should refuse the said Oath in respect of the l●st clause might a man infer against him in all the other clauses also Ergo he denye●h Plato to be a Man He denieth him to be borne in Greece he denyeth him to be of an excellent wit he denyeth hi● to be skilfull in the Greek● tongue c. Were not this a bad kind of arguing So in like manner if an Arrian or Pelagian Prince● should exact an Oath at his subiects hands concerning diuers articles of Religion that were belieued by them both● and in the end or middle therof should insert some cl●●ses sounding to the fauour of their owne sect for which the Subiect should refuse the whole body of that Oath as it was conceyued could the other in iustice accuse hi● for denying all the seuerall articles of his owne Religion also which therin are mentioned Who seeth not the iniustice of this manner of dealing And yet this is that which our Apologer vseth heere with Catholicks affirming in good earnest that he which refuseth the whole body of this Oath as it is conceyued in respect of some clauses therof that stand against his Conscience about matters of Religion refuseth consequently euery poynt and parcell therof and must of necessity hold in the first place that our Soueraigne Lord King Iames is not the lawfull King of this Kingdome and of all other his Maiesties Dominions The contrary wherof all Catholicks do both confesse and professe consequently it is a meere calumniation that they deny this This much was written about the matter Let vs consider what is brought by M. Barlow against the same And first concerning the contradiction obiected to the Apologer in that he sayd that the Oath touched not any point of the Popes Supremacy and yet he deuiding the said Oath into foureteene points diuers of them are euidently seene to be agaynst the same M. Barlow after a great deale of fumbling and shuffling of things togeather as desirous to say somewhat thoug● with such obscurity as that I dare auo●ch any ordinary Reader can hardly vnderstand him I find him to say no more in effect but that these clauses excepted against in the Oath do concerne the Popes temporall authoritie not his spirituall Supremacy but that is nothing For as it hath bene often sayd this extraordinary temporall au●●ority to be vsed in some cases belonging to the censur●●g of temporall Princes when other remedy is not foūd ●s it proceedeth from the Popes spirituall charge and is giuen for the conseruation of the spirituall so consequently can it not be denyed or impugned without preiudice ●●d impeachment of the sayd spirituall Supremacy it selfe and consequently for so much as in the Oath it is ●●idently by sundry clauses impugned it must needs follow that the Popes spirituall Supremacy is also impug●ed which no man can deny but that it appertaineth to the integrity of Catholike Religion which is contrary to that which M. Barlow saith Th●● only and meerly ciuill obe●●●●ce is exacted in this Oath To the Sophisticall fallacy obiected by me of arguing à c●●posito ad diuisa that whosoeuer denieth this cōpound 〈◊〉 must needs deny all and euery part parcell therof● and to the two examples by me alleadged against the ●●●e one of a Philosopher describing Plato the other of 〈◊〉 Arian Prince propounding an oath with many lawfull clauses and one only vnlawfull tending to the setting ●●●th of his owne heresie for that they are euident in cō●on sense and do presse M. Barlow to the quicke he findeth himself in very great straits and to the first he pre●ermitteth to answer at all seeking to couer himself with a ridiculous calumniation against me for naming a Philosopher He girds sayth he at his Maiestie for bei●●● Philo●●●her which is his Maiest●●s great glory our Realmes happines● for true Philosophy ioyned to gouernment regulats the scepter to his subiects c●●fort and to the Kingdomes renowne By which words you may see how vigilant
the Lord sweare by his name But good Syr we doe not deny the lawfulnes of swearing either in abstract or ●on●ret but the sinne of false swearing when we take an Oath against our iudgement and conscience He goeth further Perhaps then the aggrieuance saith he is in the Epithete because it is a new Oath No syr But because it is a faile Oath when a man thinketh the thinges not true that he sweareth He goeth forward to proue that a new Oath may be lawfull when the occasion thereof is new But I denied not this and so M. Doctor beareth the ayre in vaine Yet will he not leaue of but taketh another medium to prove that this Oath is not new but old concerning the matter therof For that it is old saith he and hath byn vsuall in all nation● Christian and Heathen that subiectes should bind their allegiance by Oath ●or thei● Soueraigns security But who denieth this is it not a shame for a Doctor to wander vp down from the purp●s●e And yet will he pas●e further therin for lacke of better matter It is grounded saith he he meaneth of taking Oathes of f●delity to Princes vpon Scripture both in the examples of holy Kings and the Apostles definition of an Oath Hebr. 6. 16. n●mel● That an Oath is the end of all contr●uersies Of which speach I graunt the former part concerning the examples of holy Kings that haue taken Oathes of their subiects though as I haue said it be little or nothing to ou● controuersy● Nor can I find Cardinall Bellarmines authority cited in the margent to this purpose in his 7. booke de Romano Pon●ifice he hauing written but fiue of that argument Nor doth it import to find it he saying nothing therein which we doe not confesse But as for the second part where M. Barlow bringeth in the Apostles definition of an Oath to be the end of all controuersies though I acknowledge it to be his sentence and most true yet not a definition Nor doe I see how M. Barlow wil be able handsomely to defend the same For if the common axiome of Logitians knowne to euery scholler that studieth that art be true that Definitio defini●ū conuertuntur so as whatsoeuer is comprehended vnder the one is comprehended also vnder the other and contrariwise whatsoeuer agreeth not to the one agreeth not to the other then cannot this proposition of the Apostle be a definition of an Oath and consequently M. Barlow doth erre grossely in calling it so Now then that this matter is so and that euery Oath cannot end all controuersies nor that euery controuersy is ended with an Oath is euident by experience For how many swearers haue you that will offer to sweare twenty Oathes in a controuersy betweene them and others if therby they might end and gaine the controuersy But the other party admitteth them not for that he hath not so much credit of sincerity in their Oath that they wll sweare truly as to belieue them And so also on the other side how many controuersies are there ended dayly without Oathes and many cannot with Oathes As for example if M. Barlow should owe a peece of money and being vrged to pay it should offer to forsweare it that were not like to end the controuersy but rather the laying downe of the money Ergo all Oathes are not able to end all cōtrouersies nor all controuersies are determinable by Oathes You will demaund then what is S. Paul his meaning when he saith as here M. Barlow relateth him that an Oath is the end of all controuersies Surely S. Paules meaning had bene cleare inough i● M. Barlow had let downe all the Apostles wordes as they lie in the text which are Homines enim per maiorem sur iurant omnis controuersiae eorum finis ad confirma●●●● est iuramen●um For men doe sweare by a greater then themselues and the end of all their controuersy for the confirmation is an oath The intention of the Apostle is to strengthen our hope in God for that he had confirmed his pr●mises to vs by Oath which is the soundest confirmation that can be in the behalfe of the swearer for no man can adde of his part more to bind then an Oath And for this cause he saith That an Oath is the end of all controuersy for confirmatiō of truth in the behalf of the swearer ●or he can passe no further but not so in the behalfe of the other party that is interessed also in the cōtrouersy for if he should mistrust the swearers sincerity of conscience then would not his Oath be sufficient to end the controuersie as before we haue said consequently the speach of S. Paul in this place containeth no definitiō of an oath as fondly M. Barlow dreameth but expresseth rather the effect of an oath for confirmation of truth in the behalf of the swearer which word of confirmation M. Barlow craftily left out thrust in two greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of controuersie most impertinētly without a●y purpose in the world as otherwise often he doth to entāgle his vulgar Reader with ostētation o● greeke wheras these words haue no speciall propriety emphasis or different signification in the world so as he might as well put in a whole page of greeke out of S. Paules Epistles as those two words But these men as els where I haue aduertised doe seeke occasions of darkenes obscurity to hide the weakenes of their cause therin But l●t v● goe forward For hauing laboured all this while out of the list to proue the vse of Oathes to be lawfull and ancient which wee deny not in lawfull cases he commeth now to set downe the cō●rouersy more in particuler that is this very case saith he the Amilogiae or controuersie wherof is VVhether any Romish Catholike can beare any true Allegiance in his heart to ●he Kings Maiesty This Iesuit houldeth the ●ffi●matiue we by effect o● so many treasonable plots of ●riest● and Iesuites doe hould the contrary Yea the Priestes of the same religion are merely contradictory to him c. And ther●ore his Maiestie hath taken this way of the Apostle to try the matter by both But good Syr are you not ashamed to trifle in this manner and to be taken euery foote in false consequences Where did you learne your Logicke Or where did you frame your cons●ience If the question be Whether any Romish Catholicke can beare true Allegiance in his hart to the Kinges Maiestie how do you hould the negatiue vpon some effectes of treasonable plottes of Pries●es and Iesuites If it were true that such were sound doth the discouery of some such plotts in some Catholikes infer an impossibility that no Catholike can beare any true Allegiance How say you to the plots of France Flanders and Scotland and other parts do they conuince that no Protesta●t can be trusty Furthermore if it be impossible for
this matter there is more on the behalfe of Catholicks then of Puritans for obtayning this toleration notwithstanding their differences in poynts of Religion were or be greater for that the Puritans came out of the Protestants and therby the Protestant Church may pretend to haue Ius aliquod Ecclesiasticum some Ecclesiasticall right vpon them But the Catholicks of England came neuer out of the Protestants nor their Church out of the Protestant Church but were long before them in possession which is the markable poynt so much pondered by S. Iohn to discerne heresy heretickes thereby Prodierunt ex nobis they went out of vs. And consequently the Protestant Church can haue no spirituall iurisdiction vpon the sayd Catholickes and much lesse by right or reason can they barre them the vse of their Religion as they may do to Purytans that were members once of them though they differ in fewer poyntes of beliefe An Exāple may be the Iewes in Rome who are tolerated in their religion which Protestants are not though they differ in more poyntes of beliefe but yet for that they were in possession of their Religion before Christians and went not out from them as Protestants did from Catholickes they are tolerated in that place and Protestants not And hereby is also answered M. Barlowes last reason against graunting of toleration which I pretermitted before to be answered in this place which is that if the cause were ours as God be thanked he sayth it is theirs we wil not graunt liberty to them for their religion But how doth he know that seeing soe many Catholike Princes both in France Low-Countryes and Germany doe permit the sayd toleration to diuers and different sectes And if he obiect that in Queene Maries daies it was not permited to Protestants in England nor yet by King Henry the eight much lesse by the foresayd 3. Henryes that went before him yet may the causes and reasons be different now For albeit for equity and iustice the matter do passe as before we haue sayd that no sect in England whatsoeuer as of L●●lords VVickcliffians Lutherans Zuinglians Calui●ists or the like can haue any right in conscience to deny toleratiō of their religion vnto them out of which they themselues went and that the Catholike Church hath that right vpon them as going out of her yet may shee leaue to vse that right oftentimes and tolerate different sectaryes also when they are so multiplied as they cannot be restrayned without greater scandall tumult and perturbation according to the parable to our Sauiour concerning the cockle growne vp amongst the wheat which our sayd Sauiour willed rather to be let alone vntill the haruest day left by going about to weed out the one out of due time they might pluck vp the other So as these Catholicke Princes his Maiesties Ancestors that did deny toleration considering their kingdomes to be quietly setled in the Ancient religion of theyr fore fathers did iustly and lawfully resist the new attempts of innouators and iustly also may we affirme that if other forrayne Princes at this day of the same Catholick religion do permit vpon other reasons liberty or toleratiō of different religion much more may his Maiesty of England do the same to his Catholick subiects for the reasons that haue bene now alleadged And so much of this To the exāples of the Lollardes VVickliffian Protestants that made such earnest suite for toleration and liberty of conscience in the dayes of three King Henries 4. 5. and 6. and tooke armes for obtayning the same he sayth that if any such conspiracies were we de●end them not subiection to Princes we preach insurr●ctions we defy c. And with this he thinketh he hath well satisfyed the matter● To the forreyne examples of higher Germany in the time of Charles the fifth and of the low-Countryes in these our dayes he answereth That these are noe fit presidentes for our State the gouerment of the Emperour being limited● and conditionall and we speake of subiects vnder an absolute Monarchy To those of Bo●hemia Polonia and Hungarie he sayth that it is to be considered VVhether the en●rance into those kingdomes be Successiue or Electiue by descent without condi●i●●all restraintes and if they were absolute Monarchies what is that to his Maiesty who in cases of religion taketh not mens examples but Gods lawes for his dyrects He knoweth what Princes ought to doe not regarding what they please to doe c. But al this while me thinkes the chiefe point is not answered by M. Barlow which is that those good Protestants were of opinion that toleration or liberty of conscience might be graunted according to the law of God and ought also to be graunted And why is Iordani● now turned backward saith the letter● Why is this Ministers voice contrary to the voice sens● of all other Protestants The sayd Letter goeth forward laying downe di●er● considerations which engendred hope in the minde● of Catholicks for obtayning this suite of toleration and namely these three to wit First the first entrāce of our new King knowne to be of so noble and royall a mind before that time as he neuer was noted to be giuē to cruelty or persecution for religion Secondly the sonne of such a Mother as held her selfe much behoulding to English Catholi●kes And thirdly that himselfe had confessed that he had euer found the Catholicke party most trusty vnto him in his troubles and many conspiraci●● made against him To the first wherof M. Barlow in effect answereth nothing at all but only citeth certayne places of Scripture for punishing of Idolatry To the second he sayth That if his Maiesties Mo●her had not relied too much vpon the Priested sort in England her end had not bene so suddaine or vnkind Belike he was priuy vnto it that he can tell those particulars And his Epithete of vnkind in cutting off her Maiesties head was very iudiciously deuised by him For indeed there can nothing be deuised more vnkind then for two Queenes so neere of kinred to cut off one the others head and that vpon the suddaine as here is graunted which increaseth the vnkindnes of so barbarous a fact perswaded and vrged principally as al men know by the continuall incitations of those of M. Barlows coate to the despite both of Mother and Sonne and ruine of them both if it had laye● i● their hande● Neyther is this to cast salt into his Maiesties eyes as M. Barlow heere sayth but rather to open the sa●e that he may see● what kind of people these are that do s● much flatter him now and impugned both him and his at that time But let vs heare how Ironically he dealeth with vs● in framing a fond argument on our behalfe as to him it seemeth The Mother sayth he loyalty● Ergo the Sonne must giue them liberty of consc●●c● And i● this Sy● so bad an argument Do you take away the word 〈◊〉 which
is of your owne thrusting in and put in place therof that the sayd Sonne may be the soone● induced to gra●t them that liberty in respect of their former dutifulnes and loyalty to his mother in her distresses and the consequence will not be euill To the third of his Maiesties confessed experience of the loyalty of Catholickes both towards himselfe and his Mother in their distres●es he sayth That his Maiesty nameth not Catholi●kes at all in his said Booke but only prosesseth that be found none so stedfastly to abide by him in his greatest straites as they which constantly kept their true Allegiance to his Mother Well Syr and who I pray you were they Catholickes or Protestants Let the acts of those times be seene the Authors noted the effectes considered Yet sayth M. Barlow no● i● is very probable that when his Maiesty hath cast vp his accompt of for●er disloyalties he shall ●ind the moderate ●nd dir●ct Protestant● that incli●es neither to right hand nor left to be the first and faithf●ll subiect Well Syr this may be p●rhaps f●● the time to come for your sel●e saith tha● it is but probable but for the time p●st his Maiestie hauing now cast vp his accompts hath found that reckonyng as he h●th set it downe And the common rule of wisdome is to beleeue as we haue found vntill different experience teach vs the contrary And by the way we must● learne here M. Barlowes new deuised epithetons of a moderate and direct Protestant that as he sayth is neyth●r Iesu●ted nor Geneuated that is neither Catholicke nor Pury●an but moderate and direct that is to say moderate in not belieuing to much on any s●de if it stand not with his profit and direct in following iump the Prince and State that may aduance him whatsoeuer they should determine in matters of religion This is the man by M. Barlowes direction vpon whome his Maiestie must buyld and not the Purytan or zealous Catholicke for that they are ouer scrupulous I could wish that M. Barlow had bene a litle more scrupulous in the very next ensuing number where without all blushing he casteth out two notorious lyes agaynst Father P●rsons to make him odious thereby to his Maiestie saying first that he pronounceth his sayd Maiestie to be a desperate and ●orlorne hereticke but cyteth no place where it is to be found nor indeed is there any such place to be found where Father Person● vseth any such words as euer I could yet see Secondly he alleadgeth for Father Persons expresse words these That whosoeuer shall consent to the succession of a Protestant is a most grieuous and damnable sinner and citeth for the same D●l●man pag. 216. which quotation serueth only to condemne M. Barlow of a notorious wilfull calumniation for that these expresse wordes are not there found nor is there any mention of the Succession of a Protestant but in generall is sayd thus That for any man to giue his help towards the making of a King whome he iudgeth faulty in religion and consequently would aduance no religion or the wrong if ●e were in authority is a grieuous sinne of what syde soeuer the truth be c. So as neither Protestant nor Succession is named in this place but m●king of a King by such as my haue authority to doe the same and it may as well hould agaynst the entrance of a Catholicke Prince as of any other sect whatsoeuer And consequently both of these are s●landerous accusations the first being a meere inuented vntruth and the second a malicious peruerted calumniation so as in respect of both I may well say with the Prophet Dilexisti omnia verba praecipitationis lingua dolosa and I pray God the threat next insuing do not take place Propterea Deus destruct to in finem c. I desyre not his destruction but his amendment After this followeth in my foresaid Letter a narration of the Dutifull demeanour of Catholickes towardes his Maiestie euen from his first entrance and how by the vniust perswasions of their enemyes they began quickly to feele his hard hand borne ouer them euen before the powder-plot as by the confirmation of all Queen Elizabeth● penal lawes in the first yeare of his Maiesties raigne with the execution therof afterward doth well appeare wherof many particuler examples are set downe and among other things it is touched as a matter of speciall disfauour that his Maiestie vouchsafing in his owne Royall Person to giue publicke audience both to Protestants and Puryt●● for 3. dayes togeather concerning the differences of their Religion no such grace at all was graunted vnto Catholickes Vpon which words M. Barlow stayeth himselfe and maketh this cōmentary It is a strange humour sayth he that this Epistler hath i● he sayth truth he lyeth It is true there was a conference but about difference in Religion it is vtterly false say●● they would possesse the world that we are at iar among our selues ab●●● our Religion whereas the quarrell though it be indeed vnkind yet it i● not in this kinde saue only for Ceremonyes externall no poynt subst●●tiall c. But now of this I haue spoken somewhat before shewing that if this vnkinde quarrell betweene Protesta●●s Purytans as he calleth it be only about externall Ceremonies then is both his Prelacy and that of his Lord and Maister the Archbishop only an externall Ceremony And if his phrase of vnkind quarrell be of the same kind that he mentioned before to be in Queene Elizabeth towards Queene Mary of Scotland whose he●d she cut of● then is the matter somewhat substantiall not only Ceremoniall and indeed he that shall consider what the Purytan in this vnkind quarrell pretendeth agaynst the Protestant and his Church shall see that he striketh at the head indeed or rather striketh of the head of the sayd Church whether we consyder either the externall and ministeryall head thereof to wit the Princes Ecclesiasticall power and of Bishops vnder him or the internall head metaphorically taken for the life spirit and essence of the sayd Church in denying it to be a true Christian Church but only a prophane Congregation without any spirituall power at all This appeareth by all the course and drift of Puritan wryters and bookes extant of the differences acknowledged also by Protestant writers in their Treatises against them so as to me it seemeth not only a shameles bouldnes to deny it as M. Barlow here doth but a sham●full basenes also and beggary so to runne after their enemyes intreating them to haue some association with them whereas the other do both contemne and detest them For this falleth out not only in this case but also with the Lutherans whom M. Barlow and his fellowes when they deale with vs will needes haue to be theyr brethren of one and the same Church fayth and beliefe for all substantiall poyntes of doctrine Whereas the Lutherans on the other syde do both deny
and defy this communion in fayth with them and haue set forth whole bookes to proue the same which were too long here to repeate Yea Caluinian and Zwinglian Ministers themselues are witnesses hereof in many of their Treatises as namely the Tigurine Deuines who confesse that theyr differences and contentions with the Lutherans are about Iustification Free-will the Ghospell the law the Person of Christ his descent into hell of Gods election of his children to life euerlasting de multis alijs non leuis momenti articulis of many more articles of no small importance which is euident for that Ioannes Sturmius another Zwinglian or Caluinist addeth other controuersies as of the Supper of our Lord and Reall Presence of Predestination of the Ascension of Christ to heauen his sitting at the right hand of his Father and the like adding also that the Lutherans do hould the Protestant Caluinian Churches of England France Flanders and Scotland for Hereticall and their Martyrs for Martyrs of the Diuell And conforme to these their writings are their doinges and proceedings with them where they haue dominion for that they admyt them not to cohabitation nor to the common vse of marriage betweene them nor to be buryed with them after theyr deaths as they well know who haue liued or do liue among them And thus much for the Lutherans of the one syde Now let vs see somewhat also of the Purytans of the other And first of all this matter hath beene handled dyuers times and demonstrated by Catholicke English wryters of our dayes agaynst this absurd assertion of M. Barlow that the differences at this day betweene Protestants and Purytans are not at all concerning religion nor of any substantiall and essentiall poyntes thereof but only Ceremoniall and in particuler the same is conuinced and made most manifest in the Preface of a late Booke intituled An answere to the fifth part of Syr Edward Cookes Reports where the different grounds of Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall power betweene Protestants Puritans and Catholickes being examined it is found that their differences are such as cannot possibly stand togeather to make one Church and house of saluation but that if one hath the truth the other must necessarily remayne in damnable error which is euident also by the writings of Protestants themselues especially by the bookes intituled Dangerous positions set forth and imprinted at London 1593. and the Suruey ofpretended holy discipline made as they say by him that is now Lord of Canterbury and Doctor Sutcliffe as also the Booke intituled the Picture of a Purytan writen by O. O. of Emanuel printed 1603. and other like bookes But especially at this time will I vse for proofe of this poynt the testimony of Thomas Rogers Minister and Chaplin as he styleth himselfe to his Lord of Canterbury who of late hauing set forth by publike authority the fayth doctrine and religion of England expressed in 39. articles vpon the yeare 1607. doth in his Preface to his said Lord hādle this matter of the differences betweene the Puritans and Protestantes though partially agaynst the discontented brethren he being theyr aduersary but yet setteth downe out of their owne words what their iudgment is of the importance and moment of the controuersyes betwene them to wit that they are not only about Ceremonies and circum●tances as M. Barlow pretendeth but about poyntes contayned in scripture in the very Ghospell it selfe They are compryzed say they in the booke o● God and also be a part of the Ghospell yea the very Ghospell it selfe so true are they and o● such importance that if euery hayre of our head were a life we ought to aff●ard them all in defence of these matters and that the articles of religion penned and agreed vpon by the Bishops are but childish toyes in respect of the other So they And will any man thinke or say now that these men doe not hould that theyr differences with the Protestants are differences in religion as M. Barlow sayth or that they are only matters of ceremonyes and not of any one substantiall poynt concerning religion Let vs heare them yet further telling theyr owne tale and related by M. Rogers The controuersy betwene them and vs say they of the Protestants is not as the Bishops and their welwillers beare the world in hand for a cap or tippet or a Surplisse but for greater matters concerning a true Ministry and regiment of the Church according to the word of God The first wherof which is a true Ministry they Protestants shall neuer haue till Bishops and Archbishops be put downe and all Ministers be made equall The other also will neuer be brought to passe vntill Kings and Queenes doe subiect themselues vnto the Church and doe submit their Scepters and throw downe their Crownes before the Church and licke vp the dust of the feete of the Church and willingly abyde the Censures of the Church c. This they write and much more in that place● which I trow is more then M. Barlow ascribeth vnto the matter For if it be contayned in Gods booke yea a part o● the Ghospell the very Ghospell it selfe about which they contend what proter●ity is it on the other part to call it a matter only of Ceremony But yet further within two pages after agayne they doe explayne themselues and theyr cause more in particuler saying Our controuersy with the Protestants is whether Iesus Christ shal be King or no and the end of all our trauell is to b●yld vp the walls of Ierusalem and to set vp the throne of Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 heauenly king in the myddest thereof And are these poyntes also not substantiall nor any wayes touching religion but Ceremonies Harken then yet further what they do inferre vpon the Protestantes Church for dissenting from them in these pointes Neyther is there among them say they a Church or 〈◊〉 least wise no true Church neither are they but titular Christians no true Christians indeed And yet will M. Barlow continue to say that there is no difference at all in Religion and that I lyed when I sayd that his Maiesty yeelded to a Conference between Protestants Puritans concerning their differences of Religion VVhat will he answere to the two precedent members touched by the Puritans to wit● that their strife is for a true Ministry a lawfull gouermēt therof expounding their meaning to be that for obtaining the first all Bishops and Archbishops must be put downe for the second all temporall Princes Kings Queenes must leaue their superiority ouer the Church submit themselues and their Crownes vnto the same Church to wit their Presbyteries as M. Rogers expōdeth their words And is there no substantiall point neyther in all this but only matter of Ceremony And doth not the very life soule of the Church depend of these two things a true Ministry and lawful Head Is not the power of preaching teaching administration of
that he in the day of iudgment to wit our Sa●iour will giue reward for our good works almes is now also ready to shew himsel●e a most benigne heater to him that shall come vnto him by prayer works and so did Cornelius the Centurion merit to be heard as doing many almes vpon the people sayth the Scripture And when about nyne of the clocke the sayd Centurion prayed an Angell stood by him and gaue testimony of his good works saying Cornelius thy prayers and almes haue ascended vp before God citò orationes ad Deum ascendunt quas ad Deum merita nost●i operis imponunt Our prayers do quickly ascēd vnto God which the merits of our good works do lay before him c. And presētly with this Scripture he ioyneth the other out of Toby Sic Raphel Angelus c. So the Angel Raphael did testify vnto Toby alwayes praying alwayes working whē thou didst pray togeather with Sara I did offer the memory of thy prayer in the sight of God when thou didst bury the dead and leaue thy dinner for doing the same I was sent by God to tempt thee and afterward to cure thee I am Raphael one of the sea●en iust Angels who do assist conuerse in the sight of God c. Where we see that S. Cyprian maketh another manner of accompt of the holynes and meryt of this worke and of the truth of this Angell then M. Barlow doth And the very self same speach S. Cyprian vseth in his booke de M●●talitate alleadging this place of Toby and testimony of the Angell Raphael in the commendation of Tobies fact in burying the dead against the Kinges commandement So as white and black hoat and cold or the two poles are not more opposite one to the other then the spirit of S. Cyprian and that of M. Barlow in this point And truly it seemeth that a man may gather by good consequence that for so much as he condemneth that fact of Toby in burying the dead bodies of the Iewes in persecution he would also if he had bene there not only not haue buried these dead bodies against the Kings Edict but also neyther haue receaued the persecuted into his house agaynst the commaundement of the sayd King Nay he would haue rather deliuered them vp to the persecutors hands and the like if he had liued amongst Christians vnder Nero Domitius and Dioclesian And this is M. Barlows piety in respect of that of holy Toby and S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Augustine and other such sincere pious men who both approued and commended this fact Now let vs passe on to the rest After these examples of Scriptures there were alleadged by the Apologer sundry authorityes of ancient Fathers which shew the obligation that subiects haue to obey their temporall Princes which in my Letter I declared no way to preiudice our cause who both acknowledge and offer all dutifull obedience in temporall affaires which is so much as the sayd ancient Fathers doe teach and for that the sayd authorityes are cleare for vs in that behalfe I shall ●et downe here what I answered to the same As these places of Scripture said I alleaged against vs do make for vs so much more do the authorities produced out of the ancient Fathers for that they go about to proue the very same point that we here hold that in tēporall cyuill affayres we must obey dutifully our temporall Princes though Infidels or Pagans but not in matters concerning God our Religion or Conscience And his very first example out of S. Augustine is such as I meruaile much that he would cyte the same but that somwhat for shew must be alleadged For it maketh so clearly directly against him as if it had beene written purposely to confute him in this our case But let vs heare what it is Agreable to the Scriptures saith he did the Fathers teach Augustine speaking of I●dian saith thus Iulian was an vnbelieuing Emperour was he not an Apostata an oppressor and an Idolatour Christiā souldiars serued that vnbelieuing Emperour when they came to the cause of Christ they would acknowledge no Lord but him that is in heauen when he would haue them worship Idolls sacrifice they preferred God before him but when he said Go forth to fight inuade such a nation they presently obeyed they distinguished their eternall Lord from their temporall and yet were they subiect euen vnto their temporall Lord for his sake that was their eternall Lord and Maister Thus he And can any thing be spoken more cleerly for vs and for our cause then this For euen this do we offer to our King Soueraigne we will serue him we wil obey him we will go to warre with him we will fight for him and we will do all other offices belonging to temporall duty but when the cause of Christ commeth in hand who is Lord of our Consciences or any matter concerning the same or our Religion there we do as S. Augustine heere appoynteth vs preferre our eternall King before our Temporall And like to these are all the other places of Fathers cyted by him who distinguish expresly betweene the Temporall honour and Allegiance due to the Emperour and the other of our Religion Conscience belonging only to God And to that playne sense are Tertullians words cyted by the Apologer VVe honour the Emperour in such sort as is lawfull for vs and ●xpedient for him as a man second after God and as hauing receyued from God whatsoeuer he is and only l●sse th●n God And will not the Catholicks of England vse this speac● also vnto their King Or will the Apologer himselfe deny that Tertullian heere meant nothing els but in temporall affayres for somuch as the Emperors at that tyme were Heathens Gentils and consequently were no● to be obeyed in any point against Christian faith or Religion The like playne sense haue the words of Iustin●● Martyr to the Emperour himselfe cited here in the third place to wit VVe only adore God and in all things we cheerfully performe seruice to you prosessing you to be Emperours and Princes of men And do not all English Catholickes say the same at this day in all other things that concerne not God his Obedience by rule of Catholicke Religion they offer cheerfully to serue his Maiesty acknowledging him to be their liege Lord and King inferiour only to God in his Temporall Gouernment And how then are these and such other places brought in for witnesse as though they had somewhat to say against vs The other two sentences in like manner cited out of Optatus and S. Ambrose the first saying That ouer the Emperour there is none but only God that made the Emperour And the other That teares were his weapons against the armes and souldiars of the Emperour That he neither ought nor could resist neyther of thē do make
or Ecclesiasticall power hath hitherto bene or may be lawfully exercised● for the re●ormation and correction of all māner of errors heresies schismes 〈◊〉 c. all and all manner of Iurisdiction priu●ledges and prehe●●●●●ces in any wise touching any sprituall or Ecclesiasticall iurisd●cti●●● with in the Realme was giuen vnto her and vnited vnto the Cr●●●e This was the high doctrine in those daies of the Pri●ces supreme Ecclesiasticall and spirituall power o●er the Church of England no lesse thē of the Pope himselfe ouer his Church of Rome But now of later dayes and by later writers the case seemeth wonderfully altered for not only haue they taken away the name title of Head of the Church which was treason by King Henries Statutes to deny and many were put to death for not yielding therunto but haue taken away the authority also it selfe if we respect the substance and shifting in words to seeme still to retaine somewhat Wherin among others M. Barlow seemeth eminent and vnder a shew of defending the Kings supremacy to take it quite away For let vs heare first how he handleth the question about the Princes authority for iudging in cases of religion which is the principall of all the rest He both proposeth and solueth the question thus May not then saith he a Prince iudge in cases of Religion and Faith No not iudicio definitiuo to determine what is sound Diuinity or not and so impose that vpon the consciences of men for faith which he alone defines to be so but iudicio executiuo or iurisdictionis he may and ought when the Church hath determined matters of saith command the prosessing therof within his Kingdome● as the soundest and worthyest to be receaued This is his determination whereby it is euident that he permitteth only vnto the King to execute that which his Church in England to wit the Bishops and Clergy therof shall determine about matters of religion which is no one iote more of power in Ecclesiasticall matters then that which Catholicks do ascribe vnto their ●emporall Princes to execute what the Church determineth but yet with this difference of much more dignity that they are bound to the execu●ion only of that which the Vniuersall Church shall determine not of their owne subiects alone as it falleth out on the behalfe of his Maiesty of England in this case In which point also I do not see how he can wind himselfe out of this maze that must necessarily follow of his owne doctrine to wit that one should receiue from another that the other receiued from him As for example if the Bishops being his Maiesties subiects as well in spirituall as temporal affaires haue no spirituall iurisdiction but frō him as the Statute of King Edward doth determine and on the other side his Maiesty to haue no authority to define of any matter belonging to religion at all but only to execute that which the Bishops do define it seemeth that they receiue from his Maiesty that authority which they deny to be in him and so that he giueth them the thing which he hath not in himselfe but is to receaue from them Moreouer it is euident by this doctrine of theirs that the Bishops do make their Courtes Tribunalls for matters of Religion to be absolutly greater then the Kings for that they do allow him no other power for Iudging in spirituall matters but only to execute that which they shall define and determine And albeit for dazeling the simple readers eyes M. Barlow doth in this place fumble vp a certaine distinction not wel vnderstood by himselfe takē out of some Schoolmen as he saith noting Occam in the margent that there be three parts of this executiue iudgmēt the one discretiue to discerne the other directiue to teach others the third decretiue which third he saith is in the Prince both affirmatiuely to bind to the obseruing of that which is so tryed and adiudged and negatiuely to suppresse the contrary and that this last is to Iudge for the truth and the former of defining is to iudge of the truth Yet doth all this reach no further but to the power of execution of that which others haue determined which may be called a power of impotency in that behalfe for that therin he is subiect and not Superiour especially if it lye not in his power either to execute or not to execute as he shall think best which M. Barlow here denveth saying That he may and ought to execute when the Church hath determined But on the other side if he haue power and liberty to execute or not to execute then is the other power of defining in the Bishops to small purpose For that they may define and he not execute his iudgment being that they haue defined e●ill and by that way becommeth he their Iudge againe to define whether they haue defined well or no. And this is another circle or labyrinth which I see not how M. Barl●● will easily auoid I doe pretermit diuers other childish thinges that be in this speach of his as where he propoundeth thus the question as first VVhether a Prince may iudge in cases of Religion ●●d saith as though these two were Sinonyma and all one Whereas religion contayneth many cases as well of life manners and cerimonyes as of faith in all which cases it may be demanded how far the King may be iudge Secondly he saith that the King cannot define and determine what is sound Diuinity or not which is far from the purpose For the question is not whether the King may iudge and determine what is sound Diuinity or Theologie but what is matter of faith and what is to be belieued or not be belieued by a true Christian within his realme Thirdly in like manner when he saith that the King hath only iudicium executiuum or iurisdictionis as though they were all one whereas executio and iurisdictio are two different things iurisdiction is more properly in that party that defineth then in the other that executeth for that the former commaundeth and the second obayeth Fourthly his terme also of discretiuum ascribed by him vnto all Christians to haue power to try spirits whether they be of God or no besides that it seemeth contrary to that of S. Paul to the Corinthians who reckoneth vp discretion of spirits to be a peculiar and seuerall gift vnto some alone saying Alij discretio spirituum c. is nothing well applyed by him to iudicium execu●iuum for that it appertayneth rather to iudicium definitiuum for somuch as those that haue power to define to determine of matters are principally to iudge of spirits not their subiects to iudge of theirs for that other wise there must needes ensue an inextricable confusion of trying iudging of one the others spirits As if for example the Bishops o● England should try condemne the spirits of the Purytans and they agayne the spirits of the Bishops by
abroad p. 50. more contayned therin then ciuill obedience p. 70. 71. 280. humble petition to his Maiesty for the expositiō therof p. 89. Scandall in exhibiting therof p. 126. 127. c. No such Oath euer enacted before by former Princes p. 156. Card. Bella●mins opinion therof pag. 346. 347. c. deuided into 14. parts p. 357. difference betweene the said Oath and an Indenture pag. 362. Oath of Supremacy p. 353. defēded by M. Barlow 354. 355. Obedience against God mans conscience none pag. 282. Obedience of our temporall Prince how far when it bindeth p. 291. defined by S. Thomas 339. Ordination of Protestant Bishops first vnder Q. Elizabeth praf n. 136. P PAVLVS Quintus Pope defēded 54. 55. 56. 57. his Breues discussed part 2. per totū whether he forbad temporall odedience to his Maiesty therin p. 323. deinceps ● Persons calumniated by M. Barlow pag. 204. belyed p. 263. Petrus de V●●●is extolled by M. Barlow p. 499. iustified pag. 509. censured 523● Philip the Emperour his murder pag. 470. Plutarke abused by M. Barlow pag. 61. Popes power ouer Infidel Princes p. 76. how they are particuler Bishops of Rome Pastours of the whole Church pag. 145. whether they can make new articles of faith or no pag. 324. 325. deinceps whether they command Princes to be murdered pag. 394. 395. c. Powder-treason pag. 13. 14. 15. c. F. Persons accused therwith by M. Barlow p. 23. Powder-plot of Antwerp pag. 18. of Hage p. 19. of Edenborrow ibid. Prescription of the Church of Rome part 1. cap. 5. per totum good argument in case of Relion pag. 150. 152. vide Antiquity● the same vrged by the Fathers ib. belyed shamefully pag. 246. Protestants gone out of the Catholike Church pag. 149. their Ecclesiasticall power ouer Puritans pag. 259. their basenes beggary pag. 265. their conflicts with Puritans about matters of Religion pag. 270. their Church basest of all others praef n. 36. Prouidence of God discoursed of by S. Augustine pag. 416. Q QVEENE Mary of Scotlād put to de●th for Religion pag. 51. preached against by M. Barlow pag. 212. Queene vide Elizabeth R RESOLVTION of Catholiks in maters of faith p. 123. of Protestants none at all ibid. 124. what resolution is taken from the Pope pag. 125. M. Reynolds writing against Whitaker pag. 457. Rome Recourse to Rome about the Oath of Allegiance p. 50. 51. 52. c. The same practised in all difficulties by our English Princes people pag. 53. 377. Church of Rome impugned p. 144. S SALMERON abused by M. Morton M. Barlow p. 75. Salomons fact of killing Adoniah condemned pag. 105. D. Sanders abused by M. Barlow pag. 77. Scandall in exhibiting the Oath of Allegiance p. 128. 129 130. c. of actiue and passiue scandall pag. 132. 134. 135. scandall of Balaa● pag. 139. Sigebert calumniated pag. ●3 K. Sis●nandus his submission to the Councell of Toledo p. 36● Statute of Association pag. 429. S●●pition vide Idol●try foure kinds of suspition pag. 119. Supremacy mascu●●ne feminine pag. 395. how it was giuen to K. Henry the 8. pag. 29● to K. Edward and Q. Elizabeth ●bid to K. Iames. pag. 29● M. Barlowes iudgment therupon ibid. pag. 300 Sycophancy vide Flattery M. Barlowes diuision of Sycophancy pag. 242. Sixtu● vide Pope T S. THOMAS his opinion cōcerning obedience pag. ●●● about Totally praef n. 52. abused by M. Barlow pag. ●36 Threatnings of God vnto Kings pag. 108. T●byes breach of the King of Niniue his coma●ndment about burying of the dead Iewes p. 289. § 2. the ancient Fathers iudgment therof pag. 288. the credit of the History of Toby pag. 287. Toleration of Religion humbly demanded of his Maiesty part 2. cap. 4. per totum Thomas vide Morton Treason vide Powder-treason V VESSELS consecrated to Church vses anciēt p. 237. Vi●es of wicked Kings recounted after their deaths in Scripture pag. 199. Vniuersity of M. Barlow little p. 236. W M. VVHITAKER a terrour to Card. Bellarmine in M. Barlowes iudgment pag. 455. his booke refuted by M. Reynolds pag. 457. his ignorance ibid. VVilliam vide Barlow VVorkes-Good works may giue cause of confidence in God p. 440. Syr Henry VVotton a wodden Embassadour praef n. 70. his pranks at Ausburge Venice ibid. X XYSTVS 5. belyed about the murder of King Henry the 3. of France pag. 115. Z ZISCA the blind Rebell of Bohemia pag. 456. FINIS Three things declared in this preface for the Readers satisfaction Why M. Barlowes book was answered by F. Persons The cause of the stay of this edition What manner of writer M. Ba●low is Isa. 1● Tertull. d● praes●rip cap. 41. Aug. tract 45. in Ioānem Bernard serm 65. in Cantica M. Barlow in his epistl● Dedicatory to his Mai●sty M. Barlowes māner of writing M. Barlowes ignorance in Grāme● Humanity Barlow pag. 15● pag. 295● Gregor lib. 2. Ep. ep 65. Barl. pag. 174. A very gros●e Grammaticall errour Fragmentum histori●um in anno 1238. ●omo 1. hist. Germ. Casarum Bellarm. l. 1. de Cler. cap. 28. Barlow pag. 342. A strange construction of Orbis terrae Bellar. l●● citato M. Barlowes ignorance in Philosophy Leo ep 89. D. Th● lec 12. in Periber lit F. M. Barlows ignorance in histories Barlow pag. 298. Barlow pag. 292. deinceps Barlow pag. 245. pag. 288. pag. 295. M. Barlowes ignorance in interpreting the Scriptures Barl. pag. 53. Cant. 3. Barlow pag. 43. Iosue 6. Pag. 201. Iosue 6. Pag. 60. Gen. 3. Matth. 9. Barlow pag. 334. M. Barlowes ignorance in matters of Diuinity Barlow pag. 188. D. Thom. 2.2 q. 104. ar 6. ad 3. 〈◊〉 pag. ●7 pag. 57 〈◊〉 pag. 114. D. Tho. 2.2 q. 162 ●● 4. in 〈◊〉 pag. 246. M. Barlowes paradoxes Barlow pag. 160. The Protestantes cōscience like a cheuerall point A prophane and barbarous assertion of M. Barlow Barlow pag 99. Athan. ep ad solitar●ā vit●m agēt●s Hilarius lib. 1. in Constāt Augustū paulo post ●nitium Barlow pag 2●2 Barlow pa●● 142. see supra pag. 120. D. Andr. Respons ad Apol. cap. ●5 pag. 343. §. Porr● negat part 2. cap. 4. Printed anno 160● An. 1607. D. Couell in his iust and temperate defence ar 11. pag. 67. li● 8. in Iob. cap. 2. Puritans acknowledge an essentiall difference betweene them and the Protestants in matters of religion An. 160● arg 10. circa medium Si nons Vpo● the Ar●c pag. 142. s●e Ba●on tom 12 in anno 1140. s●●●nnius tom 4. pag. 1223. and S. Bern. ep 187. 188. dem ●ps P●py●ius Ma●souius l 3. Annal. in Ph●●ppo August pag. 268. Bern. ep 240. ●●●nar Lu●●en et 〈…〉 A●bizen es 〈…〉 see Christianus Massaeus l. 17. Chron. ad an 1206. Caesa●ius Heiesterb l. 5. illust mirac cap. 21. see the Protestants Apology pag. 343. Iewel defence pag. 48 M. Iewell contrary to himself Guido Carmelita in sūma cap. 9. de
put to the horne at Edenburrough 19. In another place going about to proue that the Right which the Church hath against heretikes eyther for their conuersion or chastisement is Ius innatum bred within it inseparable from it how thinke yow doth he proue the same against F. P●rsons who sayd that is was Ius acquisitum Very pithily yow may imagine for thus he writeth No sooner was there a Church designed but this right was annexed Semen mulieris conteret caput serpentis as the enmity for contradiction so the right for suppression is natiue Thus M. Barlow no more And is not this well proued thinke yow The seed of the woman shall bruze the serpents head that is Christ the Sonne of the Virgin shall ouercome the diue● ergo it is Ius innatum to punish heretikes Me thinkes this argument proues M. Barlow more to be a Naturall then any natiue right to be in the Church For what is there here to signify the Church to signify heretikes to signify this in-bred right Truly I see no more coherence betweene the Scripture and the foresaid argument then I see in this which followes Our Sauiour cured a man of the palsy ergo M. Barlow is troubled with the gout But let vs go on 20. Last of all for adding to the holy text what more euident example can be desired then that which he bringeth out of Deuteronomy to proue that bloudy artycle of the Kinges Supremacy in Ecclesiasticall causes Bloudy I say for that more effusion of bloud of Ecclesiasticall men hath bene made for that one point enacted by Parlament then by all the lawes of former tymes for the space of a thousand yeares togeather which yet is not only by all Catholikes denyed reiected by Caluin and the Puritans but vtterly condemned also by the Lutherans and all learned Protestants Against all which M. Barlow will needes proue by Scripture this vsurped authority saying God in his Word hath appointed Kinges to be Guardians of b●th the Tables to commaund prohibite not in ciuill affaires only but in matters also concerning religion saith S. Augustine and citeth Deuteron 17. 18 verse But in our bookes eyther Hebrew Greeke or Latin we fynd no such commission giuen to Kinges nor any one syllable of their being Guardians of both Tables or of any commaund in matters of Religion in this place as elsewhere by the Author of the Supplement he is more fully and roundly tould And so yow see to what desperate attempts this Minister is driuen to defend a falsity 21. Touching the last point which remayned to be treated of M. Barlowes ignorance in matters of diuinity for that it is his chief profession I shall more inlarge my self therein ioyne issue with him in one entire disputation and that not the meanest but rather the chiefest of his whole booke for in no other that I know doth he vse so many tearmes of art or make so great vaūt or shew of learning courage cōfidence as in the same to wit his discourse to proue a contradiction in Bellarmine concerning three Conclusions of his about Iustification and confidence to be reposed in our good workes But before I enter this combate it will not be amisse to let the Reader see some part of his skill in another matter or two that thereby he may take a scātling of the rest 22. First then he must know that eyther M. Barlowes choice was so bad or iudgement so small that he neuer almost cyteth the Maister of Sentences S. Thomas of Aquine or other Schoolemen but that he doth commonly very ignorantly mistake them or maliciously bely them or some way or other peruert them For example he maketh S. Thomas to say That if an Vsurper or Intruder commaund thinges vnlawfull yet in those thinges the subiects must notwithstanding obey propter vitandum scandalum aut periculum and then addeth Of this Diuinity Iudge not ti 's their owne But I answere t' is M. Barlowes lye not S. Thomas his Diuinity who answering an argument that the power of many Kinges is vsurped and therefore they not to be obayed saith That a man is ●ound to obey so far forth as the order of Iustice doth require and therefore if they haue not lawfull principality but vsurped or commaund vniust thinges the subiects are not bound to obey them vnles perhaps per accidens for auoyding of scandall or daunger So S. Thomas and here is no mention of vnlawfull things commaunded but of vniust for a King may commaund things that are vniust as that his subiects giue him all the money or goodes they haue whereto for feare of daunger they may yield which they could not doe were the thing of it owne nature vnlawfull which is S. Thomas his expresse doctrine in the next precedent article neyther is there here must notwithstanding obey but the contrary that absolutely they are not bound to obey vnles perhaps it be for some other cause as of scādall or daunger in which cases they may to saue their liues or for auoyding the hurt and offence of others doe those thinges which are vniustly commaunded thē so they be not of their owne nature vnlawfull but only in respect of the Cōmaunder who eyther cōtrary to iustice or by vsurped authority doth cōmaund thē 23. Of this nature is that graue resolution of his taken as he would haue it seeme from S. Thomas his scholler Medina That to full liberty is required an vnlimited scope for the iudgement to deliberate Of which he shall heare more afterwards for this vnlimited scope for the iudgmēt is no other thing thē the vnlimited ignorance of Syr William which passeth all bound measure Againe where he citeth S. Thomas touching actiue passiue scandall which is refuted in this worke at large and where he sayth very boldly but ignorantly that the said Doctour confineth al proud men within two sortes one of thē which aduance themselues aboue others the other of such which arrogate to themselues that which is aboue them and beyond their pitch which seemeth to be aboue the pitch of his skill for S. Thomas maketh 4. sortes of pride as any may see in the place cited in the margent though in the place which M. Barlow citeth I confesse there be not so many sorts specified for in his 33. question and 5. article he mētioneth none at all So as M. Barlow roues at randome and speaketh without booke and thinkes all to be well so he say somewhat true or false and make a fond florish with the citing of schoolmen Of this very stamp is his other of fatum and prouidence in denying fatum to be prouidence retorted vpon him by F. Persons in this Answere And truly if M. Barlow be wise he will if he write againe be more wary in dealing with Schoolmen and alleadging their authorities for that kind of learning far surpasseth the compasse of his shallow capacity 24.
Another thing may be to consider what strange Paradoxes he inserts here and there as positiōs dogmaticall which who so listeth in practise to follow shall either haue no religion or faith at all or insteed of Christs Ghospell the Turks Alcoran For exāple what more grosse and wicked assertion can there be then to teach that Kings euen against our conscience are to be obeyed For thus he replyeth against F. Persons saying that Kings were to be obeyed propter cōscientiā sed non contra conscientiā This saith M. Barlow is no sound doctrine in the negatiue part for euen against a mans Conscience the Prince is to be obeyed Againe There is nothing more easy for proofe or euident for d●monstration then that obedience is to be enioyned ●u●n against conscience if it be erroneous and leaprous and against religion if forged and falsely so called And is not this a very learned Axiome For more euident refutation whereof let vs suppose that for which we powre forth our daily prayers to God that his Maiesty were as all his Noble Progenetors of both Realmes haue alwayes bene a Catholick Prince and as zealous for the truth therof as now he is for the Protestant cause if then he should propose vnto Syr Williā the Oath of Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome so cleerly out of Scriptures and all antiquity proued and euinced to be true but yet in the blind eyes and leaprou● conscience of this Minister thought to be false what would he doe therin Will he sweare it to be true But in his conscience he thinketh it to be false and against the Scriptures Will he refuse it But Kings saith he euen against conscience are to be obeyed 25. Neyther doth he help the matter any thing at all by his distinction of leaprous and erroneous conscience for with men of his stamp conscience is like a cheuerell point which they may stretch loose at their pleasure For who knoweth not that in the tyme of Q. Mary they were held to haue erroneous leaprous consciences euen by the iudgement of the greatest deuines in Geneua who manteyned that women were to be obeyed albeit they were Queenes euen in ciuill and temporall affaires But within one yeare after this errour and leaprosy was so transposed that the quite contrary was taught and they were not only held to haue leaprous and erroneous consciences who denyed ciuill obedience but were condemned also as Traitours by Parlament if they did deny Q. Elizabeth to be the Supreme head or Gouernesse of the Church of England So that it was not only lawfull but necessary for her to haue all Temporall and Ecclesiasticall gouernmēt in her hands as she was Queen which yet in Q. Mary to haue ciuill only euen by reason of her sex was iudged monstrous vnnaturall and repugnāt to the Scriptures and law of God Many other examples might be produced in this kind to shew this new Gospell to be as constant as the weathercocke which neuer turneth but when the wynd doth change to wit as often as occasions fall out that may fit their purpose for then they will strayne all conscience and honesty also to conforme themselues become good subiects 26. Much like vnto this of obeying Kings against our conscience is his other prophane and barbarous assertion of the Supremacy of the heathen Emperours Nero Domitian and the rest ouer the Christian Church yea which is more strange that the auncient Fathers Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus Tertullian and others acknowledged the same But you must know that M. Barlow in cyting their words for proofe of this paradox is very silent howsoeuer with all cōfidēce as a maxime in his new Deuinity vncōtrollable he deliuereth the same saying That they acknowledged the Emperors Supremacy indepēdant vpon any but God And a litle after that Queene Elizabeth in her Supremacy was no vsurper by Nouell-claime but accepted what God himselfe had annexed to her crowne Out of which I first note that by this Doctrine the Great Turke is supreme Head of the Christian Church in Greece and that if M. Barlow were there for such he would acknowledge him Secondly the Pythagoricall manner of speaking which our Aduersaries vse in matters of greatest moment and controuersie For whereas before King H●nry the eight no Christian King euer tooke that title or vsurped any such authority ouer the Church yea for challenging much lesse Constantius was called Antichrist both by S. Athanasius and S. Hilary these men without all profe but not without singuler impupudency thinke it sufficient to say● that the King is head of the Church that he was so acknowledged by the ancient Fathers that not only a woman may haue the same authority of Supremacy in all causes Ecclesiasticall but that also the heathen Emperours had it as annexed to their Crowne and Imperiall Dignitie euen against the whole torrent of all writters the practise of the Christian world and euident text of Scripture it selfe no Fathers no history no monument no shew or shaddow of proofe or authority in former tymes being found for the same without many straines violent enforcements or ridiculous illations made there-upon as in the arguments of the Protestants who haue treated this controuersie is euery where to be seene 27. Lastly the Reader may note that M. Barlow is so poore a Deuine as eyther he knoweth not what belongeth to matters of faith or els is so wicked as against his owne knowledge he will auouch that for true which is checked euen by his owne brethren and conuinced by common sense and experiēce to be most false to wit that the Protestants and the Puritanes in England differ only in ma●ters cerimoniall and agree in all ●ss●ntiall and substantiall points concerning religion in which this Prelate is very cathegoricall for ignorance as himself elswhere telleth vs out of Fathers and Philosophers though he cite no place or sentence is the mother of a●dacious assertions and vndertakings and writteth thus Faine they woul● possesse the world that we are at iarre among our selues about our religion whereas the quarrell though it be indeed vnkind yet is it not in this kind sau● only for cerimonyes externall no points substantiall c. So he Which though it be kindly spoken as you see yet he must giue me leaue to belieue him at leasure and in the meane tyme ●o aske him one question to wit whether the Protestāts and Puritans vnderstand their ow●e differences that are between thē or not If not● then we need not belieue M. Barlow as speaking of that which he doth not vnderstand If they doe how commeth it to passe that they condemne ech other of idolatry heresy and false religion as any may read in the Suruey and dangerous Positions set forth by S●●cliffe and the last Superintendent of Canterbury for the Protestants and Cartwright Gilby M●rtin Senior and others for the Puritans 28. To this answereth M. Barlowes Comicall companion of
Ely of whome whiles he was silent many had some opinion of learning but since all is resolued to lying immodest rayling and some few light Terentian Plautinian phrases which aswel b●seeme a Deuine writing in matters of such moment and in defence of so great a Monarch to dally withall as it doth a Bishop to lead a morrice-daunce in his hose and dublet This man I say answereth hereunto that perhaps so the case stood then when those Protestants did write but that is well neere 20. yeares agoe but now it is otherwise Which is asmuch as if he had said that this new beliefe in England is not like the old alwayes one but is refined altered with the tyme and therefore no argument can be drawne from a thing done 20. yeares past for that is to great antiquity for so new-fangled a fayth which is alwaies in motion and hath her waynes changes quarters and full like the Moone But yet I must aske him further how he will proue by any example of the Puritan writers this their change and submission to the Protestants conformity of doctrine with thē more now then 20. yeares past Are they not still in the same degree of difference and oppositiō as before Doe they not still deny our Sauiours descent into hell Do they not disclay me from the English Hierarchie Will they acknowledge the Kings Supreme authority in causes Ecclesiasticall as King Henry did challenge it Or will they recall what they haue written of their discipline that it is an essentiall marke of the Church without which there were no Church no Faith no Ghospell and consequently the Protestants to be no Ghospellers to be out of the Church out of the number of the faithfull 29. But for further confutation of both these Superintendents and more cleere explication of the thing it selfe besides what is afterwards said in this booke touching this point it shall not be amisse here to set downe the words of a few Protestant and Puritan late and yet liuing writers what they iudge of ech other in this affayre that our very enemyes may be iudges of the most shamefull assertion of these two Prelates That the Protestants and Puritans differ in matters only cerimoniall and agree in essentiall And the reason that I produce no more in this kind is for want of their bookes which being not worth the sending so far seldome come to our hands I will begin with the Protestants 30. And to omit Thomas Rogers whose testimony is after to be produced in the Discussion it selfe what other thing doth Oliuer Ormerod in his discouery of Puritan-Papisme annexed to his Picture of a Puritan prooue but that the said Puritans are Hereticks and haue ioyned themselues with the Pharisies Apostolickes Arians Pebuzians Petrobusians Florinians C●rinthiās Nazarens Begardines Ebionites Catababdites E●theusiasts Donatists Iouinianists Catharists And least any should thinke that this coniunction is only in matters cerimonial he laieth to their charge these ensuing heresies that there is no diuers●●y between a Priest and a Bishop that Bishops haue no iu●isdiction that all synnes be equall that the Minister is of the essence of baptisme with the like And in the second dialogue he maketh in plaine tearmes this obiection that there is no difference in matters fundamentall but accidentall and then answereth the same that they do differ from the Protestants in some things that are fundamentall and substantiall which he proueth by the article of Christs descending into hell And he might haue proued it further by the aboue rehearsed articles for which Iouinian Aerius and others were reputed by the auncient Fathers and condemned for Hereticks 31. VVith this Oliuer of Cambridge agreeth A. N. of Oxford in his Bible-bearer towards the midest for thus he writeth They refuse to subscribe to the Kings lawfull authority in causes Ecclesiasticall to the article of religion to the booke of Common prayer and the orders rites and cerimonies of our Church nay they dissent from vs in things accidentall and cerimoniall So he By which last antithesis of accidentall cerimoniall differences it is most euident that the former were essentiall fundamentall Neither doe I see how this can be denyed by any for if the Puritans refuse to subscribe to the articles of Protestant religion who seeth not that they approue it not and consequently differ in essentiall points and that M. Barlow ouerlashed very much when he wrote that their vnkind quarrell with Puritans was in another kind and not in matters of religion wherein forsooth out of his great kindnes he will haue them to agree 32. And not to stand more for proofe hereof from Protestants D. Couel cleereth the matter when he saith But least any man should thinke that our contentions were but in smaller points and the difference not great both sides haue charged the other with heresies if not infidelities nay euen such as quite ouerthrow the principall foundation of our Christian faith Thus he And this I thinke is another manner of matter then externall cerimonies or accidentall differences for if this be not a plaine iarre amongst Protestants and Puritans in Religion I would faine know what M. Barlow will more require thereunto but I see S. Gregories wordes verified in these men where he saith solent haeretici alia apertè dicere alia occultè cogitare the heretikes are wont to speake otherwise openly then inwardly they thinke for when they deale amongst themselues then are Protestants and Puritans heretikes and infidells to ech other but when they answere vs then all are friendes all good Christians all vnited in doctrine deuided only in cerimonies accidentall differences This is another manner of equiuocation then any of our schooles will allow and only fit for such as are his schollers qui in veritate non stetit sed mendax fuit ab initio 33. From Protestants I come to Puritans who in this case are no lesse eager playne and resolute then the Protestants but rather more for this in expresse tearmes the Author of the Twelue generall arguments concludeth against all the Superintendents of England togeather that they are Vsurpers and Tyrants and execute an vsurped power ouer the Church and one reason to proue the same is ex concessis for that their Ecclesiastical iurisdiction is deriued from the King else say they it is a flat deniall of his Supremacy as there they shew And in the next reason which is the 4. and last brought in for proofe of their assumption or minor thus they conclude There are no true and sober Christians but will say that the Churches of Sco●land France the Low Countryes and other places that renounce such Archbishops and Bishops as ours are as Anti-christian and vsurping Prelates are true Churches of God which they could not be if the authority prerogatiues they claime to themselues were of Christ and not vsurped for if it were the ordinance of Christ
in extolling or rather belying Q. Elizabeth farr beyond all truth or desert calling white black and black white making light darknes darknes light after he hath made her of all liuing creatures the most admirable on earth with many bōbasting ph●ases setting forth her praise who yet in her life tyme did nothing or very little God wot that was praise worthy leauing after 44. yeares raigne no other monument in the land of her liuing in it but that she had pulled downe many Churches 〈◊〉 howses and not so much as buylt or let vp one● or ●rected any thing for posterity to remayne after 〈◊〉 But as Xenophon in Cyrus did not so much write 〈◊〉 life as in him describe what a good King should be● so M. Barlow in his transformed Queen Elizabeth ●●●leth vs not so much what she was indeed as what 〈◊〉 should haue bene or as now they would for the cr●dit of their Ghospell wish that she had bene After a●● these Encomions giuen of her life I say thus he ad●uaunceth her after her death to heauen and witho●● authority will needs canonize her before her tyme to vse his owne phrase make her an eternized Saint● His words be these● For her reward in heauen if restraints of liberty and pursuites of malice for Gods truth● inflicted through Iealousie and indured with singular pat●●ence if a release from them vnexpected followed with h●●nours and blessings neyther interrupted by others whe●ther treasons or inuasions nor blemished by herselfe with vice criminall or continued if life shut vp after length 〈◊〉 dayes and a full age with a courage defying death with● pray●rs imploring mercy with faith assuring the prayers with testimo●ies witnessing her assurance can be preceding coniectures or rather euidences of vnspeakable happinesse● we may safely conclude that she which passed through 〈◊〉 Crowne of thornes borne so constantly to a Crow●e of Gold worne so tryumphantly hath n●w gotten the thir● of Glory to enioy for euerlasting 115. So M. Barlow with more to the same effect● telling how she was an example of v●rtue for her owne to follow and a loadst irre for other Nations to admire cōcluding with this Apostrophe Now this renowned Queen this eternized Saint c. And not to enter into disput● of the truth of his words nor yet to aske him by what ●ertainty he knowes that she passed from one of these ●hree Crownes to another especially from the gold ●o glory which requireth other proofe then this ver●all florish of a few Rhetoricall figures bare imagi●ary coniectures of that courage prayers faith and testimonies witnessing assurance which this man sitting in his chamber doth faigne but she at her death if we belieue eye witnesses of much better credit then himselfe did little feele to omit this I say as an idle fancy or fiction rather of this foolish Parasite two things I would demaūd of him the first that seeing he will needs draw his glorious Queen into the Calendar of Saints what title or place she shall haue amongst them in the same for that in ours there is no Saint of that sex but is either Virgin or Martyr or both or else nec Virgo nec Martyr as are Wiues Widdowes and repentāt sinners M. Barlow shall do well in his next to tell vs in which of these degrees this his new Sainted Queen Elizabeth is to be placed perhaps when he hath thought better on the matter he may find some perplexity be content to let her passe for one that was nec Virgo nec Martyr and thrice happy had it bene for her if she had bene indeed a true repentant sinner 116. The other thing is to know what he thinketh of the renowned Mother of his Maiesty whom by this canonizing of Q. Elizabeth he must needs condemne to hell-fire for it is impossible that one heauen should hold both these Queenes in life and beliefe so quite opposite the one with great commendation of vertue remayning in the vnity of the Catholick faith in which and for which she dyed to the great admiration and amazement of the whole world to 〈◊〉 a Queene Mother of a King indeed for religion 〈◊〉 vnder the colour of ●reason to which foule spot as 〈◊〉 Orator well noteth Royall dignity was neuer lyabl● against all law with all disgrace ●o l●ose her he●d 〈◊〉 an ordinary malefactor by way of publick and cō 〈◊〉 iustice whiles the other liued in all ruffe pride and pleasure followed the fancyes of new vpstart Ghospellers hated and persecuted that faith wherin notwithstanding vntill the fall of her vnhappy Father 〈◊〉 whole Iland frō the first Cōuersion had remayned 〈◊〉 in the end shut vp a wicked lyfe with a miserable p●tiful death if that may be sayd to be pitifull miserable which was without all remorse of conscience for f●●mer sinnes all remonstrance of piety in and before her agony all remembrance of her future weale o● woe in the life to come all naming God as of her selfe or enduring others that did name him for her or put her in mind of him whatsoeuer this lying Minister who is true in nothing with a few fine phrases chatteth and forgeth to the contrary 117. And if it would but please his most Excellent Maiesty out of his Royall respect to his most Noble Mother to see who in her person haue alwaies most honoured or dishonoured his he should soone find that as in her life tyme the Catholiks had her in highest esteeme so since her death haue registred her in the rāke of Martyrs of whome the glory of this age Cardinal B●ronius to name one for all the rest writeth thus Porrò eamd●m Eccl●siam nobiliss●mam c. Moreouer God in this our age hath permitted that most noble Church of Scotland to be tempted that it might yield a most noble example of Christian cōstancy when as a mōgst ●ther Martyrs which no other Country hath hitherto ●ad it hath deserued to haue their owne Queene the ●●nguler glory and ornament of the Catholick faith ●efore tryed by a long imprisonment for to be honou●ed with the Crowne of Martyrdome So he As con●rariwise in M. Barlows brethrens bookes both at home ●nd abroad he shall find the most iniurious slanders ●●ying reports and reproachfull villanies powred forth ●gainst that innocent Princesse as will make any mans ●ares to glow and hart to rue to see so little respect of ●rincely Maiestie or such insufferable liberty in Pro●estant writers conioyned with singular impudency ●nd fraudulent malignity in imputing the outragious ●ttempts of the trayterous subiects to the Queen her●elf as though she had bene the Author of that mis●hiefe which in hart she detested with many bitter ●eares the true tokens of vnfaygned griefe most pitti●ully bewailed let one Reusn●rus in his Geneal●gyes be ●eene whose words I abhore to set downe and the Reader will not thinke me too sharp and I must con●esse that in respect
ouer by Guntar at his last passage for albeit I haue determined with my selfe in this my banis●ment to spend my tyme in other studies more profitable then in contention about controuersies Yet must I needs acc●pt kindly of your good will in making me partaker of your newes there And more glad should I haue byn if you had aduertised me what your and other mens opinion was of the Booke in your partes then that you request me to write our mens iudgment from hence And yet for so much as you require it so earnestly at my hands and that the party is to returne presently I shall say somewhat with the greatest breuity that I can albeit I do not doubt but that the parties that are principally interessed there●●●ill answere the same much more largely First then for the Author for so much as he setteth 〈◊〉 downe his name it seemeth not so easy to ghesse yet the more generall opinion in these partes is that as that odious Discouery of Roman do●trine and practises which of late you haue seene answered was cast forth against the Catholickes vnder the cyphred name of T. M. with direction as he said from Superiours the Autho●● being in deede but an inferiour Minister so diuers thinke it to be probable that this other booke also cōmeth from some other T. M. of like condition t●ough in respect of his office somewhat neerer to his Mai●sty to whom perhaps he might shew the same as the other dedicated his and thereupon might presume to set it forth Authoritate Regia as in the first front of the booke is set downe somewhat dif●●rent from other bookes and cause it to be printed by Barker his Mai●sties Printer and adorned in the second page with the Kings Armes and other like deuises wherin our English Ministers do gr●● now to be very bold and do hope to haue in tyme the hand which Scottish Ministers once had But I most certainly do perswade my selfe that his Maiestie neuer read aduisedly all that in this Booke is contayned For that I take him to be of such iudgement honour as ●e would neuer haue let passe sundry thinges that here are published contrary to them both Thus I wrote at that tyme of my coniecture about the Author of the said Apology alleaging also certayne reasons in both the foresayd kindes which albeit they be ouerlong to be repeated heere yet one or two of ech kind especially such as Master Barlow pretendeth to answere may not be pretermitted As for example sayd I his Highnes great iudgmēt would presently haue discouered that the state o● the q●●stion is twice or thrice changed in this Apology and that thin● proued by allegations of Scriptures● Fathers● Councels which t●e a●uerse part d●ny●th not as after in due place I shall shew And againe ●e ●ould ●●u●r haue let passe so mani●est an ouersight as is 〈…〉 o● Cardi●all Bell●●mine with ●leuen seuerall pla●es o●●●n●●ad●●●●●n to him●el●e in his workes wheras in the true natu●e o● 〈…〉 or contrariety no one of them can be proued or mantayned as euery man that vnderstandeth the latin●on●ue will but looke vpon Bellarmine himselfe will presen●ly find This was one of my reasons besides diuers other that I alleaged in that place all which for so much as it pleaseth Maister Barlow to deferre the answere thereof to another place afterwards and now to satisfy a reason only of certaine contemptuous speach vsed against the Pope and Cardinall Bellarmine I shall here also make repetition of my wordes therein Thus then I wrote In like manner wheras his Maiestie is knowne to be a Prince of most honorable respects in treaty and vsage of others especially men of honour dignity it is to be thought that he would neuer haue consented if he had but seene the Booke with any attention that those phrases of contempt not only against the Pope at least as a temporall Prince but neyther against the Cardinall calling him by the name of Maister Bellarmine should haue passed For so much as both the Emperour and greatest Kings of Christēdome do name that dignity with honour And it seemeth no lesse dissonant to cal a Cardinal Maister then if a man should call the chiefest dignities of our Crowne by that name as M. Chancellour M. Treasurer M. Duke M. Earie M. Archbishop M. Bancroft which I asure my selfe his Maiestie would in law of Honour condemne if any externe Subiect or Prince should vse to men of that Sate in our countrey though he were of different religion Wherfore I rest most assured that this proceeded either out of the Ministers lacke of modesty or charity that if his Maiestie had had the perusall of the Booke before it came forth he would presently haue giuen a dash of his pen ouer it with effectuall order to remedy such ouersights of inciuility So I then And if I were deceiued in iudgement as now it seemeth I was for that it plea●eth his Maiesty to take the matter vpon himselfe to auouch that Booke to be his yet in reason can it not be taken euill at my handes that followed those coniectures and sought rather to deryue vpon others the pointes which in that booke I misliked then to touch so great a personage as was and is my Prince Yea in all duty and good manners I had obligation to conceale his Maiesties name for so much as himselfe concealed the same and when any Prince will not be knowne to be a doer in action as in this it seemeth he would not at that tyme I know not with what dutifull respect any subiect might publish the same though he did suspect that he had part therin For that subiects must seeme to know no more in Princes affaires then themselues are willing to haue known And consequently when I saw that his Maiesty concealed his name I thought it rather duty to seeke reasons to confirme couer the same then by presūption to enter into Princes secrets and to reueale them And hauing thus rendred a reason of my doings in this behalfe it remaineth that wee see what Maister Barlow hath to say against it for somewhat he must say wheresoeuer he find it though neuer so impertinent to the purpose hauing taken vpon him to contradict and plead against me in all pointes and reaceaued his ●ee before hand as may appeare by the possession he hath gotten of a rich benefice and hopeth for more First then he runneth to a ridiculous imitation of my former reasons whereby to seeke out whether Persons the Iesuite were the true author of my Lettter or no from passage to passage doth furnish his style with some railing offals out of M. VVatsons Quodlibets against him which though the author recalled and sore repented at his death as is publikely knowne and testified by them that stood by and heard him yet this charitable Prelate wil not suffer his synne to dye with him but will needs
nay ●ous a wick●dnesse practised against hi● Mati●s Fath●r by Ghospellers of M. Barlowes religiō companions in conscience who is not ashamed heere to say that it is a good inserence and proueth well that I was sory that 〈◊〉 Mai●stie escaped the like perill ●or that I durst cast vp such a disasterous example in his Maiesties teeth But who seeth not the malicious ●●cophancy o● this consequence I did not cast it vp to vse his absurde phrase into his Maiesties teeth but only represented it to his eares and memory with griefe detestation of the ●act My casting it vp if any were was in M. Barlow his teeth o● whom I doubt not but if he had byn then a Preacher he would haue bene as ready to haue allowed and praised the fact as generally most of his ●ellow Ministers both English and Scottish did at that time not only in regard that the parricide was committed by them as it was against a yong Prince suspected by them in r●l●giō therfore feared but also for that his Noble Person growing fortunes were in such deep iealousy with the Queene of England then regnant as nothing more But to leaue this to his Mati●s prudent consideratiō the obscurity of his speach to the Readers due obseruation I say that this ●uagation and digr●ssion of VVilliam of Lincolne doth proue nothing the poynt it should to witt that this Powder-treason of ●d●nborough was not of the same essence nature and species with the other of London though lesse haynous as not being directed perchance to the personall murders of so many particuler men but yet to the publike ruvne of the State of the Common-weale as the euent well declared For that the ruyne of the Father brought also consequently the ruyne of his Maiesties Moth●r wherin that VVilliam Barlow himselfe had not only a wish but also a push so farre forth as his wretched forces of tongue and pen at that time could do her any hurt I suppose he would thinke it a disgrace to deny it But to returne to our controuersy in hand whether thi● Powder-treason of Edenborough against his Maiesties fath●r were not of the same kind and species that was the other d●signed in London against himselfe which I affirme and the Minister denyeth let vs see one shif● of his more as idle and impertinent as the rest to auoyd the force of truth See saith he how malice blindeth iudgement in this his resemblā●e the truth is that his Maiesties Father was not blowne vp with Gun-powder but after the murtherers had strangled him in his bed sleeping he was carried out to the garden and then was the house blowne vp to make the world belieue that it was but a casuall accident o● fire and so what semblance o● comparison is there betwene the Powder-treason of London and this VVhereto I answer that the semblāce is very essential that both were Powder-treasons both of them traiterously directed by subiectes to the ouerthrow of their Princes and if that of Edenborough was not put in execution as M. Barlow saith but after the King was murthered no more was that of London God be thanked but was disc●uered and defeated his Maiestie remayning in health and sa●ety And how will M. Barlow now defend this position that they were not like in specie nor in indi●iduo VVill he not be ashamed to brag of Logike hearafter or to exprobrate the want thereof vnto me But we shall haue occasion to handle againe this matter in other passages that are to ensue But yet before we passe from this matter of the powder-treason let vs heare how he insisteth therein and triumpheth as to himselfe he seemth with all the most odious exaggerations that his venemous and virulent tongue accustomed to Satanicall maledictions can vtter in spite of Catholikes especially of Iesuites whom though neuer so innocent in that behalfe he will needes haue to be authors and actors in that foule crime And first of all he beginneth his railing with three or foure notorious lies at a clap as namely that Hall aliàs Ouldcorne the Iesuite said of this plot when it was discouered that such actions are not commended ●ut w●en they are finished A thing most earnestly denied by h●m both at his death and other times And here M. Barlow is bare of alleadging any testimony at al for the same Secondly he saith that the Iesuits if the Parlamēt house had burned would haue song with Nero the destructiō of Troy of this saith he doubteth not other proofs he alleageth none Thirdly he saith that they would haue graced it with no lesse Epithetes thē Sixtus the Pope did the murther of King Henry the third of France in his Panegyricke calling it A rare memorable fact this also hath no other proofe but his malicious coniecture togeather with the knowne lye of Pope Sixtus Panegyricke which was neuer yet heard of in Rome as Cardinall Bellarmine testifieth in his Booke who made diligent search to informe himselfe thereof Fourthly he saith that Garnet was the Coryphaeus of that complot principall priuy Counsellour and the like Whereas notwithstanding the very actes and examinatiōs set forth by his Aduersaries doe checke this ministeriall malignity in that behalfe no more being proued therein but that full against his will and vnto his ●xceeding g●eat griefe he heard therof only in Confession not long before the matter brake forth And albeit Syr VVilliam o● ●in●olne for so the man would gladly be called do iest here at the obligation of concealing thinges heard in Confession calling it An enammeling of hideous treasons with the glorious pretence of Sacramentall Confession yet al true Bishops of Lincolne for more then fiue hundred years before himself that went in at the doore and stole not in at the window were of another opinion touching the sacred seale of that Sacrament all which must be dāned a most pitifull case if this Syr VVilliam can be saued that so contemneth the said seale of Secresy and betraied his Maister and Penitent that is said to haue made his Confession vnto him which though it were not Sacramentall being made to a meere Lay-man as I take Syr VVilliam to be yet was he bound by the law of natural secresy not to haue published the same without his licence and consent thereunto But as this Minister got his Bishoprick without Priest hood so no meruaile though he proceed not Priestly but prophanely therin And finally whereas he scoffeth so malignantly and in●em●erately at that innocent man Maister Garnet that loued peace no lesse then M. Barlow doth broiles and gaue his life for defence of the integrity of his Priestly function obligation being of as quyet a spirit as the other is turbulent whereas I say the Minister sco●●eth and scorneth saying that his head and flesh was rotting vpon the bridge of London while his face did shyne in a straw for his goaly purity I can
say no more in this case then that which all good men haue said and done in the like that the looser must haue his wordes the time will come when the Minister is like to pay for al as other rauenous Persecutors haue done before The straw we made not nor inuented of this can be witnes diuers Noble and principall persons of contrary religion to Father Garnet who saw and examined the same But if God gaue or will giue any such testimony or other in this world that may tend to the defence of any of his seruantes that suffer vniustly by the malignity of wicked tongues what fault haue we therein to be carped at by the incredulity or in●idelity of such as belieue nothing but what themselues list which commonly is that by which they may gayne most As for the rotting of his head and flesh vpon London-bridge there is no reason that he should haue a priuiledge aboue other Seruants of God of whom the Prophet sayd in lamenting-wi●e to God himselfe They haue cast the dead bodies o● thy Seruants ●or birdes o● the ayre to feed vpon and the flesh of thy ●aintes to ●e deuoured of beasts If that be sanctity which was wont to be in ancient Diuinity consisting in true Catholik beliefe and vertuous pious and innocent life Father Garnet is knowne to haue lyued a Saynts life indeed and to haue accomplished the same with a happy death in dying for the defence of Iustice and equity that obliged him to silence and secresy in the matter which without sacriledge he could not reueale or vtt●r though neuer so much detesting the attempt pretented and bewayling the knowledge thereof which sore against his will was imparted vnto him There followeth another notorious vntruth which is the fifth in this ranke concerning Father Persons being priuy consenting to their powder-plot wherof this Minister both in this place and many other maketh no sc●uple resolutely to accuse him wheras in the whole action ●et forth in print there is no one such accusation against him which is like would not haue bene omitted if ●ny lea●t ground had beene found for the same And moreouer he addeth another assertion no lesse tem●rarious which is That Father Persons came on his iourney a good step towards England that he might haue song a Te Deum in his natyue country for the good successe o● that happy exploit So he But for that he saw that this might be checked by the testimony of hundreds of witnesses that knew that he neuer departed from Rome in all that tyme nor long before nor after the Calumniator addeth this defensiue Caueat in a parenthesis as some report and yet would he haue it belieued of all so little conscience hath he to cast out false accusatiōs without ground as though there were no Iudge in heauen or earth ●or false Calumniatours of their brethren Lastly about this matter of the powder-treason he delighteth himselfe so greatly with the often mentiō repetition therof as he saith he will neuer cease from talking of that matter Nor will wee saith he be silent thereof rumpantur ilia Romae so long as we haue pens to write or tongues to speake or a generation liuing or a posterity succeeding Do you see how earne●t the man is If we should imploy our pens tongues in the continual repetition of such attempts by Prote●tats against their Princes you see now already we haue three for one in this kind of powder-plots but many more in others And let the last attempt in Scotland of the Gowryes for killing his Maiesty the first in England of Gray Cobham R●●le● for imprisoning his person giue testimony in this matter whether they were not all professed Protestāts or no So as in this there is no place for rumpantur ilia Romae brought in by M. Barlow with more gall then discretion as many other thinges are in this place for diminishing of the pressures laid vpon Catholikes for their consciences in religion amongst which he auoucheth resolutely that in fi●●y years of two Protestant Princes scarce threes●ore persons haue bene executed and all these as guilty of treasonable practises wheras their owne recordes ours also forth in print do shew aboue an hundred thirty Priests besides lay-men to haue bene put to death within the space by him mentioned whereof not one could be conuicted of any other treason or treasonable practice then the exercise of their Priestly function So as in this both for the number and cause M. Barlow is taken with an open knowne falsity HOW GREAT A PRESSVRE the vrging of the new Oath is to Catholikes that haue a contrary Conscience in Religion §. III. IT followeth by order of M. Barlow his booke and mine that we doe examine a little how grieuous and burdensome the inforcemēt of the new Oath is to a Catholike conscience that vnderstandeth diuers points of his Religion to be denied therby and so much the more grieuous is it by how much more desirous his Maiesties Catholick people are to giue him contentment and satisfaction in all points of temporall obedience belonging to true and loyall subiects I do say in my Letter that the Apologer supposed by me to be some Minister did speake of the Oath as of a thing of no pressure or preiudice at all for that he hauing spoken of the former asseueration of his Maiesty That none of the Catholick professiō should be worse vsed for that cause to wit of the powder-t●eason he adioyneth presently Only sayth he at the next sitting downe of Parlament a forme of Oath was framed to be taken by all his Maiesti●s subiects wherby they should make their profession of their resolution faithfully to persist in his Maiesties obedience c. By which exception of only a man may well perceiue that the Minister maketh little accompt of taking or not taking this Oath for so much as he supposeth Catholick people to haue receyued no hard vsage therby though they be brought therby into such extremities as either they must sw●are against their owne iudgments consciences in sundry points p●rtaining to their religion or els endure his Maiesties heauy displeasu●● with los●e of goods and lands c. These were my wordes And now how do you thinke that M. Barlow will shift of this important point appert●●ning to conscience in Religion No doubt but much according to the feeling himselfe hath of swearing or not swearing if the Princes fauour or disfauour come betweene Do you stand attent then you shal heare as eg●egious tris●ing as euer you did perhaps in so graue a matter The new Oath saith he of all other is the Phallaris Bull the mo●● g●ieuous vexation But ●herin standeth the agrieuance is it in the abstract because there is an Oath commanded The highest iudge alloweth it both by ●is owne example swearing by himselfe to Abrahā by precept to vs. Thou shalt seare
thereof by so many Priests Lai●ks c. Which bl●ssing if it be a blessing must concerne eyther the takers or the exibitours or both But for the takers what inward blessing of comfort in cons●ience they may haue receaued thereby I know not But ●or outward blessing I see small for they remaine ei●h●r in prisons or vnder pressures still a● hath bene said But for others of the same Religion that cannot frame their Consciences to take the said Oath and yet would gladly giue his Royal Maie●ty conten●ment satisfaction so farre as they might without offending God I can assure you that it is the greatest affliction of mynd among other pressures that euer fell vnto them For that no violence is like to that which is layd vpon mens Consciences for so much as it lyeth in a mans owne will and resolution to beare all other oppressions whatsoeuer whether it be losse of goods honours dignityes yea of life it self but the oppression of the Conscience no man may beare patiētly though he would neuer so faine For if he yield therin he offendeth God leeseth his soule neyther doth Metus cade●s in constantem virum feare that may terrify euen a constant man excuse in this behalfe as appeareth by the example of the ancient Martyrs who were forced vnder paine of damnation to stand out to death against all humane power vexations torments and highest violence rather then to doe say or sweare any thing against their Conscience To all these men then which are thousands in our Countrey that neuer thought otherwise then to be good Subiects to his Maiesty the deuising of this new Oath was no blessing but an vnspeakeable affliction and angariation of mynd Thus much I wrote concerning the Receiuers of the Oath The other part of the Vrgers we shall handle presently after Now I say only that I thinke the Reader hath seene some difference betweene my speach as it is mine and commeth from my selfe and as it passeth through the lipps and pen of M. Barlow But what doth he answere to the substance of the matter You shall heare his first words Indeed saith he the trouble of conscience is a fearfull vexati●● but the next to it is the trouble in answering a cauelling Sophister But what Sophistry Syr do you find in these wordes of mine now recited● Are they not playne Are they not perspicuous You run out into a common place that in the mult●●ude of a people is the honour of a King saith Salomon and then God hauing blessed his Maiesty with the a●crewment of a mighty ●ation c. he deuised this Oath for a pledge of his assurance and ma●y vnrequired came and shewed themselues to be populus voluntari●● freely offering to take the Oath and this the Apology truely call●●● a blessing of God vpon the deuise Well Syr let it be so yet this blessing if it be a blessing concerneth rather the exhibitours of the Oath then the sweares themselues and consequently toucheth no● the point in hand though I graunt notwithstanding that if those that come to sweare were indeed populus volunt●●●● in that behalfe freely offering themselues to sweare of their owne accord then no iniury or angariation of conscience was layd vpon them But I speake onely of those Catholickes which felt repugnance of their conscience for that they esteemed diuers clauses in the Oath to preiudice their Religion What say you of these and this case● Let vs heare your resolution To answere once for all say you is your Catholickes haue vexed consciences it is no meruayle for idolatry being mixed with superstition and superstition neuer voyd of 〈◊〉 because as it supposeth ther be many Gods so it wisheth there were 〈◊〉 so seare must needs worke vexation of minde but heresy is Idolatry 〈◊〉 Vincentius for so many self-conceipts are so many Gods yea the ●ase●● kinde of Idolatry sayth S. Augustine this adoring the worke of men hands and the other worshiping fancies of their owne braines This is his first resolution about Catholicke consciences which if he knew what a true conscience meaneth and what is truly Catholick he would neuer say as he doth but for that it seemeth he is as far from feeling in the one as from knowledge in the other he talketh at randome he knoweth not what against feare and bringeth in Idolatry and superstition as causes of feare which haue no more coherence with the matter in hand of the griefe of a forced and coacted conscience then Canter●●ry with Constantinople For we say that when Catholick men are forced by penall lawes to sweare against their owne consciences that is to say against the dictamen of their owne reason and iudgement which they haue in matter of Religion their griefe must needes be excessiue there being vndique angustiae for that on the one side if they swear their owne consciences will condemne them and if they sweare not they of●end their Prince and incur most grieuous penaltyes of the law VVhat sayth our Doctour to this dilemma He telleth vs a tale how that Idolatry is mixed with superstition neuer voyd of feare VVhat is this to the purpose We talke not now of feare which may be both good and bad and the former is highly commended in Scripture and we are commaunded to worke our saluation with feare and trembling but this is not now to our purpose nor will I examine M. Doctour why he ascribeth fear so particularly to superstition as that it is neuer voyd thereof for that superstition being an excesse in religion maketh commonly the superstitious person to be more confident and lesse fearefull then any other men this likewise ouerthroweth that foolish clause put in by M. Barlow that superstition wisheth there were no Gods for that her nature consisting in excesse of supposed religion as h●th bene sayd she cannot wish that there were no Gods but leaueth this rather to Atheisme her contradictour which as it belieueth no Gods nor careth for thē so would it wish that there were none But superstition standing on the contrary vpon disordinate excessiue erroneous seruing of God is absurdely sayd heere to wish there were no Gods at all For whereas diuers do assigne foure parts or members of superstition to wit disorderly worship Idolatry diuination by wicked spirites and vaine obseruation I would know of M. Barlow by which of these foure kindes superstition may be sayd to hate Gods to wish that there were none or to liue in such speciall feare as he imagineth But in truth our● Doctour knoweth not what he sayth but is one of those doughty Doctours that S. Paul speaketh of to Timothy desiring to be Doctours of the law doe not vnderstand neyther what they say nor whereof they doe affirme he seemeth not to vnderstand distinctly what is the true nature of any one thing heere by him mentioned to wit of conscience of ●eare of superstition of Idolatry or of heresie And as
knowne His contempt of the world seene by his life and conuersation Is not his hate of ambition honour and wealth discouered by his voluntary pouerty aboundance of almes refusall of dignities temporall commodities Let his Parishioners testify for him But yet against vs he goeth forward telling vs that the Iewes veyle is spread ouer our harts and consciences and that by our owne wilfulnes errour and peeuishnes Item to a corrupt stomake yea the lightest meats are troublesome but cleansed it will easily concoct and orderly digest the strongest food c. Which last direction of cleāsing the stomake to be able to concoct and put ouer the strongest foode being applied as M. Barlow applieth it to the purging of a mans conscience from feare therby not to haue scruple commeth very euill from his mouth who as they write from thence is held to haue so purged a conscience from all due feare of offending God by doing saying or swearing any thing which to the state or present Prince may be gratefull that already as I vnderstand the commonvoyce hath bene of him as of D. Shaw who in his Sermon betrayed his Lord Maisters Children whole Succession as this man I say in a like publike speach betrayed his dearest Patrones honour fame credit Wherfore he may talke of corrupted stomakes what he pleas● he may also talke of strong digestions no mans I thinke of his order though many be bad is knowne to be more corrupt then his owne As for Catholikes if in this poynt they ●ad corrupt stomakes they would neuer stand so much as they do and with so great losses vpon the contrary but would rather cleanse their stomakes of all feare make that strong digestion which here M. Barlow doth insinuate vnto them of putting ouer without scruple whatsoeuer is offered to be sayd long or sworne so it be plausible or commodious But now after all this he maketh his conclusion and the best comfort that he can giue to Catholickes is this For them sayth he who are to take the Oath if they refuse it the penalty is before them their conscience is free But now what freedome this is wee haue discussed before both out of Philosophy and Deuinity and M. Barlow hath bene shewed to vnderstand rightly neyther of them concerning this point but to haue shewed himselfe ridiculous in both But let vs heare yet what threat he addeth further of his owne to the former wordes The penalty sayth he is before them their conscience is free but his Maiestie no doubt will beware of them and the State obserue them as branded by the Apostle seduced by the error of Balaams wages and perishing in the contradiction of Corah and Dathan Here be wordes of great malice as you see but of small reason coherence or consequence For first why is there no doubt but that his Maiestie will beware of them if they pay the penalty of the Statute for not sw●aring against any clause of their Religion and doe otherwise offer to sweare all temporall obedience Why should not wee thinke rather that his Maiestie will esteeme of them as of men that haue care of their consciences and consequently that being true to God wil be also true to him as Gods Substitute We know that one of his Maiesties most noble Ancestors yea Constantius Constantine the great his Father did make that argument and consequence when he proposed some like Oath to his Courtiers that might preiudice his Christian Religion the swearers he reiected the refusers he imbraced as more faithfull then the other and why may it not be hoped that his Maiestie out of his great wisedome and clemency will doe the same And why should these men be sayed here to be brāded by the Apostle sed●c●● by the error of Balaams wages perishing in the cōtradiction of Corah and Dathan Is there any least similitude of these things against the Catholicks of England Wherin hath the Apostle branded them What hope of gayne what corruption of money what wages of Balaam hath seduced thē that suffer themselues to be so much spoyled impouerished for not swearing against their owne Consciences What contradiction of Corah and Dathan is there in them that offer all obedience and duty both to tēporall spirituall Gouernours that which is due to Cesar to Cesar that which is due to God to God matters of the world life and goods vnto the King matters of the soule spirit life to come vnto those whome God hath appointed for gouerment of soules And this is no cōtradiction of Cor●● and Dathan but the quite contrary of conformity in dutifull subordination only found in Catholicke men all Heretickes perishing indeed in the foresayd schisme and contradiction peculiar vnto them TOVCHING THE Exhibitours of the Oath and of Scandall actiue and passiue Wherein M. Barlowes grosse ignorance is discouered §. II. THIS hauing byn spoken principally in the behalfe of those that were pressed with the Oath there remayneth now the other member concerning the Exhibitours or those that vrge it about which my former speach in my Letter to my friend was this To the exhibitours of the Oath also quoth I I see not what blessing it could or can be so extremely to vexe other men without profit or emolument to themselues or to his Maiesties seruice which herein they would pretend to aduance For if there be any cause of doubt of loyall good will in thē that are forced to sweare against their consciences much more cause and reason may there be of like doubt after they haue so sworne then before For that the griefe of their new wound of conscience remayning still within them stirring them to more auersion of hart for the iniurie receiued must needes worke contrary effects to that which is pretended And whosoeuer will not stick to sweare against his conscience for feare fauour or some other like passion may be presumed that he will as easily breake his oath after he hath sworne vpon like motiues if occasion doe mooue him And among all other passions none is more strong t●●n that of reuenge for oppressions receyued so as we read of the whole Monarchy of Spaine ouerthrowne and giuen to the Mores for one passion of Count Iulian whereby he desired to be reuenged of his King Roderiquez Nothing then is gayned in this behalfe of loyall good will by such extreme pressures but much rather lost Th●se were my words what cauill hath M. Barlow against them You shall heare it in his owne phrase They are extrauagant saith he from all De●inity and Policy How proueth he this Nay no one word of proofe doth he alleadg it is inough for this Pithagoras to say it let the iudicious Reader iudge of it He goeth forward Of conscience we haue already spoken now for desperation No doubt Syr but you haue spoken substantially of conscience as before hath beene seene but of desperation I know not what you can say if
antiquity against him But yet otherwise when he was out of that necessity of defending an errour himselfe sayth he did not only allow of custome but also did often vrge the custome and traditiō of the Church for very good arguments and proueth many Catholicke doctrines therby as the necessity of Chrisme or Vnction lib. 1. Epist. 12. the offering of wine togeather with water in the Sacrifice lib. 2. Epist. 3. saying that it is Dominica ●r●di●io a tradition of our Lord and other like poynts of Christian religion which he proueth by the like force of Tradition Antiquity and Prescription wherof I haue treated more largely in my Booke against M. Morton shewing the same more aboundantly out of S. Augustine and that both S. Augustine and S. Cyprian are in this poynt and many others abused by him And so now to returne to our argument of Possession and Prescription and to end also with the same this first Part of our Answ●re I say that Possession and Pr●scription● 〈…〉 hath bene declared the cause of M. Barlow is vtterly o●erthrowne for that he wil be neuer able to prooue eyther Intrusiō in our Possession or Errour in our Antiquity which for a finall vpshot to the Reader in this behalfe I shall demonstrate by this ensuing reason If euer the Protestant● Church or Religion were receyued publikely in Christendome from Christs time downward vnto ours that is to say in any one or more ages and was that first visible Church that was founded by Christ into which M. Barlow sayth that we entred afterward by intrusion and fi●●●orce and so possessed Christendome in such sort as for many ages the said Protestant Church appeared not publikely vntill these our dayes I would demaund of M. Barlow Whether this his Church so put to flight from the eies of Christendome did perish or lay hidden only For if it perished then the true Church of Christ perished and the promises made by him were not performed That he wo●ld be with the same vnto the end of the world That the gates of hell should not preuaile against it for that in this case the sayd hell should haue preuailed Moreouer I would demaund if she once perished how could she be raised to life againe In which case S. Augustine writing against the Donatists saith thus Si peri●t Ecclesia vnde ergo Donatus apparuit Dic de qua terra germinauit De quo mari emersit De quo caelo cecidit If the true Church did perish from whence is Donatus come vnto vs Out of what groūd is he sprong Out of what sea hath he peept From what heauen is he fallen which S. Augustin● saith for that if the true Church were perished before Donatus was borne in what Church was he borne and how came he into the true Church that now he braggeth of and how did that Church rise from death to life againe But if M. Barlow will say that the Protestant Church which flourished in and after the Apostles times did not perish but fled only into the wildernes and lay hidden being spread visibly before ouer all the whole world for so he must say if she were the Catholike Church then would I demaund him whether this Church being thus in exile and couert but yet liuing did make profession of her fayth or not and if she made profession therof as she was bound for that as S. Paul sayth to the Romans Ore 〈…〉 a● salutem Confession of our faith is necessary to our saluation then by this confession she must needs make her selfe knowne as Martyrs and Confessours did in time of persecution and then she cannot be sayd to haue layen hidden and couert from the sight of the world no more then the Christian Church lay hidden in the time of persecution in Rome and other places when men and women lay in caues vnder ground but yet the confession of their fayth appeared vnto the whole world and no more then the Catholike religion may be sayd to ly hidden now at this day in England when all Christendome can be witnes of their Confession of the Catholike fayth which point I thinke M. Barlow doth not take vpon him to proue of the Protestants Confession in ancient ages Yf then he will say that the sayd Church lay altogeather hidden indeed without any publicke confession of their fayth then must he confesse that the state and condition of this Church which was the only true Church which Christ had vpō earth of whose exceeding glory the Prophets did foretell so many wonderfull things was more miserable then any least Sect of heretickes that euer was ye● then the Church of the Iewes themselues in any of theyr Captiuities for that still they confessed their religion and euery Sect did the like in their times and had some meeting or Congregation exercises of their Religion registred by some Authors which the Protestant Church of this our age cānot proue to haue had visibly in the world and dstinct from other people in any age before ours And this demonstration is sufficient to conuince the vanity of M. Barlow his assertion that Possessio● and Prescription for time are no good arguments in case of Religion The last point which he toucheth as he passeth it ouer very sleigtly so shall I as briefly answer the same I sayd in my Letter that among other considerations this was one very considerable that there was neuer any such Oath as this is exacted at the hands of Catholicke subiects either by any of their owne Kings or Princes at home in former Cat●olick times ●or yet by any ●orraine King or Monarch now liuing vpon earth Whereunto I may also adde if I be not deceiued all Protestant Princes in other Countries of whome I neuer heard or read tha● they odered such Oathes to their subiects that were of different opinion in religion all which M. Barlow in effect confessing or not contradicting sayth If other Princes 〈◊〉 not the like we iudge them not perhaps it is in some of them an infused persuasion that it is not lawfull in others peraduenture it is a violent restraint yea gladly they would but cannot be suffered Where you see that all his answers goeth by i●s and ands perhaps and peraduentures and yet is the matter of moment and sequele if it be well pondered to take a course of extraordinary rigour different from all other Christian Princes besides It is not the Parasiticall flattery of a few Ministers at home respecting their owne trenchers will worke the State so much honour security as the generall mislikes and murmurations abroad may worke the contrary in time He sayth that his Maiesty wanted not a motiue to take this course for that the Pope was not so insolently busy with any nation as of late with his Maiesty and his Kingdome He addeth further that if it had not bene for him our gracious King might haue enioyed a peace more continuall and happy then
is in it selfe but neither to vnderstand what he saith nor wherof he affirmeth In the first point of Queene Elizabeths praises he straineth his eloquēce or rather loquence to the vttermost as though neyther the earth whilst shee was here nor scarce heauē where now he assureth vs she is were worthy of her Shee was a daughter of the bloud Royall sayth he borne to the Crowne in the Prophetes wordes from the birth from the wombe from the conception a Princesse aduanced to the Crowne in apparen● right and by vncontrolable succession c. Thus he sayth and yet doth the world know what store of controuersies was about that succession and lawfullnes thereof and they are extant in theyr owne Statutes yet in print so as this man talketh that which he thinketh to be most acceptable and fit for his presēt purpose of adulation more then what he findeth written or registred or belieueth himselfe for that matter and such as know the man and his constitution are of opinion that if his Maiestie that now is had come into England with that minde which his Noble Mother and her husband the King of France are knowne once to haue had to claime iustify her title presently after the death of Queene Mary for so doth Doctor Sanders t●stifie that they had that minde and began to put the armes of England vpon all the sayd Queen● plate but that by the peace made Calis released vnto thē for the same they were pacified for that time it is to be presumed that his Maiestie if he had preuayled in his pretence that he should haue found no one man more fit or readie in England or Scotland to haue gon vp to Paules Crosse or to any other place else to iustifie his Maiesties Mothers pretence against Queene Elizabeth or to disgrace her whome now he extolleth so much euen in this point of legitimation from the belly from the wombe from the conception by apparent right incontrolable succession and the like But now the wind bloweth another way and he followeth the blast and turneth his sayles according to the weather let vs then heare him out further She was sayth he an Imperiall Monarch a famous Empresse or rather the very Empresse of ●ame blazoned out not by home-bred fauourites but by forraine trauailers and writers before and since her death yea ●uen by her enemies both for Religion and warre to be in her time and for her Sexe the starre of Soueraignty the mirrour of Principality a terrour to her enemies the Loadstone of Maiesty drawing vnto her both Embassadours Christian and not Christian only for enterview and salutation but in truth for view and admiration for when they had satisfied themselues with her sight and hardly could they be satisfied what Saba's Queene once sayd of King Salomon they all concluded of her that which o●ten falls not out sayth the Orator their eyes had ouercome their eares and truth had out-strip● fame report was lesse then verity and her renowne was far short of her desert Thus far our Oratour And doth he not seeme to speake well for his fee But yet whē he telleth vs how his famous Empresse or Empresse of fame is blazoned not only at home but abroad by forraine writers he will not forget I hope to remember that shee is blazoned by many of them in farre other colours then heere he painteth her out and this partly in respect of her hard measure towards Catholikes whose religion shee professed vnder Queene Mary and made many fayre promises of continuance therin for the breach wherof and contrary proceeding afterward when she came to the Crowne she susteyned so hard a conceipt and bad opinion of all forrayne Princes people Kingdomes Catholik as the memory perhapes of no one Christian Prince or Princesse that euer liued is more vngratefull and odious to them And this is the very truth notwithstanding all this parasiticall flattery of the Minister which I speake as God knoweth with great compassion towards her and our Countrey for her sake and not with any humor of reuenge insultation or exprobratiō against her The histories are extant their speaches and iudgements are knowne to such as doe trauaile forreine Countreys and with indifferency and attention doe marke what passeth among them But yet this man sitting at home in his warme chāber goeth further in his exaltations of her and to pretermit many as ouerlong for this place he sayth That all her actions being Royally vertuous vertuously religious and religiously wise her wisedome seasoned her religion her religion sanctified her policyes her polices graced her descent all of them togeather wrought her immortality and her immortality is accompayned with renowne vpon earth and reward in heauen So he and much more which I pretermit as idle froath of a flattering tongue who taketh vpon him also to Canonize her with the terme of Eternized Saynt and affirmeth resolutely that shee neuer blemi●hed her s●l●e with vice criminall or continued for soe are his words And what he meaneth by continued I know not exept he meaneth as the word importeth that she continued not from vice to vice without interruption which had bene horrible to haue done if not impossible or had perseuered continually in one and the selfe same vice criminall which had bene as bad if not worse He auoucheth further of her that shee neuer in her life committed hellish crime wherby I suppose he meaneth mortall sinne for that the payne punishmēt therof is hell according to S. Paules doctrine and then I confesse that this were to be accompted an extraordinary sanctity indeed that a woman brought vp in such liberty for so many yeares togeather in so corrupt a time who as M. Barlow here telleth vs was no Cloystred-Nun but a Queene that liued in all prosperity in the midest of all temptations and allurements both of Sathan the flesh and the world should neuer commit so much as one mortall sinne But I would aske M. Barlow how he commeth to know this secret did he euer heare her Confession For if he did he might with far better conscience vtter her vertues knowne thereby to her prayse and to the edification of others then he did the Earle of Essex his vices to his infamy and other mens scandall But I for my part doe thinke that albeit Queene Elizabeth went often to confession in Queene Maries dayes yet from that time to her death which was more then forty yeares she neuer tooke the benefit of that Sacrament in which long time wee may wel imagine what store of dust a house much frequented would haue gathered that had neuer bene swep● in so long a space And albeit shee had had both grace wil and time to cōfesse her sins yet do I belieue that she would neuer haue chosen M. Barlow for her Confessour and Ghostly Father and consequently all that he talketh here of her vices criminall and not continued and
hath the Chāpion M. Barlow any thing to reply for his Lord in this no truly but granting my proofe to be substantiall as taken from the Scripture it selfe he runneth to othe● impertinent matter of dissimilitude betweene Q. Elizabeth Nabuchodonosor as that he had no successour but the Queene hath c. which is not the question in hand nor was the comparison made in this and moreouer in it selfe is false For that Nabuchodonoso●s sonne called Euilmero●●th succeeded him and after him againe Baltazar which seemeth to haue bene fortold by the Prophet Ieremy c. 27. saying Seruient ci ones gentes● filio eius filio f●l● eius All nations shall serue Nabuchodonosor and his sonne and his sonnes sonne In which respect Nabuchodonosor was much more happy thē Q. Elizabeth who left no such issue to succeed her and therefore the place alleadged by M. Barlow o●t of Isay Ex quo dormisti c. since thou wert dead none came in thy place to cut vs vp by graue Authors is vnderstood of Baltazar the last King of that race for to the former it cannot wel be applyed whose sonne and nephew after his death kept them wellnigh forty yeares in captiuity and they were not deliuered till after the death of Baltazar by Cyrus who with Darius ouerthrew him and succeded him by which you may see how well M. Barlow pleadeth for Queene Elizabeths● happines● And all this was spoken against the infe●ence of true felicity supposing that Queene Elizabeths dayes had beene so aboundant and affluent in all kinde of temporall prosperities as the flattery of these Orators would haue it seme that her selfe had such copia of consolations and inopia of tribulations as the Lord Cooke describeth But for proofe that this was not so the●e were many par●iculer poynts touched which did shew that her temporall consolations were mingled also with desolations her prosperity with aduersities her ioyes many tymes with griefe as for example the circum●tances of her natiuity the declaration made against her by her owne Father as well in the putting to death her Mother with note of incontinency togeather with so many adulterers punished with her as also a●terward the same declaratiō made more authentically in publike Parlament her disgraces passed a●terward againe in the time of King Edward her contemptible reiection by the setters vp of Queene Iane her pe●ills in Queene Maries time by the cutting off of her best friendes whereby she was forced to a deepe dissimulation in religion that could not be but afflictiue vnto her her feares and doub●s in the beginning of her owne raigne what would follow by change of religion the pretence of the King of Fr●●●● known to be in hand for his wiues succession immediatly after Queene Mary her frights by the Duke of Norfolke Earles rising i● the North a great Counsell of the chi●fest Nobility held at London against her and in fauour of the Queene of Scotland which then ●he was not able to resist if it had gone forward her publike excommunication and depriuation by two or three Popes which could no● but bring sollicitude with it her doubtfu●nes about ma●iing being pre●sed on the one side by the sollicitatiō of her Kingdome for hope of succession and held backe on the other side by certayne desirs of designements of her owne her fauorites her intricate reckonings with her sayd fauorits from time to time as Pickering Dudley Hatton Packi●gton Rawley and Essex among whome the two Earles became in the end to be dredfull vnto her her ielousy and feares conce●ned not only of forraine Princes whome she had deepely offended with raising their subiects and maintayning them against them but of domesticall inhabitants likewise especially of Priestes Iesuits and Se●in●ry●men who were painted out to her to be such dangerous people togeather with the Catholickes that vsed their helpes in matters for their soules as she neuer ceased to add lawes vnto lawes against them all and against all vse of Catholicke religion wherunto her selfe had sworne and voluntarily protested in Queene Maries dayes And not only this but breaking also into bloud for these imagined terrors shee put to death publickly aboue an hundred and thirty anointed Priests only for hatred of their order and profession togeather with many other afflicted in pri●ons others sent into banishment by forty fifty yea seauenty at a time She put to death also both the nearest in kinred and dearest in affection that she had on earth as was her Maiestie of Scotlnd and the Earle of Essex the guilt of which proceeding lying vpon her conscience did so trouble her for diuets yeares before her death as was pittifull but her death it selfe more pittifull in dying without sense feeling or mention of God as diuers do report that do pretend to know the same most certainly I should be glad with like or greater certainty to know th● contrary for I take compassion of her state with all my hart And this is in effect the summe and substance of that which was spoken before concerning the interruptions and interpellations of Queene Elizabeths temporall ioyes and comfort which Syr Edward Cooke M. Barlow do make to be so singular and absolute And what reply is now made thinke you to all this Truly nothing at all to the purpose in hand for that one of these two poynts should be shewed eyther that these things are not so or that they do nothing at all impeach Queene Elizabeth● tēporall felicity and store of con●olations but neither of these is proued what then You shall heare first he runneth againe into an extreme rage of rayling and reuiling and scolding as it were a tip-toe inforcing his whole answere with the most contumelio●s speach that he can deuise but to this is extant his own answere in print out of Seneca which he alleageth in the Preface of his Sermon at Paul● Crosse against his Maister the Earle of Essex Vt quisque est ●●ntemptissimus ita soluti●●ima lingua ●●t As each man is more contemptible then others so is he more lewd loose in his tongue Then he chafeth intemperatly that any thing should be sayd or writtē against Queene Elizabeth after her death and her● he dilateth himselfe very largely for lacke of better matter vpon that common place that the rulers of the people are not to be spoken euill of specially after their death for which he citeth both Scriptures and prophane authors I follow not his order in this but the con●exion rather of the matter and will proue them to be both hoggs aud doggs out of Aristophanes Pliny Sophocles and other Authors that do reuile the dead But to this obiection also I will put his owne answere in his foresaid Sermō against the E●rle of Essex where hauing made the same obiectiō again●t himselfe for speaking euill of the said Earle after his death as he doth now against me for calling to memory some of Queene
the consequēce of this argument Wherunto I answere that I alleadged diuers reasons why our Catholick Priests dyed for religion not for treason First for that no such treason could be proued against them in the sense and iudgement of any indifferent man that was present at their arraignments to wit of the one hundred and thirty that before I mentioned Secondly for that the publike Registers themselues and Histories as Iohn St●w and others in their Chronicles do● obiect no other treason to the most of them but only being Priests their taking of holy Orders beyond the seas which in no sense can be treason no more then the confessing of the blessed Trinitie can be made treason by the Trinitarians in Transiluania Thirdly for that they themselues dying did protest vpon their consciences as they should be saued they neuer meant treason in thought word or deed against Queene Elizabeth And then ●ourthly for confirmation of this I alleaged this other reason so much scorned by M. Barlow they hauing life offered them if they would renounce the Pope conforme themselues to the State they refused the same which he saith is a false and faulty inference and I say it is very good and true and that if M. Barlow had any moderate skill of the case according to the rules ●yther of Philosophy or Diuinity he would be ashamed to say as he doth in Philosophy it being a common axiome that omnis actus specificatur ab obiecto fi●e euery action is specified that is to say taketh his nature and essence from his obiect and end As if a man should kill one to gayne his goods this act hath both the nature of man-slaughter theft the first from the obiect the second from the end or intention of the doer which Philosophicall principle being applyed to our case doth euidently proue that the choice of death in him that hath life offered vpon conditiō he will doe some act against his faith as going to the Protestants Church is esteemed by Catholickes though otherwise he were n●uer so great a delinquent before is an act of Martyrdome for that it hath both the obiect and the end therof the obiect to wit death the end which is the profession of his faith And so if we passe to consider the same by Theology● which more properly treateth of this vertue of Martyrdome the controuersy will be made much more cleare for that the word Martyrdome being a Greeke word● and signifying a Testimony or bearing of witnesse as the word Martyr signifyeth him that yealdeth testimony or be●reth witnesse euery testmony or bearing of witnesse is not meant by the word Martyrdome but only such a testimony as is giuen by dying for God in the defēce of some truth belonging to our faith either expressely impugned or implyed in the impugnation of some other vertue that containeth the sayd truth of our faith therin which last clause is added for that a man may be a true Martyr though he dye not for any expresse article of faith or part therof but it is sufficient that he dy for the defence of any one vertue as Chastity Obedience Iustice and the like according to the saying of our Sauiour Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam Blessed are they that suffer persecutiō for righteousnes And S. Iohn Baptist is acknowledged by all Deuines for a true Martyr although he died for no article of faith but for reprehending the incestuous marriage of King Herod with more libertie of speach and spirit then any such Prince-flatterer base mind as M. Barlow would euer haue done in the like case if we may ghesse at his vertue by his writing But to apply the former ground and vncontrollable principle to our present purpose in hand whether these Priests died for refu●ing the Oath of the Feminine Supremacy or for that they were made Priests beyōd the seas or ●or that they refused to come to your heretical seruice● certaine it is according to the rules of Catholicke Diuinity that they died for de●ence of their faith or maintenance of vertue which is sufficiēt to iustify their Martyrdomes hauing so great warrant and store of all manner of witnesses ●or the truth and doctrine they suffered for as might well in conscience assure them of the righteousnesse of their cause and that they died for that Religion in which all the Princes and people of Christendome for so many yeares ages both liued and died And wheras M. Barlow impugneth this by two cases or examples they are but so many arguments of his owne ignorance Let vs speake a word or two of them both The first is of Absolom putting the case that he was an Idolator as well as a traitor and that King Dauid after sentence passed against him ●or his treasons would acquite him frō death conditionally that he should renounce his Idolatry and that vpon re●usall he should be executed Shall we say sayth M. Barlow that he died ●or Religion or for treason We will say good M. Barlow that he died rather for false religion that is to say Idolatry then for treason and was the Diuels Martyr and none I thinke can deny the same vnles he be as ignorant as your selfe as shall further appeare by the answere to the next example which in effect is all one with this to wit that a yonger sonne should aspire his fathers death with hope to haue his riches and that being condemned his father should offer to saue him if he would go to Church and leaue his euil life of following queane● c. Shall ●e say quoth M. Barlow that he is executed for his whore-domes or for this par●icide against his father But here I would aske M. Barlow why he leaueth out going to Church which was the first part of the condition and nameth only whore-domes no doubt but the honest man would haue the staying from the Church in Catholicks and whore-domes seeme to be companions But now I answere to his question that if he meane by refusing to go to Church such as is practised by Catholikes for Conscience sake and not to deny thereby the truth of the Catholicke faith which forbiddeth to go to hereticall Churches then dyeth he for the truth of his faith and consequently he is a Martyr But if he choose to dye for loue of wicked life and whoredome it is no cause of Martyrdome and consequently he is the Diuells Martyr as we said before of the Idolator But as for Par●icide cleere it is that he cannot be sayd to haue died for it properly as the immediate cause of his death for that it was remitted vn●o him and their passed another election on his mind to wit that he would leaue his old life so as ●or this he died propriè proximè properly and immediately and for the parricide only remotè occasi●naliter a far of and as from that which gaue the first occasion of his death What
Which wordes of marke that are not adioyned to any of the other recordes whereby it is euident that that was the butt wherat he shot and may probably bee ghessed that as Ladron de casa one wholy depending of him and knowing his secret intentions was vsed before to beate this poynt secretly into the Queenes head while the other was aliue which after his death he pre●ched so publikly And no man doubteth but that if his Maiestie that now is whome he so highly flattereth had then come in his way and that it had as well layen in the Queenes power as it did in her desire to equall his fortune with his Mothers for her owne greater safety this fellow would as eagerly haue runne vpon the same Theme as he did then against the Earle to wit that the King of Scotlandes life had bene a danger to the Queenes life of England and would haue sayd also marke that Nay he would confirme it with the saying of Tacitus which here he doth alledge for iustifying his Mothers death suspectus semp●r in●isusque dominantibus quis●●e proximu● aestimatur He that is next in succession to a principality is alwayes suspected and hated by him that is in possession Vpon which ground M. Barlowes eloquence would quickly haue drawne forth some probable argument of likely danger to the Queenes life if the other were permitted to liue and consequently consulen●●● securitati it is good to make sure I will not stand to discourse what he would haue done in such a case if it had fallen out for his purpose for that may be presumed by that which he did which was to scan the sayd Earles actions wordes driftes and intentions with as much malignity as euer lightly I haue noted in any to make him odious to the Prince State and especially to the Cittie of London which ●e knew to be well affected vnto him therfore his thirteenth and last record was to the sayd Cittizens there present deliuered in these words Hi● hard opinion and censure of your basenes and vnfayth●ullnes to th● Que●ne which manner of Sycophancy himselfe con●esseth in a Preface afterward to the Reader did so much displease the Mayne● to vse his word as if he had with Ananias lyed to the holy Ghost or preached his owne damnation Others gaue out that he was strooke suddaynly with a dredfull sicknes others sayth he with more virulence though with lesse violence for penal charge frame matter of hard iudgement out of the discourse it selfe first in generall that I haue broken the Canon both of religion and law in reuealing a Penitents confession which was with remorse and priuate c. Secondly in particuler because in one part of my Preface I sayd that I was not a penny the richer nor a step the higher for the Earle albeyt I celebrated his glory at the Crosse for Cales victory and therefore hence they cōclude that I now speake of splene and preach for rewardes Thus farre M Barlow testyfieth of the peoples iudgmēt cōcerning him his iudgemēt of the Earle of Essex wherin he being so much interessed as now you see no meruaile though he passed this point with silence Let vs see what he sayth to the other cōcerning his Maiesties Mother and her making away First he beginneth with a common place as before I mentioned saying If iealous suspition and feare extend it selfe to any it commonly alights vpon the heyre apparent or the successour expected And for proofe of this he citeth the wordes of Tacitus before by me alleadged And how litle this maketh to his purpose for excuse of the matter euery meane-witted-reader will cōsider He goeth further therefore saying That as be●ore this censurer brought in the Mother of his Maiesties Father for a parallell to the Powder-treason so he reckoneth now for one of Queene Elizabeths miseries the death of the Queene his Maiesties Mother Wherto I answere first that the parallel was iust as to me it seemed for that as this treasō was designed by powder so that of his Maiesties Father was both designed and executed And as this was done by Catholickes so that by Protestants only this happy difference there was that wheras the other had effect this had not And secondly I say I did not reckon the death of the Queene his Maiesties Mother for a misery of Queene Elizabeth if w●e respect the effect it selfe for that I doubt not but that the sayd Queene Elizabeth did hould it for a felicity to be able to achieue it but I hould it for an infelicity in respect of the cause that forced her vnto it which was miserable feare iealousy and suspition But what inference doth he make of this thinke you Let vs heare him vtter it in his owne words VVherby sayth he the Reader may iudge how he would vse hi● Maiesties owne fame if he were gathered to his Fathers when he is glad to alleadge soe vnsauoury examples of both his parents What sequele or consequence is this For that I doe with compassion and detestation of the facts make mention of both theyr murthers procured and executed by people of M. Barlows Religion therefore I would vse euill his Maiesties ●ame if he were gathered to his Fathers What coherence is there in this or whereof doth this consequence sauour but of folly only and malice But yet he passeth on to a further poynt of defence for this hath none at al as you see That renowned Queens death sayth he was a misery indeed to this whole Land and the most in●●leble blot that can be recorded of this Countrey Doe you see that now he calleth her renowned against whom in their ordinarie books and Sermons they did vse in those dayes the most vilest and basest speaches that could ●e applyed to a woman doe you heare him say now that in deed her dea●h was a misery to the whol● land doe you heare him tell vs that the blot thereo● is indele●le VVould he haue spoken so in his Saint Queenes life time This fellow is no time-seruer you may be sure VVell this is hi● confession Let vs heare his excusation ad excusandas excusationes in peccato But sayth he that our late Soueraygne was abused therein and that wicked act committed before her knowledge therof besides her notable expressing of her owne grie●es when she heard o● it other sufficient proofes haue fully resolued all hon●st men hereof So he And I trow hee meaneth honest men of his owne honesty that will admit for sufficient any proo●es for the making away of any without scruple that stand in theyr light But was Queene Elizabeth abused therein VVas the act of cutting o● the head of Queene Mary of Scotland a wicked act VVould M. Barlow haue called it so in Queene Elizabeths dayes That it was commited before her knowledge Durst any man in her dayes ●ut to death a kitchin boy of her house much lesse of her bloud without her knowledge approbation and
this ensuing consideration S. Augustine in his nynth booke of Conseffions recounting the story of his iourney from Millan to Rome and from thence to Africa his Countrey in the compaine of his Mother a holy widdow named Moni●a sheweth how they comming to the Port of Ostia where they were to imbarke his sayd Mother fell grieuously sicke and after some dayes of sicknes departed this present li●e and for testification of her great sanctitie the sayd Doctor recoūcounteth many of her godly speaches vttered before her death and amongst other sh● earnestly recommended vnto him and other there present that shee might be prayed for at the altar in time of Sacrifice which S. Augustine not only performed himselfe but in the same place most hūbly desireth all those that shall read his wordes to pray both for the soule of his sayd Mother and likwise for the soule of his Father dead long before named Patricius Now then haue we the testimony of S. Augustine by him also of all the Catholike Church in his time for that he was neuer noted of errour eyther for thus writing or thus doing first that Aërius was an Heretick and consequently damned for holding that Prayers Sacrifice were not to be offered vp for the dead Secōdly we see by the fact of the holy widdow that that was the cōmon sense of the vniuersall Church in her dayes for that she hauing liued first in the Catholick Church in Afria then vnder S. Ambrose in Millan and sometime also in Rome she would neuer haue demaunded this office to haue byn done for her soule after her death if it had not byn the common known practice of the vniuersall Church in her daies neither would her learned godly Sonne h●ue permitted it much lesse performed the same himself and intreated others to do the like wherof it seemeth I may well inferre that if 〈◊〉 were damned for teaching the contrary doctrine then is M. Barlow in great danger of damnation if he repent not for defending the same doctrine And if S. Monica S. Augustine her Sonne may be thought to be saued that both belieued practised prayers and sacrifices for the dead then hardly can be saued Queene Elizabeth with her Chaplin M. Barlow except he change his opinion that neither practice or belieue that doctrine I remit me to the carefull Reader what force there is in this Argument OF THE FLATTERY AND SYCOPHANCY VSED BY DIVERS MINISTERS TO HIS MAIESTY OF ENGLAND To the hurt and preiudice of Catholicke men and their cause CHAP. III. AS during the life of Queen Elizabeth one great Witch-craft of Ministers was for bringing her asleep in the bed of careles security to intoxicate her braine with excessiue praises and immoderate adulations So sayd I they attempted to do the like with his Maiesty that now is indeauoring to incite him dayly more more against Catholiks their religiō by pretence of zeale towards his State Persō which no waies would they haue him belieue that Catholicks did loue or fauour And in this poin● I did mention in particuler T.M. the yonger of whome I was credibly informed that his custome was by reason of his place neere his Maiesty at the time of repast to iniure Catholicks that were absent either by false relating their doctrine or miscōstruing their actiōs or alleaging shewing forth some places out of their books that may seeme preiudiciall agains● thē being taken at the worst without due interpretation My words at that time were these VVe doe verily perswade ourselues that if his Highnes had bene left to himselfe and to his owne Royall nature Noble disposition in this point as Queene Elizabeth was wont to say of her disposition in religion we had tasted indeed much of this his great humanity and so we began for somtime but being preuented and diuerted by the subtile working of this and other such Ministers as desired to draw bloud and to incite his Maiesty against vs we hauing no place to speake for our selues no admittance to be heard no effectual intercessour to interpose his mediation for vs no meruaile though we were cast of and do indure the smart And I doe name this Minister T. M. the yonger in the first place among the rest for that it is commonly sayd that his whole exercise is Sycophancy and calumniation against men of our profession be they strangers or domesticall and that among other deuises he hath this that euery time his Maiesty is to take his repast he is ready either with some tale iest scoffe or other bitter lance to wound vs absent and that he hath euer lightly some book page therof ready to read to his Highnes somewhat framed by his art to incense or auert his Maiesty more eyther in iudgement or affection or both and therby to draw from him some hard speaches which being published afterward by himselfe and others do serue to no other end but to gall and alienate min●es and to afflict them that are not suffered to giue reason for themselues that is the seruice he doth his Maiesty in this exercise And now vnto this let vs see how M. Barlow beginneth to frame his answere Is not this ●ellow truly can is in praesepe saith he that can neither speake well himsel●e nor indure that vertue should haue her due commendation by others He m●an●th concer●ing the praises of his Maiesty which he would s●y that I can neither vtter them of my selfe nor suffer others to do the same yet within a few lines after finding me to haue yelded vnto his Maiesty sūdry worthy due praises he is forced to run to the quite contrary extreme of reprehending me for it saying VVheras this Iudas cōmendeth his Maiesties great humanity Royall nature and Noble disposition so did the Diueth con●esse Christ to be the Sonne of God but their conclusion was withall Quid tibi nobis what haue we to doe with thee So he And is not this humor of malicious contradicting verie fit for the Diuell indeed who therof hath his name of Sathan In the former lines he sayd that I would neyther prayse his Maiesty nor suffer him to be praysed and here he compareth me to the diuell for praysing him and yet goeth further saying● That his Maiestie may demaund what euill haue I done this day that so bad a fellow as this is should speake so well of me So as whether we speake well or hould our peace still we must be blame-worthie And this also is a principal point belonging to the prof●ssion of Parasites if you marke it well to admit noe concurrence of their aduersaries in honouring that Prince though neuer soe sincerely meant whome themselues alone by their exorbitant adulation do meane to possesse Let vs see what generall ground our Antagonist here M. Barlow that seemeth indeed to be an egregious Craftsman in this occupation doth lay vs down to
Athanasius himselfe in a long Epistle of this matter where he also recoūteth the bold speach of bishop Osius the famous Confessor of Corduba who was one of the 318. Fathers that sa●● as Iudges in the first Councell of Ni●e and vsed the sa●● liberty of speach to the forsayd Emperour at another time which the other Bishops had done before him saying to him Leaue of I beseech thee o Emperor these dealing● in Ecclesiasticall affayres remember thou art mortall feare the day of Iudgement keep thy selfe free from this kind of sin do not vse cōmandements to vs in this kind but rather learne of vs for that God hath cōmitted the Empire vnto thee to vs the things that appertaine to his Church c. All which speaches doth S. Athanasius allow highly cōmend in the same place adding further of his owne That now the sayd Constantius had made his Pallace a tribunall of Ecclesiasticall causes in place of Ecclesiasticall Courtes and had made himselfe the cheife Prince and head of spirituall Pleas which he calleth the abhomination foretold by Daniel the Prophet c. Which speach if old Athanasius should haue vsed to his Maiestie in the presence of all the rest and seconded by others that sate the●e with him could not in all reason but much moue especially if● So Gregory Nazianzen and S. Ambrose should haue recounted their admonitions about the same to their temporall Lord and Emperour Valentinian as when the former sayd vnto him as is extant yet in his Oration That he should vnderstand that he being a Bishop had greater authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters then the Emperor and that he had a tribunall or seat of Iudgment higher then the Emperour who was one of his sheep and that more resolutly S. Ambrose to the same Emperour when he comaunded him to giue vp a Church to the handes of the Arians Trouble not yourselfe o Emperor sayth S. Ambrose in commanding me to delyuer the Church nor do you persuade your selfe that you haue any Imperiall right ouer these things that are spirituall and diuine exalt not your selfe but be subiect to God if you will raigne be content with those things that belonge to Cesar and leaue those which are of God vnto God Pallaces appertayne vnto the Emperor and Churches vnto the Preist And these three Fathers hauing thus briefly vttered their sentences for much more might be alleaged out of them in this kind let vs see how the fourth that is to say S. Chrysostō Archbishop of Constantinople cōcurred with thē Stay o king saith he within thy bounds limits for different are the bounds of a kingdome the limits of Priesthood this Kingdome of Priesthood is greater then the other Bodies are committed to the King but the soules to the Priest And againe Therfore hath God subiected the Kings head to the Priests hād instructing vs therby that the Priest is a greater Prince then the king according to S. Paul to the Hebrews the lesser alwaies receaueth blessing from the greater These foure Fathers then hauing grauely set downe their opinions about this point of spirituall power not to be assumed by tēporall Princes let vs imagine the other three to talk of some other mater as namely S. Hierome that he vnderstandeth diuers pointes of the heresie of Iouinian and Vigilantius against whome he had with great labour written seuerall Bookes to be held at this day in his Maiesties kingdomes of England Scotland which could not but grieue him they being cōdemned heresies by the Church S. Augustine also vpon occasion giuen him may be imagined to make his cōplaint that he hauing written amongst many other books one de cura pro mortuis agenda for the care that is to be had for soules departed both in that booke and in sundry other partes of his workes said downe the doctrine and practice of the Church in offering prayers Sacrifice for the dead and deliuering soules from purgatory and that the sayd Catholicke Church of his time had condemned Aërius of heresy for the contrary doctrine yet he vnderstood that the matter was laughed at now in E●gland and Aërius in this point held for a better Christian then himselfe yea and wheras he S. Augustine had according to the doctrine and practice of the true Catholicke Church in his dayes prayed for the soule of his Mother besought all others to doe the like his Maiestie was taught by these new-sprong doctors to condemn the same neither to pray for the soule departed of his mother dying in the same Catholicke fayth nor to permit others to do the same All which Saint Gregory hearing ●et vs suppose him out of that great loue and charity wherwith he was inflamed towardes England and the English Nation to vse a most sweet and fatherly speach vnto his Maiestie exhorting him to remember that he sent into England by the first preachers that came from him the same Catholicke Christian Religion which was then spread ouer the whole world and that which he had receiued by succession of Bishops and former ages from the said Fathers there present and they from the Apostles and that the said ancient true and Catholicke Religion was sincerely deliuered vnto his Maiesties first Christian predecessor in England King Ethelbert and so continued from age to age vntill King Henry the eight If I say this graue assembly of ancient holy Fathers should be made about his Maiesty he fitting in the middest and should heare what they say and ponder with what great learning grauity and sanctitie they speake and how differently they talke from these new maisters that make vp M. Barlowes little Vniuersitie I thinke verily that his Maiestie out of his great iudgment would easily contemne the one in respect of the other But alas he hath neyther time nor leysure permitted to him to consider of these thinges nor of the true differences being so possessed or at least wise so obsessed with these other mens preoccupations euen from his tender youth and cradle as the Catholicke cause which only is truth could neuer yet haue entrance or indifferent audience in his Maiesties ●ares but our prayers are continually that it may And now hauing insinuated how substantially this little Vniuersity of ancient learned Fathers would speake to his Maiesty if they might be admitted eyther at table or time of repast or otherwise Let vs consider a little how different matters euen by their owne confession these new Academicks do suggest for that M. Barlow going about to excuse his fellow T. M. the yonger from that crime of Sycophancy which was obiected for his calumniations against Catholikes in his table-talke trifling first about the word what it signifyeth in greeke according to the first institution therof to wit an accusation of carrying out of figges out of Athens as before hath bene shewed and then for him that vpon small matters accuseth another as
steeple and the like are vnfit both for his Maiesties ●ares and presence But now he doth insinuate further that some other figgs also are exhibited now then in that assembly 〈◊〉 bitter then these as namely about the Powder-traitours and absoluing them by the Iesuites Those dreadfull cruel positions also saith he of Popes deposing Kings exposing them to murther incyting their subiects to rebellion and determining such parricide be to meritorious c. And furthermore what an excellent vaine both Popes h●●e in figging ech other away by poison and Iesuits too as the Priests relate in dispatching with such pleasant pilles any that stand in their light c. Which be meere calūniations and malicious maledictions vnworthy eyther to be heard by his Maiesty or to be refuted by me as also that insulse insolency of the Minister where he maketh his Maiesty to vse those odious words against all of the Catholike religiō O Romanistae seruum pecus O Romanists slauish beasts● as though there were no Princes and Monarches of that religion that might take in euill part this insolencie of the malepart Minister as if it had some allowance from his Maiesty for that in his name he speaketh it doth dedicate his booke vnto him And thus much about this point of adulation wherunto also I must add one thing more tending to the same effect and much talked of at this present both at home and abroad which is That these new Maisters of the little Vniuersity and other their friendes haue perswaded his Maiestie that they are valiant men in writing against their Aduersaries and would performe great exploytes therin if besides their Vniuersities Cathedrall Churches they had some speciall Colledge of writers erected for that purpose which men say is appointed to be at Chelsey and that the matter is very forward and that his Maiesty hath assigned therunto both situation of a house and other great helpes which if it be so I doubt not but that it proceedeth from him out of a most honourable respect for aduancing learning but I assure my selfe this will not serue though there were twenty Colledges more applyed to this end except his Maiestie should giue them a new cause to write o● ●or o● this betweene Catholikes and Protestants albeyt they multiply books neuer so fast they will neuer be able to write with credit either of them selues or of their founders for that falsity cannot be defended but by ●alshood nor one vntruth but by another and consequently their cause being such as it is their multuplying of writers and increasing the number of bookes is but to multiply their owne disgrace whereof some scantling may be taken in the last two bookes not to speake of any others that haue gone ●orth on the Catholicke side to wit the Reckoning with M. Morton and the Search of Francis VValsingham wherein the proper argument now in hand is treated about true or false writing And yet on the other side if the said designement shall go forward I thinke our English Catholickes will be glad thereof First for that it will honour not a litle their cause it appearing by this that the learneder sort of Protestants do feele the weight of their weapons for the besides the forsaid Vniuersities Scholes Churches they are forced to seeke yet further furniture for their defence Secondly it may be hoped that forraine Catholick Princes hearing of this matter will thinke themselues bound in zeale and honour of their owne Religion to assist in like manner for erection of some House or Colledge for English Catholike writers to defend the same Thirdly it may in reason be expected that this little Vniuersity of Protestant Writers will for their honour and credits sake deale effectually with his Maiestie that the passage of Catholike bookes written in answere vnto theirs may be more free and not so subiect to losse danger and vexation 〈◊〉 ●●therto they haue bene especially if they be written modestly and to the purpose only for that otherwise it would seeme a very vniust matter● to open as it were a Schoole of fence and yet to forbid the entrance of any that would offer to try their manhood and skill with them or as if proposing a goale for runners they would bynd the leggs of such as should runne with them But fourthly and lastly our greate●●● help of all would be in this case that his Excellent Maiestie as before in part hath bene touched beeing inuited by this occasion to read some bookes of both sides would by the sharpnes of his Great Capacity enlightened with Gods grace discouer in tyme where truth and where falsity remayneth where substance or fraud is stood vpon which would be the greatest benefit that we can possibly desire or wish for at Gods hands for the common benefit of our cause ABOVT TOLERATION OR LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE demaunded by humble petition at his Maiesties handes by Catholikes whether it were height of pryde or not AS Also concerning the contention betweene Protestants and Puritans CHAP. IIII. AS by that which hath bene set downe in the former Chapter we haue seene and beheld the good talent that M. Barlow and his fellowes haue in fl●tering the memory of Queene Elizabeth now dead and his Maiesty liuing so now there ensueth another large Treatise of his that sheweth his iniquity and virulent humor of most bitter calumniation against all sortes of Catholicks for making humble supplication to his Maiesty after his entrance to the Crowne for some liberty of conscience or toleration at least in matters concerning religion which petition though proposed as hath bene sayd with neuer so much humility and prostrate subiection of the petitioners and many most forcible and apparent reasons alleaged for the same yet will M. Barlow needs defend it for a supreme height of Pryde in them to haue hoped for such a matter or made supplication for the same The clemency of his Maiesty saith he wrought in them that height of pride that in confidence therof they directly did expect and assuredly promise vnto themselues liberty of conscience equality in all things with vs his Maiesties most best and faythfull subiects And doe not you see how great and grieuous a charge this is especially if you cut of the second part as you must do to wit equality in all things with Protestants his Maiesties best subiects For this was neuer demaunded in the petition of Catholicks much lesse either directly or indirectly expected and least of all assuredly promised to themselues For then should they haue demaunded also to share equally with Bishops and Ministers in their benefices which we may assure our selus they neuer so much as dreamed of or of other preferments in the common wealth with that equality which heer they are made to haue assured themselues of Their petition then was only for liberty of conscience as hath bene sayd or if not that yet at least wise some moderate toleration of
the vse of that religion which they had receyued from their Ancestours from the first beginning of Christian religion planted in our English Nation and continued in possession for more then nyne hundred yeares togeather vntill the time of King Henry the eight and his children who made the first innouation and by Regall power interrupted the sayd possession wherunto the sayd possessors and ancient tenants though not presuming to demand restitutionem i● integrum full restitution of that which by violence was taken from them yet that they might remayne with some kind of quiet and rest for the vse of their said consciences in priuate which they promised to vse with all humility and moderation without scandall or publicke offence whereof they offered very good assurance both for this and for all other dutifull behauour in their ciuil obedience as became true subiects yea adding further also that they would inforce thēselues to continue the payment of that mulct or penalty of Statute layd vpon them for their Recusancy at such a resonable agreed sūme of money yearly to be paid as his Maiesty should thinke conuenient So as by this meanes they might haue some externall peace and quietnes from the continuall molestations which now they suffered in regard of their sayd consciences This was their supplication now why this should be called pride yea the height of pride highest degree of pride further the extreme height and celfitude of pride lastly the summity and sublimity of pride as M. Barlow calleth it I vnderstand not For if pride be defined to be an inordinate desire of excellency aboue others I doe not see that here in this petition either Catholikes doe prefer themselues disorderly before others but are content with a far inferiour degree then Protestants or that their desire in demaunding is disordinate whether we consider the same as it proceeded eyther from themselues to desire a thing so necessary to the health of their soules or as it is directed to his Maiesty their Prince and Soueraigne who is the person that may relieue them and consequently the laying forth of such theyr desires by ordinate meanes of humble supplication to theyr Lord and Prince cannot be called inordinat●s appetitus excellentiae ●a disordinate appetite of excellencie aboue others and consequently no pride much lesse celfitude of pride as M. Barlow out of his celfitude of amplification or rather height of hatred doth define it But yet let vs see briefly what reasons he frameth for this his consequence For first sayth he it is impious against God to graunt any such liberty of conscience for that God symbolically forbids such mixture in the linsy-wolsy garment Deut. 22. 11. Ergo it is height of pryde so sue for it But whoseeth not heere that neither the antecedent nor consequent haue any force God did forbid in Deuteronomy 〈…〉 garments Ergo it is sublimity of pride for Catholicks in England to sue to his Maiesty for some toleration of conscience Will their brethren the Protestants of France allow of this argument Let vs see the second Secondly sayth he it being a matter dishonourable to the King is extremity of pryde to demaund it for that honest men euen of their equalls will expect nothing but that which shall stand with the credit and reputation of the granter but this without stayne of the Kings honour cannot be gr●●●ted Ergo it is height of pryde in the Catholicks to sue for it which second or minor proposition for that he imagined we would deny that it would be a staine to his Maiesties 〈◊〉 to grant it he goeth about to confirme the same by diuers weake and fond reasons not vnfit for his inuention as that his Maiestie should be contrary to himselfe and shew too much weaknes and slipperines hauing apprehended the religion which he now professeth from the cradle of his infancy resolued in his conscience mantayned it by disputation enacted it by lawes established it by Oath the like which are reasons quite from the matter For the graunting of toleration vnto Catholickes requireth not change of Religion in his Maiesty no more then it doth in the moderne King of France in granting the sayd toleration to his Protestants or then it did in the Emperor Charles the fifth when he permitted the same in Germany so as M. Barlow here rather roueth then reasoneth And further he is to be put in mind that if it be a good argument which here he vseth that his Maiesty may not change his religion for that he hath professed it from the cradle of his infancy c. which yet hath not the antiquity of fifty years by a good deale what may we say of the continuance of the Catholike religion in our countrey How many fifty yeares are passed since that cradle was rockt And why may not we make the same argument for any other sor● of men whatsoeuer that haue liued in any other Religion for so many yeares as his Maiesty hath done in this so little weight or substaunce is in this Ministers words who so he may seeme to say somewhat careth not greatly what it be or how litle to the purpose I leaue his other reasons as triuiall and not worth the answering as that Queene Elizabeth would not graunt this toleration of conscience that our doctrinall positions are dangerous that if his Maiesty should graunt toleration he should loose the loue of all his Subiects the like wherof some are false in the antecedent as the second and third for that our doctrinall positions truly vnderstood are not daungerous to any common wealth but salutiferous nor should his Maiesty leese the loue of his people by vsing such ●lemency to so principall a part of his people not a little pittied by the rest of most wisdome and best natures As for the first though it be true in the antecedent that shee graunted no such toleration yet is it most fa●se in the consequent that therfore it is height of pride to demaund it of his Maiesty no reason requiring that her actions should be a necessary rule to his Maiesty for his they being no better then they were But now we must see briefly what M. Barlow answereth to all my reasons before alleadged for defending Catholickes from the imputation of height of pride in making this demaund and humble petition to his maiesty which I shall set downe in the very same words which before I vsed And surely I cannot but wonder that this Minister was not ashamed to call this the height of pride which is generally found in all Protestants neuer so humble yea the more humble and vnderlings they are the more earnest are they both in bookes speaches and preachings to proue that liberty of Conscience is most conforme to Gods law and that wresting or forcing of Consciences is the highest Tyranny that can be exercised vpon man And this we may see first in all M. Fox his History especially
during the time of the three King Henries 4. 5. and 6. and afterward when those that were called L●llards and Wickelissians who as M. Fox saith were indeed good Protestants being pressed some what about their Religion did continually beate vpon this argument of libertie of Conscience and when they obteyned it not they set v● publicke schedles vpon the Church dores of London an● made ●hose famous conspiracyes of killing K. Henry the 5 d and all his family which are recounted by VVatsingham Stow Fox and other English Historiographers In this our age also the first opposition of Protestant Princes in Germanie against their Emperour Charles the 5. both at Smalcald Austburgh and other meetings as afterwards also the fierce and perilous warrs by the Duke of Saxony Marques of Brandeburge and other Protestant Princes and their people against the same Emperour begunne in the very same yeare that our K. Henry dyed were they not all for liberty of Conscience so pretended so printed so published so diuulged to the world The first Supplications Memorials and Declarations in like manner which the Protestants of France set forth in print● as also they of Holland Zeland in tyme of the gouernments as well of the Duchesse of Parma Duke of Alua Commenda●or Major and other Gouernours did they not all expresly professe that their principall griefes were about liberty of Conscience restrayned And did not they cyte many places of Scriptures to proue the equity necessity therof And do not all Protestants the like at this day in all places where they are both in Polonia Austria Bohemia Styria and els where And how then is Iordanis conuersus retr●rs●m with this Minister How is his voyce contrary to the voyce sense of all the rest How with what reason may he call it the height of pryde in English Catholicks to haue but hope therof which is so ordinary a doctrine practice of all his brethren in forraine nations to wit for vs to expect liberty of Conscience at the first entrance of our new King of so noble and royall a mynd before that tyme as he was neuer knowne to be giuen to cruelty or persecution in his former raigne The Sonne of such a Mother as held her selfe much beholden to English Catholicks And himselfe in his litle Golden Booke to his Sonne the Prince had confessed that he had euer found the Catholicke party most trusty vnto him and therupon had done sundry ●auours to diuers of them and giuen no small hope of greater vnto others From this King I say whom they so much loued and honoured receyued so gladly and with vniuersall ioy meant to serue faithfully trusted that as he had vnited the two Kingdomes in one Obedience by his Succession so would he by his liberality vnite and conioyne the harts of all his Subiects in bearing a sweet and equall hand towards them all From such a King I say for vs to expect liberty of Conscience and equality with other Subiects in this poynt at least of freedome of soule what height of pryde may it be called May it not rather seeme height of pryde in this Minister his fellowes that hauing byn old enemyes and alwayes borne a hard hatefull hand and tongue against his Maiesti● both in their Sermons Bookes Speaches all the tyme of the late Queenes raigne now vpon the suddayne sine vllis meritis praecedentibus will needs be so priuiledged assume vnto themselues such a confident presumption of his Maiesties speciall fauour as to suffer no man to stand by them but to hold it for height of pryde in vs to hope for any freedome and liberty of our Conscience at all What is height of pryde and folly if this be not These are my words in my former booke and now let vs behould what M. Barlow layeth forth agaynst the same First he beginneth with a pull at the Purytans though I neither named nor designed them but only sayd as now your haue heard that generally all sorts of Protestants neuer so humble or far of from height of pryde in theyr owne conceipt doe allow and desyre yea the more humble and vnderlinges they are the more earnest they insist both by bookes speach and preaching to proue that liberty of conscience is most conforme to Gods law c. Wherupon M. Barlow maketh this comment that by vnderlinge Protestantes I do meane them that doe seuer themselues from him and hi● in matter of ceremony and Church-gouerment who are not vnderlings sayth he because they are humble for that pryde only keepeth them aloofe It is not the inferiour place sayth he or the deiected vysage or the soft voyce or dislike of Prelacy that doth denominate humility And these are the notes belike that doe distinguish Puritans from the Protestants to wit the in●eriour place the deiected ●isage the soft speach dislike of Prelacy But yet I cannot but wonder to see him twice in this place to repeate that the difference betweene these brethren and them●elues● is only in matters of Ceremony differing sayth he only in matters ceremoniall though before he added also Church-gouernment Whereby is euydent that he houldeth theyr Church-gouernment and Prelacy matter of ceremony only and consequently also his owne Prelacy and his being a Bishop is but a meere Ceremony and no substantiall matter in their Religion Now then let vs see what ensueth vpon this and what honour and seruice M. Barlow doth to his whole Cleargy and namely to his old Maister and Lord of Ca●terbury by this his new doctrine Is all the dignity and preheminence which his sayd Lord hath aboue all the Ministers in England his superiority ouer the Cleargy his being Archbishop Primate his spirituall Iurisdiction his Courtes of the Arches his power of dispensations his making Ministers and giuing them power to preach ●each administer Sacramēts Is all this but a ceremony Or do the Puritans in denying and impugning this impugne but a ceremony and no poynt of Religion it selfe Truely then must I say that their cause against you is far better then I euer hitherto esteemed it to be For if all these thinges be but ceremonies and contayne no substātiall poynt of religion why do you that in other things professe your selues enemies to Ceremonies stand so much vpon them to the disturbance of the whole Realme But of this I shall haue occasion to speake againe a little after and to lay open your absurdities in this eua●ion Now only will I say a word to your argumēt which heere you make against vs for toleration or liberty of cōscience● If t●ese humble vnderlings say you dwelling amongst 〈◊〉 ●●●d differing only from vs in matters ceremoniall are not heard in their suite of liberty of conscience how much lesse those who in poyntes essentiall and fundamentall are seuered from vs may not be tolerated Wherunto I answere that if we respect reason and iustice in
Sacraments care of soules possessing Cures and Benefices absoluing from sinnes spirituall iurisdiction and all Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy deryued from hence And are all these thinges only Ceremoniall without substance or essence of religion Doth M. Barlow discharge his duty of a Champion eyther towardes his king or his old Lord from both which it seemeth al●eady he hath receaued large fees in bringing both their authorities in Ecclesiastical matters to be meere Ceremonies No man I thinke will sue to be his Clyent hereafter i● he can plead no better But let vs yet see a little further how he hath aduanced his Maiestyes spirituall authority Thus he writeth of his being Moderator in the Conference betwene the Puritans and Protestants This difference sayth he about thinges indifferent his Maiesty desirous to reconcile vouchsafed his Princely paynes to moderate mediate In which wordes first doe you note againe his often repetition that they were thinges indifferēt to wit whether his Maiesty should haue Supreme Primacy in Church causes or renounce the same and cast it downe togeather with his Scepter before the Presbytery of the Puritans and whether the Lord of Canterbury should leaue of his Lordship and Graceship and become a simple Minister equall with the rest And so likewise M. Barlow himselfe to leaue the Sea of Lincolne and title of Lordship which none that knowes the humor of the man will imagine that he holdeth for a thing indifferent or a meere Ceremony This I say is the first Notandum for if these things be indifferent what need so much a doe about them And the second Notandum is that he saith that his Maiesty did moderate and mediate in this Conference which is a very moderate and meane word indeed to expresse so high and eminent Authority Ecclesiasticall as sometimes they wil seem to ascribe vnto his Maiesty For who cannot moderate or mediate in a Conference if he haue sufficient learning and knowledge of the cause though he haue no eminent authority at all to decide the same But who shall determine or define the Controuersy Here no doubt M. Barlow wil be in the brakes For that a little after being pressed with the free speach and deniall of S. Ambrose vnto Valentinian the Emperour when he medled in Ecclesiasticall affairs and in particuler when he sent for him by Dalmatius a Trib●ne with a Notary to come and dispute in the Consistory before him his Counsell and Nobility with the Hereticall Bishop Auxen●ius S. Ambrose refused vtterly to goe yeelding for his reason that in matters of faith and religion Bishops must iudge of Emperours and not Emperours of Bishops which deniall M. Barlow well alloweth saying that Ambrose did well in it and sayd well for it his fact and reason were both Christianlike But suppose that his Maiesty had sent for the Bishops to dispute and confer with the doctors of the Puritan party in his presence as the Emperour Valentinian did S. Ambrose that they had refused to come with the same reasō that S. Ambrose did would M. Barlow that wrote the Conference haue defended the same as good and lawful Or would his Maiesty haue taken the same in as good part as Valentiniā did I doubt it very much as also I doubt whether S. Ambrose if he had disputed would haue suffered Valentiniā suppose he had bin learned to haue moderated mediated in that disputatiō as M. Ba●low saith his Maiesty did in this But if without effect that he could not conclude who should giue iudgment of the matter The Bishops They were party and theyr whole interest lay therein The Puritan Doctors They were also a party and therby partiall His Maiesty could not doe it according to M. Barlowes doctrin in this place if any point of religion were handled therein Who then should iudge or giue sentence The Church saith M. Barlow in another place But who maketh that Church Or who giueth authority of iudgement to that Church if the supreme Head and gouernour haue it not in himself Do you not see how intricate this matter is hard to resolue And according to this as it seemeth was the effect and consequence of this meeting if we belieue M. Barlow himselfe who maketh this question Did th●se great and Princely paynes which his Maiesty tooke with the Purit●ns worke a generall conformity And then he answereth VVith the iudicious and discreet it did wherof M. Barlow was one but the rest grew more aukward and violent So he But all this while if you marke it there is nothing said to the point for which all this was brought in to wit why the like fauour had not beene shewed to Catholikes for a Conference also with them about their Religion M. Barlow doth touch some number of reasons as that our opinions doe touch the very head and foundation of religion That his Maiesty was perfect in all the arguments that could be ●rought for the aduerse part and that he throughly vnderstanding the weaknes of them held it both vnsafe and vnnecessary to haue them examined That the Protestant religion being throughly well placed and hauing so long continued is not now to be disputed c. Which reasons being either in themselues fond or against himselfe I will not stand to refute One only contradiction wil I note that our argumēts being so weake yet that it should be vnsafe to haue them examined and that the long continuance of Protestant religion in England should make it indisputable whereas more then ten times so long prescription of Catholike religion could not defend it by shew of a conference or dispute h●ld at VVestminster at the beginning of Queen Elizabeths raigne when the same was changed and put out And finally I will end this with a notable calumniation insteed of a reason vttered by M. Barlow why this Conference ought not to be granted to Catholikes for sooth For that euen in their common petition for toleration they ●is●hed his Maiesty to be as great a Saint in heauē as he is a King vpon earth shewing thereby saith he that gladly they would be rid o● him but w●ich way they care not so he were not here And may not this Prelate now beare the prize for calumniation and Sycophancy that out of so pious an antecedent can inferre so malicious a consequent The Catholickes doe wish vnto his Maiesty both life present and euerlasting to come here a great King and there a great Saint M. Barlow seemeth not to care much for his eternity so he may enioy his temporality by the which he himselfe gayneth for the present and hopeth euery day to do more more it import●th him litle how great a Saint his Maiestie be in heauen so vpon earth he liue longe to fauour him and to furnish him with fat benefices And thus he inforceth me to answere him contrary to my owne inclination for repressing somewhat his insolent malignant speach which is the most
conscience at all in that place but only assigneth the same as a thing necessarily requyred to the end and perfection of the Law For the wordes of the Apostle are these Finis pr●cepti est charitas de corde puro conscientia bona fide non ficta The end of the cōmandement or law is charity out of a pure hart a good conscience faith not fayned Which is no description of a good conscience as you see but of the end perfection of th● law which is Charity according to that which in another place the same Apostle sayth Ple●itudo legis Charitas the fullnes or fulfilling of the Law is charity But here he describeth more at large what manner of charity it must be to wit proceding out of a pure hart as also out of a good conscience which ●●ge●●●●● hope and out of vnfayned fayth So as here tr●e charity 〈◊〉 described and not a good conscience which i● named ●●●ly as a condition needfully required to the fulfilling of the Law and not described as M. Barlow falsely aff●●●●●● For if a thing be described that hath many parts of 〈◊〉 requi●ed to the complement thereof it were very● 〈◊〉 to say that euery one of the said parts or parcels it described therby or that the said description may be ascribed 〈◊〉 euery one of them As if a man should describe a Knight or a Captaine that is to go to the wars what ●●●●i●ure i● required to wit a horse s●ddle speare armour and the like it cannot be said that a horse is here described or a saddle or a speare but only the Knight himself who hath need of all these thinges So as in this M. Barlow is found 〈◊〉 haue peruerted the whole text and meani●g of S. Paul There remaineth then his conclusion that for so much as Hereticks and Schismatickes also doe plead conscience for their standing out and that there is no one article in the Oath offered that can be proued to be contrary to a good conscience and true Christian religion therefore standeth the Apologers conclusion incōtrollable still That the Pope hath prohibited English Catholikes to performe euen ciuill obedience to their Soueraigne But all this hath beene now answered by that which hath beene treated before for that Shi●matikes and Heretikes though they be ●ound both to informe reforme their consciences that be erroneous yet so long as that repugnācy indureth they should sinne in doing contrary to the dictamen therof And as for the articles in the Oath that are contrary to Englis● Catholikes consciences and to theyr religion they are so many as do any way impeach or preiudice their religion which are the most part in the Oath as is knowne Neyther must M. Barlow run to this ordinary shift and say as he is wont that their consciences are not well cleansed● and that their religion is not true Christian Religion therefore they ought not to haue scruple in sweating● for that now it hath been shewed that it is sufficient for binding them from swearing that their conscyences doe tell them the contrary which conscience to them doth appear good and their religion true in which respect the Pope that is of the same conscience and Religion hath defined it to be vnlawfull vnto them to sweare against this their cōscience and religion so long as it standeth as it doth And therefore if M. Barlow will haue them sweare without sinne in this case he must first make them Protestants and so giue them a new conscience and new religion for in that they haue they cannot doe it albeit for temporall obedience they offer all that may be exacted at their hands by any law of Christian subiection to their temporall soueraigne And this much may be sufficient for discussing of this point Whether subiects may or must obey their Princes when they command things against their consciences which in my Letter I denyed And whereas the Apologer did alleadg dyuers authorities out of Scriptures Fathers and Councels to proue the obedience of Subiects to theyr Princes not only Christian but also Infidels as to king Nabuchodonosor of Babylon to king Pharao of Egypt King Cyrus of Persia my answer then was this He alledgeth for examples out of the Scriptures that the children of Israel obeyed the King of Babylon as also they exhibited temporall Obedience vnto King Pharao of Egypt as in like manner to Cyrus King of Persia All which examples we grant to be true and could add many more both of the Iewes and Christians that lyued peaceably vnder Infidell Princes in those dayes But let one example as I said be brought forth wherin they obeyed them in points contrarie to their Conscience or Religion and it shall be sufficient We read in the Prophesie of Daniel● that those three famous Iewes Sidrach Misach and Abdenago were most trustie vnto King Nabuchodonosor in temporall affayres and so much esteemed by him as he made them his vniuersall Gouernors ouer all the workes of the Religion of Babylon saith the Scripture and yet when it came to the poynt that he would haue them for his honour and pleasure and vpon his commandement adore the golden Statua which he had set vp they forsooke him flatly and said to him in the presence of all his Nobility assembled togeather that they were not so much as to answere him in that Commandement not would they do as he had appoynted them The like in effect did the ancienter Iewes do with King Pharao of Egypt for that albeit in temporall affayres they obeyed him euen in that tyme when he oppressed and persecuted them most yet in that he would haue had them stay and sacrifice in Egypt and not follow Moyses their Spiritual Superiour into the desert notwithstāding that the King had some cause perhaps to suspect their temporall Allegiance also by that departure they being a potent multitude of people yet would they not obey him nor do as he would haue them when they persuaded themselues that God would haue the contrary I let passe how Daniel and his fellowes would not eate the meates of the King of Babylon nor Tobie those of the Assyrians much lesse would he leaue of to bury the dead though it were forbidden by Proclamation vnder payne of death The Machabees in like manner obeyed King Antiochus so long as he commanded nothing against their Law and Conscience but when he went about to force them to sacrifice and to eate swynes-flesh and other things against their Law and Conscience they refused openly to performe that Obedience So as these places of Scriptures alledged by the Apologer do proue nothing for him at all but are rather flat against him and for vs as yow haue seene Thus I wrote then now let vs see how M. Barlow ouerthroweth it First as concerning the 3. Pagan Kings Pharao Cyrus and Nabuchodonosor wherof I sayd the Iewes obedience vnto them was in temporall matters only
he sayth that therin I do abuse the Reader for that they shewed their obedience sayth he to be due and performed the same in matters of spirituall seruice wherat I thinke no man can but laugh that M. Barlow is become so spirituall as that he can make those Infidell Kings to be spirituall Superiours also or at leastwise to haue spirituall power euen in spirituall thinges ouer Gods faithfull people Let vs see his proofes of so strange an assertion To offer sacrifice saith he vnto the Lord in the desert is an ●igh case of conscience and religion yet would not the Iewes in Egypt attempt it without asking and obtayning the Kings leaue And why was that Was it for that they held him for their supreme Gouernour in all causes Ecclesiastiacll and temporall Then they ought to haue obeyed him when he would haue had them offered sacrifice in Egypt which they refused to doe for that their spirituall gouernour Moyses though a naturall borne subiect of King Pharao ●ould them that Gods will was contrary and as for their asking and obtayning leaue before they went to sacrifice in the Desert who doth not see but that it was in respect of temporall danger which might ensue vnto them if so great a number of their vnarmed people should haue aduentured to depart without his licence But I would demaund of M. Barlow who sayth that the people of Israel shewed their obedience to be due vnto Pharao and performed it in matter of spirituall seruice what manner of obedience was that which came alwaies in the Imperatiue mood Thus saith our Lord Dimitte populum meum Let go my people And when he yeelded not therunto he was plagued and punished with so many afflictions as are set downe in Exodus for 9. or 10. Chapters togeather in the end what leaue obtayned they but against his will when he durst no longer deny them Which appeareth for that his feare being somewhat mitigated he pursued them afterward againe And will M. Barlow make this an example of spirituall obedience to temporall Princes that was thus extorted Or of spirituall iurisdiction in heathen Princes ouer faithfull people in causes Ecclesiasticall that was contradicted both in word and fact by Moyses himselfe But let vs heare his second instance for it is more ridiculous So saith he the commaundement of King Cyrus was in a cause meerly Ecclesiasticall viz. the building of the Lords house in Ierusalē and transporting thither the consecrated vessels But who doth not see that these things as they were ordayned by King Cyrus were meere temporall as is the building of a materiall Church for that otherwise the Masons Carpenters Architects that build the same should be Ecclesiastical officers albeit they were Gentiles If King Cyrus had had authority to appoint them out their sacrifices to dispose lawfully of their sacred actions therein as he had not nor could haue being a Pagan and not of their faith religion then might they haue sayd that he had beene a spirituall Superiour vnto them but for giuing them leaue only to go to Ierusalem to build their Temple and to carry their consecrated vessels with them that had been violētly taken away from thence argueth no more spirituall iurisdiction in him then if a man hauing taken away a Church-dore key so as the people could not go in to pray except he opened the dore should be said to haue spirituall iurisdictiō ouer that people for opening the dore letting them in that they in praying him to open the said dore did acknowledg spiritual obedience vnto him And is not this meere childish trifllng worthy the wit of M. Barlow What definition trow you will M. Barlow giue of spirituall power and Iurisdiction therby to verifie these monstrous and absurd propositions which in this affaire he hath vttered partly by his assertions and partly by his examples Truly I know no other set downe by Deuines but that it is a power giuen by God to gouerne soules for their direction vnto euerlasting saluation euen as ciuill power is giuen for gouerning the cōmon wealth to her prosperity and temporall ●elicity And will M. Barlow say that God gaue this spirituall power to Pharao and Cyrus that were Heathens and knew not God for gouerning directing the soules of the Iewes that liued vnder them whose religion or God they neyther knew nor cared for Or that Nero the Emperour or Claudius had this spirituall power and Iurisdiction vpon the soules of S. Peter and S. Paul that liued vnder them in Rome and were their temporall Lordes and Princes These thinges are so absurd that I am ashamed to exaggerate them any further and therfore let vs passe forward to the rest As for the other examples by me alleaged how Sydrac●● Mysach and Abdenago refused to obey Nabuchod●●●sor their King in adoring the Statua as also refu●ing the meates of the King of Babylon Toby of the Assyrians and the Mac●abees for refusing to eat Swines-flesh at the commandment of their King Antiochus he sayth that all these had their warrants for defence of their consciences from the word or will of God as who should say Catholickes haue nothing for iustification of their Conscience which is a meere cauill and as Logitians call Petitio principij and wholy from the question for that we affirme first that they haue sufficient groundes for iustification of their consciences in that behalfe as they will easily verify in euery point if they might be hard with any indifferency And secondly if they had not but their consciences were erroneous yet so long as that dictamen rationis or prescript of conscience standeth to the contrary and telleth them that they haue sufficient ground they may not doe against it without sin as now hath bene proued Let vs see what he saith of the other example of Tobies breach of King Senacherib his commaundement in Niniue which wee shall examine in the next ensuing Paragraph VVHETHER TOBY DID well or no in breaking the commaundement of the King of Nini●e concerning the burying of the dead Iewes And how M. Barlow answereth vnto the authorities of the Fathers and ouerthroweth the Kings Supremacy §. II. AMong other examples and testimonies alleaged by me out o● Scripture of lawfull disobeying temporall Princes commaundements when they are vnlawfull the exāple of Tobias that disobeyed the edict of King Senacheri●● of Niniue about burying such as were slayne seemed to haue troubled most M. Barlow in this answere and so after some discussion of the matter vp and downe whether he did it openly or in secret by day or by night by stealth or contempt he maketh this conclusion Take it eyther way sayth he was his disobedience in such a cause iustifiable No. Grauely resolued as you see and Doctour-like but yet without any testimony except only his owne For first the context of the story it selfe hauing recounted the circumstances of the fact in the
colour of this power to discerne spirits giuen thē by M. B●●lo● out of the words of S. Iohn there would neuer be an end And lastly it appeareth by all this that his l●st distinction wherin he sayth that the King may iudge for the truth and not of the truth is a meere delusion giuing somewhat in wordes but nothing in deed for that if the iudging for the truth be nothing els but to execute allow and approue that which others haue defined determined and appointed out vnto him to be belieued and defended as the truth then hath he no more free choice or superiority in iudgment in this case then euery subiect or common man who is likewise bound to belieue and defend the same according to his ability and power Now then to conclude the matter and to reduce all to a briefe summe for so much as M. Barlow taketh away from his Maiesty of England not only the title and style Of Head of the Church which was giuen to King Henry and confirmed to King Edward but the Papall authority in like manner for decision of matters which was ascribed vnto them both by Parlament and confirmed to Queene Elizabeth and here saith that he cannot iudge in cases of religion and fayth iudicio definiti●o to define and determine any thing but only execu●iuo to execute what the Church of England to wit what the Bishops shall define and ordayne and for somuch as he addeth yet further now in that which before we haue discussed three other particuler cases out of S. Ambrose wherin he con●es●eth that his Maiesty hath no authority but may be resisted to wit if he should call before him a Bishop to dispute with another of a different religion as Valen●inian did S. Ambrose and he denyed him If he should commaund a Bishop to deliuer ouer a Church to a people of a different religion and if he should command a Bishop to deliuer vp the Ve●els of his Church as the said Empe●ou● did and the ●ther refused to obey all these things I say laid ●oge●t●er ●ut of M. Barlows doctrine do so much diminish the greatnes of his Maiesties Supreme power in causes Ecclesiasticall as in effect it commeth to be no more th●n Catholike doctrine doth ordinarily allow to euery Catholicke Temporall Prince for the obseruance and execution of that which the Church determineth And this is M. Barl●●●● heroycall exployt to marre the matter he takes in hand for his Clyent Let euery man iudge how well he hath deserued the good fee which already he hath rec●a●ed for his plea and hopeth to receaue more hereafter if he may speed according to his expectation OF ANOTHER EXAMPLE Or I●stance out of S. Gregory the Great about the obeying and publishing a Law of the Emperour Mauritius that he misliked which M. Barlow calleth Ecclesiasticall §. III. THERE followeth another controuersy betweene M. Barlow me about a certayne fact of S. Gregory the Great concerning the Law of Mauritius the Emperour prohibiting souldiars and such as were accomptable to the Emperours Courtes for offices borne by them to enter into monasteries and professe a religious life without his licence whereof I wrote thus in my letter Neyther doth the last place cited out of S. Gregory the Great to the Emperour Mauritius make any thing mo●e for our Apologers purpose of taking Oathes against Conscience For albeit the same Father do greatly compla●ne in diuers places of the oppression of the Church by the Kingly power of Mauritius whome though otherwise a Catholike Emperour he compareth in that poynt to Nero and Diocl●si●n saying Quid Nero quid Dioclesi●●●s q●id de●ique iste● qui ●oc tempore ●●●lesiam persequitur N●mq●●● 〈◊〉 omnes porta Inferi Wh●t was Nero What was Diocles●●● what is he who at this time doth persecute the Church Are they not all gates of Hell Yet in this place alleaged by the Apologer he yealded to publish and send abro●d into diuers Countreys and Prouinces a certayne vniust law of the sayd Emperours that prohibited S●uldiars and such as had bene imployed in matters of publike accompts of the Cōmon-Wealth to make thēselues Monks W●ich law though S. Gregory did greatly mislike and wrote sharply agaynst it to the Emperour himselfe yet to shew his due respect in temporall thinges vnto him and for that indeed the law was not absolutly so euill but that in some good sense it might be tolerated to wit that Souldiars sworn to the Emperours wars might not during the said Oath obligation be receaued into Monasteries but with the Princes licēce yet for that it tended to the abridgmēt of Ecclesiastical freedome in taking that course or state of life which ech man chooseth for the good of his soule S. Grego●y misliked the same and dealt earnestly with the Emperour to relinquish it or to suffer it to be so moderated as it might stand without preiudice of Christian liberty wherunto the Emperour at length yeelded and so S. Gregory sent the same abroad vnto diuers Primates and Archbishops of sundry Kingdomes mentioned by him but corrected first and reduced by himselfe as supreme Pastour to a reasonable lawfulnes and temperate moderation to wit that those who had borne offices of charge in the Common-wealth and after desired to be admitted to religious life in Monasteries should not be receaued vntill they had giuen vp their full accompts and had obtayned publicke discharge for the same And that Souldiars which demanded the like admittāce should be exactly tryed and not admitted vnto Monasticall habite but after they had liued three yeares in their lay apparell vnder probation This determineth S. Gregory in his Epistle beginning Gregorius Eusebio Thessalonicensi Vrbicio Dyrachitano c. adding further in the same Epistle as hath bene said De qua re Ser●iss●mus Christianissimus Imperator omnimodò placatur about which matter our most Clement and Christian Emperour is wholy pleased and content So as in this S. Gregory shewed his pastorall care and power in limiting and moderating the Emperours law according to the law of God though in temporall respectes he shewed him the Obedience that was due vnto him But what is this vnto our Oath May we thinke that S. Gregory that would not passe a temporall law of the Emperour without reprehension of the vnlawfulnes thereof to the Emperour himselfe and correction therof in the publication for that indirectly it did infringe the liberty of Religious life when men were called therunto that he would not haue much more resisted the admission of an Oath about such affaires if it had bene proposed No man I thinke in reason can imagin the contrary To this declaration of mine M. Barlow beginneth his reply thus But that of Gregory saith he toucheth the very quicke who as he thought his duty discharged to God in shewing the reasons why he disliked the Law so did he performe it very readily to the Emperour in promulging
Monasteries of Virgins eyther to say Masse or otherwise but such as be of appro●ed vertue How peace is to be held betweene Bishops Earles and other Great men especially in execution of Iustice That weightes and measures be iust and equall and that none worke vpon holy dayes That all Tythes be payd al ancient possession mantayned to the Churches That no secular courtes be held in Churches or Church porches That no Earles or other Great men do fraudulently buy poore mens goods c. These then were the pointes of Reformation decreed in that Councel of Arles at the instance of Charles the Great who was so zealous a Prince in this behalf● as he caused fiue seueral Councels to be celebrated in diuers Partes of his Dominions within one yeare to wit this of A●les another at Towers a third at Chalo●s a fourth at Mentz the fifth at Rhemes and another the yeare before which was the ●ixt ad Theodonis villam which is a towne in Luxemburge Al which Prouincial Synodes are extant i● the third Tome of Councels togeather with the Canons and Decrees which are such as could not be put in execution but by the temporall fauour authoritie and approbation of the Emperour in such matters as concerned his temporall Kingdome and iurisdiction Wherfore i● for these respects the Councell did present vnto the Emperour these Canons to be cōsidered of by his wisedome whether any thing were to be added altered or taken away for the publike good of the Common Wealth no Controuersy of faith being treated therin what is this to proue eyther that the Emperour in spirituall matters was superiour to the said Bishops or that if he had proposed vnto them any such Oath as this is wherin by pro●essing their temporall Allegiance they must also haue impugned some poynt of their faith that they would haue obeyed him And so much of this Councell This was then my speach yielding furthermore a reason why I did not stand vpon the places of some particuler Councels alleadged for that the discussion of this one made manifest all the rest that they tended only to this end that they proued temporal obedience in subiects towards their Princes in temporal affaires which Catholicks deny not and so in effect they proue nothing to the purpose in hand But yet it shall be good to ponder a little what M. Barlow bringeth in against that which heere I haue written First he saith that not only these Prouinciall Councels of Arles in France and diuers others submitted themselues wholy to the Emperour Charles the Great in most humble termes but the foure Generall Councels also s●mmoned at the beck and command of the Emperour submitted themselues for the validity and establishing of their Decrees to his most Royal assent And within three lines after againe VVhole Councels saith he submitted themselues in all dutifull reuerence to their Soueraignes not only in matters of temporall affaires but in faith and religion And yet further in the very next page The Emperour saith he that hath the sole authority to summon a Councel hath the sole power to make good or voyd what it concludes And we must note that he putteth downe the words to make good or voyd in a different markable letter therby to signify that this is an Axiome of great solidity And yet I suppose that he could not be so forgetfull or negligent as not to see that all this is quite contrary to that which he wrote within three leaues● before to wit that in cases of religion and faith Princes could not iudge any thing iudicio definitiuo to define or determine but only executiuo to put in execution that which the Church determineth But now if not only the Councell of Arles and other Prouincial Councels but the first foure General Councels submitted themselues also for the validity and establishment of their Decrees which are knowne to haue bene concerning points of religion and faith vnto the Emperours Royal assent so as whatsoeuer was decreed there by the Church this not a Prouincial or National Church only of England but the whole Vniuersall Church gathered in those first foure Counc●ls should haue no validity except the Emperour approued the same this is more then iudicium executiuum to execute that which the other had determined For here the Emperour doth iudge of al yea euen of the iudges themselues and of their Iudgments and decrees and consequently hath the last and supreme iudgment de●initiue to define and determine what Decrees are truly and rightly made and to ratify or make void what he shall think good which is as much as we do or can ascribe vnto the Pope And this is confirmed in like manner by M. Barlows second ass●ueration That Councels must submit themselues in all dutifull reuerence not only in matters of temporall affaires but of faith and religion also● What can be ●poken more plainly in contradiction of his former assertion And what more absurdly then that which followeth in the third place That the temporall Prince hath sole power to make good or voyd● what the Councell concludes For that hereby all the Conciliabula or vnlawfull false Councels that met togeather often in the primitiue Church as that of A●iminum for the Arians against the Catholickes that of Carthage against Cecilianus that of Constan●inople against Marcellus that of Antioch against Athanasius that of Burges in France against S. Hilary diuers other hauing the assent and approbation of hereticall Emperours then bearing rule shal be good and lawfull Councels and all other Councels gathered for the Catholicks against these to be voyd of no validity Do you see heere M. Barlows manner of writing and how he plungeth himself aboue the eares in contradictions without marking or respecting what he said before so he may say somewhat for the present But do you thinke that he wil stand to this now No. For that in the very next ensuing leafe he being pressed by me to answere what submission that was which the Councel of Arles made to Charls the Great for his approbation and whether it were of matters concerning faith he runneth quite backe againe denying that Emperours haue any such authority To iudge saith he definitiuely which are matters of faith or no is not for the Emperour but to ratify by hi● assent and command by his authority what the Church or Councell so assembled hath defined to be matter of faith is proper to Emper●●rs and Kings Which words if you consider them well do cōtaine most euidently the contradictory of that he sayd before That Councels were to submit themselues for the validity of their Decrees to the Emperours Royall assent and that not only in temporall affaires but in faith and ●eligion and that they only haue power to make good or voyde all conclusions of Councels which contayneth manifestly power also to define it is but a shift to say heere that it is not for the
was this I find no such thing in the Breue at all as that Temporall Obedience is against faith saluation of soules nor doth the Breue forbid it nor doth any learned Catholike affirme that the Pope hath power to make new Articles of Faith nay rather it is the full consent of all Catholike Deuines that the Pope and all the Church togeather cannot make any new Article of beliefe that was not truth before though they may explane what poynts are to be held for matters of faith and what not vpon any new heresies or doubts arising which articles so declared though they be more particulerly and perspicuously knowne now for points of faith and so to be belieued after the declaration of the Church then before yet had they before the selfe same truth in themselues that now they haue Nor hath the said Church added any thing to them but this declaration only As for example when Salomon declared the true Mother of the child that was in doubt he made her not the true Mother therby nor added any thing to the truth of her being the Mother but only the declaration Wherfore this also of ascribing power to the Pope of making new Articles of fayth is a meere calumniation amongst the rest So in my former writing now we shall examine what M. Barlow replyeth about these two points In the first whether the Oath do containe only temporall Obedience he is very briefe for hauing repeated my words by abbreuiation that the Popes Breue forbids not temporall Obedience No saith he it forbids the Oath wherin is only acknowledgment of ciuill Allegiance But this we deny and haue often denied and still must deny and craue the proofe at M. Barlowes hands who though he hath often affirmed the same yet hath he neuer proued it by any one argument worth the reciting which notwithstanding is the only or principall thing that he should proue For that being once proued all controuersie about this Oath were ended And it is a strange kind of demeanour so often and euery where to affirme it and neuer to proue it He addeth for his reason in this place He that prohibits the swearing against a vsurping deposer denieth temporall obedience to his rightfull Soueraigne and sayth neuer a word more But what doth this proue Or in what forme is this argument For if vnto this Maior proposition he shall add a Minor that we do so or that the Popes Breue doth so we vtterly deny it as manifestly false For who will say that the Popes Breue prohibits swearing against an vsurping deposer Or what Catholike will say that his refusall of swearing is against such a one and not rather against the authority of his lawfull Pastour Wherfore this proofe is nothing at all● But he hath another within a leafe after which is much more strange for he bringeth me for a witnes against my selfe in these words VVhat hitherto sayth he he ●a● laboured to confute and now peremptorily denyeth that the Breue ●●insayeth not Obedience in ciuill things he plainly now confesseth and gr●●teth If this be so that I do grant the Popes Breue to prohibite obedience in temporall thinges then will I graunt also that M. Barlow indeed hath gotten an aduantage and some cause to vaunt but if no word of this be true and that it is only a fond sleight of his owne then may you imagne to what pouerty the man is driuen that is forced to inuent these silly shifts Let vs lay forth then the mystery or rather misery of this matter as himselfe relateth it The Pope saith he being iustly taxed for not expressing any cause or reason of the vnlw●ulnes of the Oath the Epistler saith there are as many reasons that it is vnlawfull as there are points in the Oath which concerne religion against which they must sweare And is not this a good reason say I Is not the forswearing of any one poynt of Catholike Religion sufficient to stay the cōscience of a Catholike man from swearing But how doth be proue by this that I confesse the Breue to forbid temporall Obedience Do you marke I pray you his inference and consider his acumen But there is no one poynt sayth he in the Oath that doth not so to wit that doth not concerne Religion euen that first Article which meerely toucheth ciuill obedience I do sweare before God that King Iames is the lawfull King of this Realme c. Ergo I do grant that the Breue forbiddeth the swearing to all the Articles and consequently leaueth no Obedience ciuill or temporall But do not you see how he contradicteth himselfe in the selfe same line when he sayth that there is no one point that concerneth not religion euen the very first Article that toucheth meerly ciuill obedience For if it touch only and meerly ciuill obedience ●hen doth it not touch religiō in our sense For that we do distinguish these two deuiding the Oath into two seuerall parts the one conteyning points of temporall obedience for acknowledging the right of his Maiesty in his Crownes the other concerning points of Catholike Religion belonging to the Popes Authority To the first wherof we refuse not to sweare but only against the second And now M. Barlow sayth that all concerne religion and consequently we grant that the Popes Breue alloweth no temporall obedience but denieth all And is not this a worthy dispute But let vs passe to the second question whether the Pope or Church hath authority to make new Articles of faith as the Apologer obiected And first to my declaration before set downe to the negatiue part that the Catholicke Church pre●endeth not any such authority to make new articles of faith that were not of themselues true and of faith before he obiecteth first Doctor Stapletons saying that the Pope and Councell may make the Apocryphall bookes named Hermes and the Constitutions of Clement to be Canonicall Whereto I answere that Doctor Stapleton sayth only that as the ancyent Christian Church had authority vpon due examination by instinct of the holy Ghost to receaue into the Canon of deuine Bookes some that were not admitted before as for example the Epistles of S. Iames the two bookes of Machabees the Epistle of Iude and diuers others as appeareth in the third Councell of Carthage wherein S. Augustine himselfe was present and su●scribed so hath the same Church at this day and shall haue vnto the worlds end authority to do the same Si id ei sanctus Spiritus suggereret sayth Doctour Stapleton that is if the holy Ghost shall suggest the same vnto her● librum aliquem al●●m n●ndum in Can●nem recep●um Apostolorum tamen tempore conscriptum c. to receaue into the Canon some other booke written in the time of the Apostles and neuer reiected by the Church though it were not receiued for Canonicall before giuing instance of the said two bookes of Hermes
conscience iustice to giue it him yet if I should doubt that by my deniall he would take away the other halfe also or perhaps my life or that some scandall would follow as that other men by my example would shew disobedience in greater thinges I should be bound in prudence and p●ety for auoyding of these greater euil● both to my selfe and others to obey and giue him the halfe of my goodes which he demaundeth but this is not directly by force of iustice and conscience as you see but per accidens that is to say ●accidentally for auoyding of those greater euills of scandall and perill if I obey no● But now let vs see the truth of M. Barlow in relating this resolution of S. Thomas First he cutteth of the words nisi forè per accidens which do alter the whole case and ●ayth that their Angelicall Doctour telleth them that in vnlawf●ll things commaunded they must obey ●or auoyding scandall and perill wheras S. Thomas sayth non te●tentur obedire si iniusta praecipi●●● that they are not bound to obey their Princes if they commaund vniust things Secondly M. Barlow distinguisheth not when vnlawfull things are commaunded whether they be vnlawfull only vnto the Prince that cōmaundeth or to the subiect in like manner to whom they are commaunded And it may be that the Ministers head conceaued not the distinction or if he did he concealed it by guile and fraud for the thing importeth much to the resolution of the case for when the thing commaunded is vnlawfull only to the commaunder as in the former example when he commaundeth me to giue halfe of my goods wrongfully then may I out of prudence as hath bene sayd for auoyding of greater euils obey that vniust commaundment but if the thing commaunded should be vnlawfull not only to the Prince to cōmaund but to me also to performe as to do another man iniury or to endanger my owne soule or to offend God by any sin whatsoeuer then may not I according to S. Thomas his doctrine for auoyding any scandall or perill whatsoeuer per●orme the same This was craftily here concealed by M. Barlow for I will not hold him so grossely ignorant as that he did not consider it and the c●●se o● this concealment was for that it maketh wholy ag●●st him in our mayne controuersy of temporall Obedience For that the swearing to the new Oath cōmaunded vnto Catholikes in preiudice of their conscience Religion is of the number of those vnlawfull things that are vnlawfull not only to the commaunder but also to ●●e performer and consequently neither for the auoyding scandall or perill may be obeyed And therby is cut of all M. Barlowes idle discourse which he maketh in this place of ●●e danger and perill that by taking this Oath he sayth may be auoyded vrgeth vs with the doctrine of S. Tho●●● therin that euen in things vnlawfull we must obey our temporall Princes But in this you haue seene both the depth and fidelity of the man Now let vs see a poynt or two more and so end this Parapraph Pag. 190. he hath these words against me The Epistler saith he makes the way to end this Paragraph for as cōcerning Rome bei●g Babylon he speakes not a word as by silence granting that to be true which Cardinall Matthew playnly also acknowledgeth and ●●sesseth to be that Babylon of the Apocalyps So h● And truly it is strange and ridiculous to see men of reason to proceed in this manner so without reason for it Cardinall Bell●rmine and other Catholikes do graunt that Rome was called Babylon by S. Iohn in the Apocalyps and by S. Peter also that wrote his Epistle from thence vnder the name of ●abylon and if S. Hierome and other Fathers do expound 〈◊〉 of R●me as it was Heathen persecuted the Martyrs in ●hose dayes and not of Christian Rome or the Christian people of Rome who were holy and Saynts in those dayes if this I say be so and that the Protestants be told therof aboue an hundred times and yet still their writers do come● forth with this doughty Argument that Rome was Babylon what shall a modest man do but passe it ou●r with silence and contempt There followeth a certayne contentiō about the two ●reues of Clemens Octauus written into England at two different times● about the point of succession to the Crowne ●fte● the Queenes death the first exhorting the Catholicke● to doe their best inde●uours ●or procuring a Cath●●licke Prince the other altogether in fauour and recom●mendation of the aduancement of his Maiestie that 〈◊〉 is of which two Breues I wrote in my Epistle that haui●● procured some knowledg about that point I found th●● they were sent into England not both togeather nor i●●mediatly before the late Queenes death as was obiected but the one diuers ye●res before she died to wit vpon th● yeare 1600. and the other 3. yeares after to wit vpon th● yeare 1603. immediatly after the sayd Queenes death contrary to which M. Barlow sayth that Tort●● affirm●●● that hauing the Copyes of 2. Breues in his hand 〈◊〉 findeth that they were sent in togeather vpon the year● 1600. But the reconciliation of this is easy For tha● those two Breues named by Tortus are accounted by me b● one Breue for that they were all of one matter but d●plicated in effect the one to the Archpriest and Clergie th● other to the Laity so that there is no contradiction at al● For that besides that first double Breue there was anothe● sent in of another Argument wholy in fauour of hi● Maiestie in particuler as now hath bin said vpon th● yeare 1603. And so there i● no contradictiō at all in this but that both the assertions are true Only that is fals● which is here in parciculer affirmed by M. Barlow that i● the first Breue was set downe that no man might be admitted except he would first sweare not only to tolerate but also to promote the Romish Catholicke Religion which wordes are not there neither is swearing once mentioned in either of these duplicated Breues And as this is vntrue so that which ensueth is parasiticall when vnto my speach of Pope Clements particuler good opinion and affection towards his Maiesties Person when he was King of Scotland to wit that he loued him most hartily and alwayes spake honorably of him treated kindly all those of his Nation● that said they came frō him or any wayes belonged vnto him and oftentimes vsed more liberality that way vpon diuers occasions thē is conuenient for me perhaps to vtter here caused special● prayer to be made ●or his Maiestie c. To all which M. 〈◊〉 answereth in these words That albeys there is nothing 〈◊〉 M●●●stie but that which is amyable and admirable his parts of 〈◊〉 art grace all so singular that by the eminency of his place 〈◊〉 descryed far and neere they must needes excite great loue to his
Oath and Indenture articles and Prouiso's is only in sound of words and not in substance for that in making an Indenture and the Prouiso's therof both parts must agree that the breach of euery such Prouiso shal forfeit the whole for that otherwise euery such Prouiso doth not euacuate the whole Indenture or make it naught But herein framing this new Oath and the articles therof there is not the consent or agreement of al those that are required to take the Oath nor obligatiō of conscience to agree but rather to the contrary they are bound by the principles of their religion to disagree and disclaime against the same as preiudicial to their soules So as here those articles or different clauses are not as Prouiso's agreed vpon as in an Indenture but rather as points and conditions proposed and required by the Landlord wherof the Tenant may by right deliberate and consider whether they stand wel for him or noe And if not he may refuse them or at the least so many as he shal thinke to be hurtful or iniurious vnto him Neither is the denyal of any one or more the denial of al as M. Barlows bad Diuinity and worse Philosophy presumeth to teach men that it is But yet before I end this matter on which he standeth so much I would demand him further whether this his assertion be not general concerning al Kings and he may not wel deny it for that his reason is general as presently ensueth saying The King being once in lawful possession whosoeuer shal say that he may be deposed for any cause denieth that he is lawfull King Wherupon it followeth that the Kings of France Spaine also are no lawful or true Kings in the opinion of their subiects for that they al with vniforme consent do hould this doctrine of the Church that Kings and Princes may in some cases ●e excommunicated and deposed Saul also was neuer lawful King for that he was deposed or els must we say that God did him iniury in deposing him It followeth also by this inference of M. Barlow that if a man should deny to sweare to the last clause only of al the Oath to wit that he sweareth al the former articles hartily willingly and truly vpon the faith of a Christian So help him God c. doth deny to acknowledg King Iames to be lawfull King which is another point of parasitisme more ancient perhaps then the former especially if you adde therunto his propositions vsed here to that effect as namely that if he were once lawful he ●● ouer so●●or th●● 〈…〉 neither intended nor remitted that vnlaw●ulnes o● title 〈…〉 with it the casuality of deposing that no varying in religion 〈◊〉 altering of manners 〈◊〉 misordering a Common wealth 〈…〉 his title that only a King can say to God tibi soli p●●●ani that whosoeuer de●ieth not to the Pope a deposing● power de●ieth to 〈◊〉 King the law●ulnes of h●● Inuestiture● and do●●●ion that let a ●ing 〈◊〉 he will for his religion and gouernment if he hath right to the 〈◊〉 his subiects must indure c. And wil you not say now that M. Barlow is as good a Chaplaine for the King as he is a Champion that is to say as good a Ghostly Father of spirituall counsaile and resolution of case● of Con●cience as he is a valiant defendour of whatsoeuer was set down before in the Apology But inough herof VVHETHER THE FOVRTH COVNCELL OF TOLEDO Did prescribe any such set forme of Oath to be exhibited to the Subiects as is affirmed in the Apology CHAP. II. BVT now we must passe to another contemplation about a certain Councel of Toledo in Spaine alledged by the Apologer for authorizing and iustifying of this new oath not only allowed but decreed also as he sayth in that ancient Councel to wit the fourth of Toledo I shall alleadg his words togeather with my answere therevnto at that time And that the world saith he may yet further se his Maiesties and whole States setting downe of this Oath did not proc●ed from any new inuention of theirs but as it ●warrāted by the word of God So doth it take the example from an Oath of Allegiance decreed a thousand yeares a● gone which a famous Councell then togeather with di●uers other Councels were so farre from condemning ●● the Pope now hath done this Oath as I haue though● good to set downe their owne wordes heere in that purpose wherby it may appeare that his Maiestie craue●● nothing now of his Subiects in this Oath which was no● expresly and carefully commanded them by the Counce● to be obeyed without exception of persons Nay not i● the very particuler poynt of Equiuocation which his Maiestie in this Oath is so carefull to haue eschewed but yo● shall heere see the said Councels in their Decrees as carefull to prouide for the eschewing of the sa●e so as almos● euery poynt of that Action and this of ours shall be foun● to haue relation and agreeance one with the other sau● only in this● that those old Councels were carefull an● strait in commanding the taking of the same wheras by the contrary he that now vaunteth himselfe to be Hea● of all Councells is as carefull and strait in the prohibition of all men from the taking of this Oath of Allegiance S● he And then I added And I haue alleadged his discourse at large to the en● yow may better see his fraudulent manner of proceeding● He saith That the example of this Oath is taken from a● Oath of Allegiance decreed a thousand yeares agone in the Councells of Toledo but especially the fourth which prouided also for the particuler point of Equiuocatiō But le● any man read those Councells which are 13. in number and if he fynd eyther any forme of an Oath prescribed or any mention of Equiuocation but only of flat lying and perfidious dealing let him discredit all the rest that I doe write And if he fynd none at all as most certainly he shall not● then let him consider of the bad cause of this Apologer that driueth hi● to such manner of dealing as to auouc● Euery point o● that Action to haue agreeance with the offering of th●● Oath Here now you see how M. Barlow is prouoked to shew his manhood in defence of this passage which he begin●eth very fiercely with many contumelious words with I ●e● passe as wind and only shall relate those that ●e of some moment to the cause VVhiles this Iesuite sayth ●e i●●●aching the Apologer of supposed fraudulency himself euen 〈…〉 be arested of a fraudulent impuden●y ●or that he charging 〈◊〉 Apologer to say that euery point of that Toletan action hath 〈◊〉 with ours ●e leaues out the principall word which the said ●●●●●ger vsed when he sayth that almost euery point agreeth as if 〈◊〉 were no● difference betwene his speach that should say that Father Persons was almost vpon the Sea-coast
the thing it selfe vttered to wit that it be really true in the sense and meaning of the vtterer and then in the quality of the hearer whether he be a lawfull iudge and therby may oblige the speaker to speake to his intention and other such circumstances which are largely hādled in my foresaid booke and not vnderstood as it seemeth or not read by M. Barlow which me thinkes he ought to haue done meaning to treate of this matter here And so I shall passe no further therin but referre him the Reader to the larger Treatise of that subiect already extant CARDINALL BELLARMINE is cleered from a false imputation and a controuersie about certaine words clauses in the Oath is discussed § II. AFTER this M. Barlow passeth to a poynt concerning Cardinall Bellarmine set downe in the Apology in these words Some of such Priests and Iesuites as were the greatest traytors fomentours of the greatest conspiracies against her late Maiesty● gaue vp F. Robert Bellarmine for one of their greatest authorities and oracles So sayth the Apologer noteth in the margēt Campian Hart in their conference in the Tower This was noted by me in my Letter as an vniust charge both in respect of the two men mētioned in the margent who were most free from being traytours and much more the greatest Traytours excepting only their Priestly functiōs most iniuriously made Treasōs against all truth equity as aboundantly else where hath bene proued but much more in respect of Cardinall Bellarmine who was not so m●ch as named by any of them in any matter tending to Treason or conspiracy towards the late Queene and therfore if he were by any of them named or mentioned it was in matter only of learning not of Treasons and conspiracies which M. Barlow is also forced here to confesse and sayth that it was meant in matters of the Conference in the Tower but euery man of iudgment will se what the words of the former charge do import and how farre they reach which M. Barlow considering he dareth not stand to his first refuge but addeth that Bellarmine in his Booke which English Priests do study doth teach such doctrine as is the ground of rebellions he blowes sayth he the bellowes of seditious doctrine which flames out by his Schollers conspiracy to the disturbāce of the chiefest States of Christendome But this now men will see how passionate and vntrue it is that the chiefest States of Christendome are disturbed by Cardinall Bellarmines doctrine I do not meane to stand vpon the confutation of so childish imputations There followeth a certaine small controuersie about the words temperate and tempered whether they signify the same or no wherof we haue handled somewhat before so shall dispatch it here in a word Cardinall Bellarmine had said in his Letter to M. Blackwell that this Oath is not therfore lawfull because it is offered as tempered and modified with diuers clauses of ciuill Obedience giuing an example out of S. Gregory Nazianzen of the Ensignes of the Emperour Iulian wherin the Images of the Heathen Gods were mingled and conbyned togeather with the Emperors Picture and therby so tempered modified as a man could not adore the one without the other Which speach of the Cardinall was much reprehended by the Apologer as though Bellarmine had misliked the temperate speach vttered in the forme of this oath But that was no part of Bellarmines meaning but that the said Oath was tempered mixt and compounded of different clauses some lawfull and some vnlawfull as a man would say morter is tempered with water sand lyme and this appeareth by his example of the Ensignes before mentioned tempered that is mixt with the images of the Emperours and their false Gods And if M. Bar●●● will needs haue this temperament to haue also with it some temperature which is his only reply now in this place we will not greatly striue with him Let it be esteemed to be some temperature that here are mingled some clauses of ciuill obedience with other concerning Religion it helpeth the mixture but not the scruple of conscience to him that must take it I pretermit all the rest of M. Barlows superfluous and idle speach about this matter as striuing to say somewhat but yet in substance sayth nothing It followeth in my Letter concerning the answering of two questions proposed by the Apologer wherin I shall repeate againe my owne words then vttered thus then I wrote That the Apologer hauing said with great vehemency of asseueratiō That heauen and earth are no further a sunder then the profession of a Temporall Obedience to a Temporall King is different from any thing belonging to the Catholike fayth or Supremacy of S. Peter which we graunt also if it be meere Temporall Obedience without mixture of other clauses he proposeth presently two questions for application of this to his purpose First this As for the Catholike Religion sayth he can there be one word found in all this Oath tending to matter of Religion The second thus Doth he that taketh it promise to belieue or not to belieue any article of Religion Wherunto I answere first to the first and then to the second To the first that if it be graunted that power authority of the Pope and Sea Apostolike left by Christ for gouerning his Church in all occasions and necessities be any poynt belonging to Religion among Catholikes then is there not only some owne word but many sentences yea ten or twelue articles or branches therin tending and sounding that way as before hath bene shewed To the secōd question may make answer euery clause in effect of the Oath it selfe As for example the very first I A. B. do truly sincerely acknowledge professe testify declare in my conscience that the Pope neither of himselfe nor by any authority of the Sea or Church of Rome hath any power authority c. doth not this include eyther beliefe or vnbeliefe Againe I do further sweare that I do from my hart abhorre detest abiure as impious hereticall that damnable doctrine position That Princes which be excommunicated and depriued by the Pope may be deposed c. Doth not here the swearer promise not to belieue that doctrine which he so much detesteth How then doth the Apologer so grossely forget and contradict himselfe euen then when he goeth about to proue contradictions in his Aduersary It followeth consequently in the Oath And I do belieue and in conscience am resolued that neyther the Pope nor any person whatsoeuer hath power to absolue me from this Oath or any part therof These words are plaine as you see And what will the Apologer say heere Is nothing promised in those words to be belieued or not belieued This was my speach And now see what quarrell M. Barlow seeketh agaynst it First wheras in my answer to the first question I say if it be granted that
the power and authority of the Pope and Sea Apostolicke c. be any point belonging to religion among Catholicks then is there not only some one word but many sentences concerning Religion in the Oath What answereth M. Barlow This Epistler saith he doth impudently impugne the Oath as vtterly vnlawfull and agaynst religion which yet dependeth vpon an If and is not yet determined for a point of religion that the Pope hath any such authority ouer Kings as in the Oath is mentioned No Syr not among Catholiks for of them only I speake though you leaue it out and doe many wayes corrupt my words Will not they grant the Popes authority in such cases to be a point belonging to their Religion Doth the word If put the matter in doubt that when you say If there be a God this or that is true or false you may be said to doubt whether there be a God or no And when you say If I be a true man this is so you may be thought to doubt whether your selfe be a true man or no Do not you see that this is playne cauelling indeed and not disputing But what more You say that when I do affirme the Popes power I do not distinguish whether in Ecclesiasticall or ciuill causes but you know well inough that I haue often distinguished and so do other Catholicke Deuines that the Popes authority is directly only Ecclesiasticall and spirituall for gouerning and directing of soules to euerlasting life though indirectly for conseruation of this Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall end there is annexed also Temporall in such cases as before hath bene specified concerning temporall Princes And so this is but a shift to say that I doe not distinguish As that is also another about my answere to the second demaund of the Apologer where he demandeth whether any man that taketh the Oath doth promise to belieue or not to belieue any one article of religion contayned in the said Oath For answere wherunto I did set downe sundry clauses of the said Oath wherby it seemeth plaine that the swearer doth make such promise Now you reply with this new shift saying that I doe still beg the question in controuersy So you talke to seem to say somwhat But what is the question in controuersy Is it not whether the swearer doth make promise to belieue or not to belieue any article of religion in taking the Oath Yes And I haue proued that he doth so by diuers examples How then doe I beg the question when I do euince it by proofe You reply that these articles abiured or allowed by him that takes the Oath concerning the Popes authority are not points of ●aith but rather Machiauelismes of the Conclaue But this now is rayling and not reasoning for that a Catholike conscience houldeth the doctrine of the Popes Supremacy and all poynts belonging therunto for matters appertayning to fayth Catholicisme and not to Machiauelisme which Machiauelisme agreeth much more fitly to M. Barlows assertions that depend on the pleasures of Prince State alteration of times and temporall vtilities wherof Machiauel was a great Doctour then to the simple positions of Catholikes who without these worldly respects do playnly and sincerely imbrace and belieue all such points of doctrine as the knowne Catholike Church doth deliuer vnto them as any way appertayning to the integrity of Catholike Religion Heere then M. Barlow being driuen from his refuge of my begging the question layeth hand vpon another much more ridiculous in my opinion for it is somewhat like the Sermon of the Parish Priest to his Parishioners which he deuided into three parts the one that he vnderstood and not they the other that they vnderstood and not he the third that neither of them both vnderstood and the third part seemeth to be our case now for as I confesse that I do not conceaue well what M. Barlow would say so I haue reason to suspect that himselfe also can hardly explane his owne meaning or at least wise he doth it not so here as the Reader may easily vnderstand the same His words are these This censurer is an absurd dispu●●nt still to beg the Question as if these articles abiured or allowed were points of ●aith c. This you haue heard answered now there followeth the other member Or as if saith he beliefe were vsed euery where ●heologically and that a Christians beliefe should alwayes be taken for his Christian beliefe ●or there is a naturall beliefe the Obiects wherof are naturall and ciuill things such as in this Oath c. So he And did not I tell you that you should haue mysteries A Christians beliefe is not alwayes a Christian beliefe but a naturall beliefe the good man would haue holpen himself with the School-mens distinction of fides diuina fides ●umana diuine humane fayth if he could haue hit vpō it but yet wholy from the purpose if he had found it out nay quite contrary to himselfe For I would aske what fayth or beliefe diuine or humane Christian or naturall● did the Apologer meane in his demaund Whether he that taketh the oath do promise to belieue or not to belieue any article of Religion Did not he meane diuine fayth or Theologicall beliefe It cannot be denied for that the obiect being articles of Religion as heere is sayd which are not belieued but by diuine fayth as they are such it followeth that in this question the Apologer ma●e his demaund of Christian beliefe and not only of a Christians beliefe yea of Theologicall beliefe and not of naturall beliefe that is to say of humane beliefe so conforme to this his qu●stion were the clauses of my answere I do truly and s●●cerely acknowledge professe testify and declare in my conscience c. And againe I do further sweare that I do from my hart abhorre dete●t and abiure as impious doctrine c. And yet further I do belieue and am in conscience resolued c. And is not all this beliefe in Conscience out of Conscience and for Conscience and of things belonging to Catholike Religion to be vnderstood of Christian and Theologicall beliefe but naturall only Who would write so absurdly but M. Barlow who seemeth not to vnderstand what he writeth And that this may be better vnderstood I am mynded to say a word or two more of this matter He maketh a distinction heere as you see betweene naturall and Theologicall beliefe adding for his reason that the Obiects of naturall fayth are naturall and ciuill things and that such are the articles contained in the Oath ayming as before hath bene said at the distinction of diuine and humane faith But he is grosly deceaued in that he distinguisheth these two faiths or beliefes by their materyall obiects and things belieued contrary to the generall consent of all Philosophers and Deuines who do hould that o●●es actus specificantur ab obiectis formalibus that all acts are
or Mother or els that he will teach vs by his law or diuinity that albeit her Father and Mother were neuer truely man wife yet she borne by their coniūction had true right in her bloud to succeed in the Crowne which yet the Parlament denyeth as yow haue seene And this shall suffice for this matter wherby may appeare what causes some Popes might haue in respect as well of this knowne illegitimation by her Father Mother as also of other many Pe●●●nall demerits of her owne to fauour the right of her next lawfull successour persecuted iniuted finally destroyed by her But now as for the other cauill of recrimination that D●●●man in his Booke sayth that it is a grieuous sinne for any man to giue consent to the making of a King that is of a contrary religion it hath beene answered sufficiently before against M. Morton who obiected the same but with fraud and falshood as this man doth leauing out the principall words that do ensue which are that is a sinne to him that doth it ●●hat side souer the truth be or how good or bad soeuer the party 〈◊〉 that is preferred He doth leaue out also the reason of the speach taken out of the authority of S. Paul in these words For if S. Paul haue pronounced so absolutly and plainly in the place be●ore alleadged that euen in eating a peece of meat it is damnable for a man to discer●e and yet to eate what may we thinke will it be in so great and important a matter as the making of a King is for a man to ●ssemble or do against his owne conscience and iudgment Here you see is nothing but that a man should not do against his conscience in the choice of a King when that case shall fall out Can M. Barlow say any thing iustly against this if he will not calumniate I see not what But yet he leapeth to another thing in a farre different place where Doleman sayth that the Statute of Association was obiected by other Competitors against the succession of Scotland which Statute was made in the 27. yeare of Queene Elizabeths raigne and intended principally as it seemeth euident both by the Queene and by such as procured the making therof against the sayd succession of the Queene of Scotland and her issue in such forme of words as she being prisoner in England might easily be ●●tr●pped therin as afterward she was by the attempt of M. ●abingt●n his fellowes and lost her life for the same The Statute contained That if any Act should be attēpted tending to the hurt of Queene Elizabeths person by or for any person that shall or may pretend any Title to the Crowne of this Realme after her Maiesties discease by any person or with the priuity of any person that shall or may pretend Title to the Crowne c. then all such persōs shal be excluded and disabled for euer to haue or claime the sayd Crowne c. Hereto M. Barlow answereth now first that they only in this Act are excluded from Succession by who●e meanes Queene Elizabeths life should be taken away not sought and that should not touch their issues except they had bene any wayes assenting or priuy to the same But to this may be replyed that the words now set down in the Statute are cōtrary which say that if any act be attēpted tending to the hurt of her Maiesties most Royall person though not achieued yet they shal be excluded And as for their heires and issues though in the second part of the Statute when Queene Elizabeths life should be taken away by such attempts there is mention of them that it must be by some assent or priuity of theirs yet in the former part now alleadged there is no mention wherby notwithstanding the sayd pretenders for whome or by whose priuityes such attempts only should be made are condemned of treason and made incapable of any pretence to the Crowne which being once effectuated the consequence doth easily ensue in like manner against their heires and issues So that this is but a meere trifling matter brought in for want of other better OF CERTAINE CONTRADICTIONS OBIECTED TO Cardinall Bellarmine AND what confidence may be placed in a mans owne good workes CHAP. IIII. WHERAS among other things there were obiected in the Apology of the new Oath of Allegiance certaine cōtradictions against Cardinall Bellarmine out of his workes as impugning the one the other I thought good in my Letter to looke into some t●ree or foure of them leauing the rest for the Cardinall himselfe to answere as he did very sufficiently which answere might serue for vs both but that I hauing enlarged my selfe somewhat for the better explayning of the first obiected contradiction about the placing of confidence in good and meritorious workes M. Barlow hath bene so copious in his reply partly preaching partly pratling without substance or verity as I am inforced to insist more vpon the matter then I had purposed And for more plaine dealing and discouering of his fraud and impertinency I shall here repeat againe what in my Letter I set downe about this controuersy The Apologer●quoth ●quoth I doth thus begin his list of cōtradictions against Cardinall Bellarmine First in his bookes of Iustification saith he Bellarmine affirmeth that for the vncertainty of our owne proper righteousnes and for auoiding of vaine glory it is most sure and sa●e to repose our whole confidence in the alone mercy and goodnes of God which proposition of his is directly contrary to the discourse and current of all his ●iue bookes De Iustificatione wherin the same is conteyned c. Of this first contradiction we haue said somewhat before to wit that it is strāge that fiue whole bookes should be brought in as contradictory to one proposition For how shall the Reader try the truth o● this obiection Shall he be bound to read all Bellarmines fiue bookes to see whether it be true or no Had it not bene more plaine dealing to haue alleaged some one sentence or conclusion contradictory to the other But now shall we shew that there can be no such contradiction betwixt the senten●● of one part of his said Booke of Iustification the whole discourse or current of the rest for that Bellarmyne doth make all the matter c●e●re by soyling three seuerall Questions in one Chapter which is the seauenth of the fifth Booke here cyted The three Questious are these about Fiducia quae in merit is co●●oca●i possit what hope and confidence may be placed by a Christian man in his good workes and merites The first Question is whether good workes in a Christian man doe increase hope confidence by their owne nature and the pro●ise of reward made vnto them And Bellarmine answereth that they doe and proueth it by many places of Scriptures as that of Toby the 4. where it is said That almes-dedes shall giue
But let vs heare some reason of his VVhat insolency sayth he is this to compare Popes with Kings subiectes with superiours for euen Preists as well as others are subiect to their soueraignes by Chrysostoms rule And so say we also Syr in temporall affaires belonging to the Comon wealth But how doth this inference of yours hould Priests are subiect vnto temporall Princes that are their Soueraignes therefore also Popes Is there no difference And for that you name S. Chrysostome in this matter and call it an insolency to compare Kings with Popes I would demaund of you whether you euer read S. Chrysostome de comparatione Regis Monachi of the comparyson of a King and a Monke as also his other Books de Sacerdotio And if you haue and vnderstood what you read then will you haue seene that S. Chrysostome preferred ●he dignity of both the one and the other Monke and Priest before the dignity of a King And Cardinall Bellarmin● last booke and third Chapter doth alledge so much about this matter as maketh it sufficiently cleere without any derogation of Princely authority at all AN EXAMINATION OF CERTA●NE ●ENTENCES AND AVTHOR●TIES of ancient Fathers alleadged by Cardinall Bellarmine in his Letter to M. Blackwell and impugned by M. Barlow CHAP. VI. AMONG other points that were impugned out of Cardinall Bellarmines Letter were certaine sentences examples and authorities of ancient Fathers about the Oath And first of all was the comparison of the subtill art and deceipt said I vsed by Iulian the Emperour surnamed the Apostata and recounted by S. Gregorie Nazianzen in placing and inserting the Images of his false Gods into the pictures of the Emperour in his Imperiall banner so as no man could bow downe and do reuerence to the Emperours picture as then was the custome but that he must adore also the Images of the false Gods which art of tem●erament the Cardinall doth compare vnto this mixture and combination of clauses lawfull and vnlawfull ciuill and ecclesiasticall in the Oath proposed so as a man cannot sweare the one but he must sweare also the other for which cause I said in my Letter that the whole Oath with all the clauses as it lyeth in which sense it hath bin also forbidden by his Holynes cannot in any wise be taken although touching some one only clause not only cyuill but also ecclesiasticall as for example of the Popes authority of charity I might thinke as then I wrote that the Priests who tooke the Oath tooke it in some such sense as being explycated by them and accepted of the Magistrate might stand with the integrity of fayth And that the sense of the sayd clause might be agreed vpon betwene his Maiesty and his subiects in such sort as it should agree with the opinion and practise of all other Catholicke Princes But the whole Oath as it lyeth is no other then the picture of the Emperour togeather with the Images of false Gods Which similitude and comparison though it expresse most fitly as it seemeth the matter in hand yet was it impugned by seeking out dissimilitudes disparities in other pointes then wherein was made the sayd comparison As for example that first Iulian was an Apostata but our Soueraigne is a Christian Iulian changed the religion he once professed but our King not Iulian became an Ethnick or Atheist our King is not ashamed of his profession Iulian dealt against Christians his Maiesty dealeth only to make a distinction betweene true subiects and false harted traytors c. And so he goeth forward alleadging many sundry diuersityes betwene man and man thing and things state states which I said is nothing to our purpose For a similitude requireth not likenes or parity in all poyntes for then it should be idem and not simile but liknes only in the point wherin the comparison is made as here in the compounding and couching togeather of lawfull and vnlawfull cl●uses in the oath as the other did Images in his banner for that other wise if we will stand vpon seeking out differences between the things that are compared other things wherein the comparison is not made and thereby condemne the similitude we shall ouerthrow all similitudes whatsoeuer and particulerly we shall eneruate make voide all the Parables cōmonly of our Sauiour wherin if we go from the point it self that is compared we may find ●or the most part more dissimilitudes then sim●litudes As for example Be yee ●ise as serpentes and simple as doues what enemy of Christian religion might not cauill and calumniate this similitude by seeking out diuersities betwene a serpent and a man and betwene the malicious craft of the serpent and the true wisdome that ought to be in a prudent man and the like in the nature and simplicity of doues many dissimilitudes may be sought but it is sufficient that the similitude do hould in the poynt wherein the comparison was made which is that Christians sho●ld be both wise and simple as are serpents and doues and imitate both the wisdome of the one and simplicity of the other so far forth as is conuenient for a Christian life which S. Paul doth afterward expound how far it must reach when he sayth Volo vos sapientes esse in bono simplices in malo I would haue you to be wise in good and simple in ●uill This then being my declaration of that similitude out commeth M. Barlow as it were with his dagger drawne in great heate to incounter the same casting vpon me all kind of reproach and by his ordinary scurrility calling me Salomons loathsome creature to wit a spuing dog resuming the eiection which he had once auoyded such is the modestie and ciuilytie of this new Prelate But why doth he shew himself so enraged You must imagine he is in some straits to answer the former discourse but yet must needs set vpon it well or ill Let vs se how he performeth it All the Censurers speach sayth this Minister commeth to this profound conclusion that a similitude must only hould in that poynt wherein it is compared because that if the comparison should hould in all it were pentity and not resemblance Which doctrine of myne he seemeth to allow and replieth not but yet to seeme to say somewhat and not syt out he passeth to another discourse that in foure manners comparisons m●y be made eyther in the nature of the thing or in the disposition when some affection is resembled or when a passion or perturbation is assimilated or when the action only is compared without circumstances which are obscure things without ground at all and as well may foureteene poyntes of comparisons be found out as foure to wit so many as there may be differences betwene things that be compared and therefore we recall M. Barlow from these idle euagations to the point it self And for so much as he now graunteth that things compared
place of conscience and Catholike religion But what sayth he if there be a false assumption and an vntrue applycation by the conscience is it then erroneous and not binding As put the case the conscience assumeth that to be sound and Catholike which is false and vnchristian doctrine To this question I haue answered now sufficiently before and haue largly proued that an erroneous conscience also byndeth vntill it be reformed and that it is impiety and ignorance to teach the contrary nor shall it be needfull to repeat all the reasons and arguments here This one may stand insteed of all the rest which is the ground of all That if a man may without sinne do against the dictamen or direction of his owne conscience then may he do that which he thinketh to be naught and consequently do naught wittingly and willingly without sin which is against the groundes both of Diuinity Philosophy and Nature it self And yet M. Barlow is so wise as to affirme here that an erroneous conscience byndeth not VVHEN the R. Fath●r F. Robert Persons the Author of this Treatise was come thus far in the examination of M. Barlowes Answere it pleased God to take him out of this mortall life which as he had imployed to the profit of many and the edification of the whole Christian world so he ended with gr●at Religion and Pi●ty and passed as we hope to et●rnall r●st He commended on his death-b●d the finishing of this worke to an especiall friend of his who for his zeale in Gods cause and his loue to the said Father will I doubt not learnedly and exactly p●rforme his requ●st and shortly cause it to be printed and published t●ough in a s●parate volume as for many respects is thought most conuenient FINIS Faultes escaped in the Printing Page line fault correction 6. 19. reaceaued receaued 118. 6. sweares swearers 149. 35. soone sowen 161. 16. which with 172. 6. Prohet Prophet 188. 3. miseriamur misereamur 197. 8. Scotlnd Scotland 203. 14. nothing noting 276. 17. an and 289. 4. prince price 321. 36. is it 325. 24. vnlwfulnes vnlawfulnes 333. 21. opinion Caietan opinion of Caietan 343. 7. no to 395. 37. yet they yet that they 436. 12. truth or truth of 442. 32. is in 444. 14. abase abuse 460. 7. acquinted acquainted 498. 32. Popos Popes 502. 24. them then 516. 27. wales walles 520. 37. restrainst restraint 518. 3. Then Fredericke Of them Fredericke A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS HANDLED IN THIS BOOKE A ACHABS truely Mortification pag. 170. Adoniah slayne by Salomon pag. 105. Alexander the 3. Pope cleared of calumny pag. 467. Aluarus Pelagius abused by M. Barlow pag. 112. S. Ambrose abused by M. Barlow pag. 85. His resistance of the Emperour Valentinian against the Arians pag. 193. Anchor turned into a Milstone by M. Barlow pag. 244. Antiquity a good Argument in case of Religion pag. 150. Apparitions of Martyrs pag. 409. Aristotle abused by M. Barlow pag. 99. Assembly of ancient Fathers reasoning with his Maiesty de regno Dei pag. 237. S. Augustine and other Fathers Discourses of temporall and spirituall felicity pag. 184. 185. 186. Item about dying out of the Church pag. 223. His discourse about Gods Prouidence pag. 416. Author of the Apology for the Oath of Allegiance part 1. cap. 1. § 1. B M. BARLOVV his sharp wit pag. 7. His ignorance in Grammar Humanity Prefac n. 8. 9. In Logick Philosophy pag. 16. 93. 191. Praef. n. 12. n. 59. In Histories ib. n. 15. In Scriptures ib. n. 17. In Diuinity 193. 419. 420. His ridiculous folly pag. 17. His virulency against Iesuits pag. 21. 220. His abuse of F. Ga●net p. 2● of F. Persons 24. 31. 402. praefac à num 86. vsque ad 108. His boldnes with the Scriptures p. 35. His friendship to Aduerbs pag. 39. His misunderstanding of Medina p. 43. His bad conscience and dealing vbique per totum librum His notorious vntruthes pag. 49. pag. 93. 97. 98. 116. 134. 403. 505. 506. Paulus 5. the Pope accused by him pag. 59. his mistaking and abusing of Gra●●hus Pluta●ke pag. 61. his scolding pag. 63. praefac à nu 90. vsque ad 107. his new Philosophy pag. 66. his abuse of Salmeron and Sanders● pag. 75. 77. and of others pag. 99. 112. 136. 246. 263. 279. 328. 330 338. of S. Thomas pag. 459. of Vrspergensis pag. 486. of Nauclerus pag. 490. of Blondus pag. 491. 509. of Cuspiniā pag. 496. of Matthew Paris p. 498. of Pope Innocentius the 4. pag. 507. 510. 512. of Card. ●ellarmine Praef. n. 66. his horning in Scotland pag. 95. his merriment of the Moone in the Asses belly pag. 103. his flattery of Kings pag. 104. his hate of ambition and his Mortification● pag. 1●6 172. 173. his Digestion and Concoction● ib. his carnall Diuinity pag. 133. his phrases of Indument and Stripping pag 148. his Incōstancy pag. 163. 314. his Canonization of Q. Elizabeth p. 164 his Courtly Deuinity pag. 177. his Philtra loue-drugs pag. 201. his Parasiticall flattery of the King pag. 231. 233. 343. 359. praef n. ●18 119 his prayers without hope 334. his little Vniuersity 238. his Proctership for Turkes and Infidels pag. 24● his strange notes of humility pag. 258. his Impudency pag. 264. 332. 333 338. 340. 341. 344. 441. 474. 477. 487. 492. 493. Praef. ● 64. his absurdities and errors c. part 2. cap. 5. per totum his Contradictions pag. 314. 326. his fast and loose with the Kinges authority pag. 316. his radiant folly pag. 321. his slaunders pag. 335. his falsifying of Coūcells p. 369. His clouted frauds pag. 399. his mincing of Authors for his purpose ibid. 401. 444. his falsification in Capitall letters pag. 400. 453. his ridiculous profundities p. 414. his conscience need to be purged pag. 452. his Prouerb omnia sub vnam Myconum misapplyed 504. his scoffing at Reliques 535. What manner of writer he is pr●fac n. 4. His Paradoxes pr●f n. 24. his cōscience like a cheuerell point ib. nu 25. his strange construction of orbis terrae ibid. n. 11. his extra spheram praef n. 52. VVHOLY mistaken ib. n. 54. His potent word ib. n. 55. his bad brewing ib. n. 65. his Melancholy conceipt ib. n. 67. his suddaine pange of deuotiō ibid. nu 68. his rayling against Saints ib. n. 108. his obsessiō circumsession possession of Diuells ib. n. 111. a Bridewell-Doctour ibid. his Sermon in S. Edwards Church in Lincolne and abuse of Syr Io. Cutts ib. n. 112. his cōdemning his Maiesties Mother ib. n. 116. his leuity in writing ib. ● 121. his hypocoristicall alleuiation ibid. n. 122. his new found phrases ib. n. 123. his paring away ib. n. 128. his Feminine sexe predominate ib. n. 153. Bellarnine see Cardinall Binnius abused misconstred by M. Barlow pag. 405. Bishops how they are said to succeed Apostles pag. 450. M. Blackwell the Archpriest p. 536. C
shameles dealing doth deserue and thereward also if you will which such get who stand for the best game 89. Truly so far is F. Persons from all reuyling or whatsoeuer else inciuility against his Maiesties person whome he alwaies honoured and whome after the attayning of the Crowne of England as his dread Lord and Soueraigne he most dutifully respected 〈◊〉 that he doth not any where speake of him without due regard and honour commending his great humanity royall nature and noble disposition with other partes and talents wherewithall he is indued for which this Minister is much offended as being loath that any should prayse him but himselfe calling the Father Iudas and comparing him to the diuell who confessed CHRIST to be the Sonne of God and then makes his Maiesty to answere him What euill haue I done vt hic tam nequam de me tam bene loqueretur that so bad a fellow as this is should speake so well of me Can we gather grapes of thrones or figgs of thistles Is not this that selfe same Persons who as the Priests witnes laboured to excommunicate so long agoe his Maiesty as an obstinate and forlor●e Heretick● 90 Lo how M. Barlow taketh it to the hart that the Father should praise his Maiesty and how scornfully he speaketh of so gra●e and ●eue●●●● a man But such Ru●●ian-like immodes●y we mus● bea●e with●ll in this vnmānerly Minister whose i●s●icall behauiour is such as well shewes what his education hath bene and of what vertuous disposition and iudgmēt he is For were I disposed to encounter with him in this veyne I would say that mutato nomine de te fabula narratur and his Maiesty hath more cause to fear the fawning flattery of such as seeke to raise themselues by other mens ruines and are ready in case their fortunes should faile them whome now they flatter to tread on their necks defile besmeare them all they can in deed then of F. Persons whose sincerity iudgement vertue● and constancie knowne to the world was such as all the honours and preferments that the earth could yield him of which he refused more then euer M● Barlow can hope to haue were neuer able to bend him to this base seruility as to turne his sailes with euery wind praise and dispraise now to kisse and after to kill which how much it raigneth in the other for that all doe see I shall for the present forbeare to speake 91. And whereas for confirmation hereof he saith or rather demaundeth if this be not that Persons who as the Priests wittnes laboured so long ago to excōmunicate his Maiesty as an obstinate forlorne heretick I an●were that neyther the Priests vnles he speake by E●●allage numeri witnes any such thing for it was but ●one Watson he also by M. Brancrost of Canterbury●aught ●aught in his seely Quodlibets how to lye in print Nei●her did the Father euer attempt any such matter or vse any such tearmes against his Maiesty at all and it ●s a signe that M. Barlowes proofes are very beggarly and his conscience and capacity not very good wh●● he stoopeth to gather vp these off●lls out of that raylatiue lying-libell condemned by all modest men as well Catholicks as Protestants and recalled w●●● grief by the writer himselfe at the hower of his death in the presence of many hundreds when he asked the Iesuits forgiuenes that he had so slandered them and much lamented that euer he had se● forth any such booke which many thinke he would neuer haue do● had not M. Mortons suggesting diuel R C. so much ●ēpted him therunto at lea●t he would haue for borre frō so open vntruthes of which I can make when need shall be an euident demonstration and therefore the testimonyes taken from that infamous libell are with all wise men of as much credit as if they had bene cyted out of AEsops fables or the Acts and Monuments of Iohn Fox 92. Yet least that the Reader should thinke M. Barlow so shameles as without all colour and probability to make so false and iniurious a charge of F. Persons railing against his Maiesty or himselfe complai●● of my cōcealing his arguments as fearing their force I shall very briefly touch some two or three of thē which are so good and demonstratiue as that they nee● no other answere to confute them then their bare recitall F. P●rs●ns thinking the Apology to haue ben● written by Thomas Montag●e as most did here suppo●● before the cōming forth of the Premonition put downe in the text T. M. but in the margent answering therunto his name at length how doth M. Barlow thinke you draw an argument from hence to proue that all which is sayd against this Minister was di●ectly spoken against the Kings Maiesty by F. P●rsons Strangly without doubt for thus he writeth By these two letters if he will speake without ●quiuocatiō he meant Tua or Tanta Maiestas Thus he maketh F. P●rsons against his owne mind meaning to vnderstand by these letters what liketh him to forge for without this fiction of his there were no d●filing or b●smearing to be found against his Maiesty at all vnles I say he should turne Thomas Montague into so great a Maiesty But let vs see another 9● F. Persons shewing that in an oath compoūded of many clauses if one amongst them all be false that the whole cannot be taken as it lyeth and that the refusall of the whole for that one clause excepted against cannot infer the deniall of all the rest combined therewithall which are not lyable to that exception For cleerer explication hereof he bringeth forth two examples saying● As if some would say that Plato was a man borne in Gre●●● of an exellent wit skilfull in the Greeke language most exellent of all other Philosophers and would require this to be confirmed by an oath some Platonist perhaps would be content to sweare it but if some St●ick or Peripat●tick or Professor of some other Sect in Philosophy should refuse the said oath in respect of the last clause might a man infer against him in all the other clauses also ●●go he denieth Plato to be a man He denyeth him to be borne in Greece He denyeth him to be of an exellent wit he denyeth him to be skilfull in the Greek tongue c Were not this a bad kind of arguing 94. So in like māner if an Arian or Pelagian Prince should exact an oath at his Subiects hands concerning diuers articles of religion that were belieued by them both in the end or middle thereof should insert some clauses soūding to the fauour of their ow●● sect for which the Subiect should refuse the whole body of that Oath as it was conceyued could the other ●● iustice accuse him for denying all the seuerall articles ●● his owne religiō also which therin are mētioned W●●● seeth not the iniustice of this manner of dealing● S● far F. Persons Out
of which discourse what trow yo● doth M. Barlow infer He secretly saith he girds a his Maiesty for being both a Philosopher which is h●● Maiest●es great glory our Realmes happines● for true Philosophy ioyned to go●ernment regulates the scepter to the subiects comfort and the Kingdomes renowne and an heretick also a perfect slaunder in them both for by that religion which they call heresie he doth truly glorifie the God of heauen So he and who can deny● but that here is also besmearing as M. Barlow hath framed his Cōmētary but I verily thinke that God is little glorified by such bad glosses so little coherent yea so cleane repugnan● to the text Let vs come to the last for hasten to a● end of this Preface meane not to make any longer demurr vpon this kind of sycophancy 95. The most potent proofe of all the rest to euince that F. Persons wrote against his Maiesty and not T. M. which M. Barlow will haue to be demonstratiue and therfore setteth it out with his Ministeriall eloquence and Episcopall grauity is taken from these words of the said Father where hauing āswered the obiectiōs made against the liues of some Pope● he concludeth thus If a man would goe about to discredit Kingly authority by all the misdeeds of particuler Kings that haue byn registred by Historiographers since the tyme that Popes began he should finde no doubt aboundāt ma●●er and such as could not be defended by any probability And yet doth this preiudicate nothing to Princely power or dignity and much lesse in our case where the facts themselues obiected are eyther exaggerated increased wrested or● altogeater falsified 96. To this what replyeth M. Barlow Here first saith he is verified that speach of Seneca nemo personam diu ferre potest Art cannot long estrange nature But as the Apologue d●scrib●s Venus transformed waiting-mayde who beeing trickt vp like a Gentlewomā mink'st it a while till she spied a Mouse but then made it knowne she was a Cat So this Censurer who all this while would make the Reader belieue that he confuted onely one T. M. the yonger and would seeme to take no knowledge that our Gra●ious Soueraigue had to doe in the Apology now being exasp●rate with this round canuasin● of the Pope and knowing that it will be descried for the stile and veine of more th●n an ordinary man he forgets his dissembled aduersary● lik● a perfit Iesuit retorts vpon the King Thus he But how is this proued Heare I pray and admire the wisdome of Syr William For if T. M. saith he were the tru● Apolog●r the recrimination had bene more fit both in resp●ct of these precedēt instances of Popes and that supp●s●d Author to haue made the comparison between Bishops Minist●rs But if I answere him againe that it was more fitly made betweene King● Popes in respect of their supreme authority which is not lost by the demerit of their liues he hath nothing to reply therunto but that all they who weare the habit or are inuested into holy orders amongst Protestants I vse his ●wne words are not free from notorious vices and scandalous to the world which I confesse and none I thinke can with any reason or truth gaine-say the same 97. By these then and such like reasons he would proue F. Persons to haue written against hi● Maiesty whatsoeuer he said against Thomas Mountague and consequently to haue railed against him which although they be very childish ridiculous and impertinent as you haue seene prouing nothing but his owne sicophancy yet as though they were cleerer mathematicall demons●rations then any in Euclide he buildeth all his accusation vpon them and sayth as you haue heard that he could not without touch of disloyaltie forbeare from reproach and that in respect of F. Persons reuiling veyne nothing at all was to be pared or spared telling his Maiesty that neyther the shame of the world nor feare of God nor grace of the spirit can mortify his nature or restraine his tongue but citeth no sentēce word or syllable for the same but such as you haue heard With M Barlow whose rayling I meane heere to examine I will deale more really and out of his owne words shew what feare of God he hath what shame of the world what grace of the spirit what mortified nature what mod●st tongue and then leaue it to Readers iudgment to determine whether in such brutish reuiling no sparing or paring were to be vsed or not 98. In his Epistle Dedicatory which is not very long besides the reproaches mentioned of rancour scorning ribaldry defiling besmearing regorging and the like he calleth F. Persons a debos●ed abiect and vnreformed Hypocrite belike M. Barlow is a reformed one a Rakeshame Rabshekah of a prostituted conscience impudency whose very name is the epitome of all contumely being as currant in a pro●erb as was once the name of Daedalus In omni fabula Daedali execratio for no libell can come from Rome but Persons is presently supposed and noysed to be Author and the more vile the more Persons like a creature that doth rage snarle c. Thus much to his Maiesty himselfe And is not this thinke you fit for a Prince to read or pre●ēded Prelate to write Is the grauity learning modesty and vertue of the English Clergy for which our Country before this reuolt was most famous so lost as insteed of answering like Deuines to see one bearing himselfe for a Bishop to renew the old Comedy in an epistle to his Soueraigne a Booke written in his defēce which euē on the heathen stage was so much misliked condemned by all 99. To this begining is sutable the whole worke which followes or rather much worse For in the very entrance after he hath set down what order he will obserue and repeated some of F. Persons words but falsly after his accustomed manner he calleth him a ranging voluntary runnagate an Hispanized Camelion the brat of an Incubus filius terrae no true Englishman eyther in hart or by birth This is his first assault rude Ruffianlike as you see and then afterwardes he telleth of the disgorging the gall of his bitternes and the venemous rancour of his cancred hart by his Rabshakeis pen that he is the abstract quintessence of all coynes coggeries forgeries that lyes dissembles equiuocates at euery word this fugitiue tenebrio Persons Robin Cowbucke parasite and trayterous clawbacke a knowne incendiary this serpens Epidaurius the Diuells schollar his Deuillity reader Spiritus mendax in ore omnium Prophetarum this boutefeaux he disgorgeth out of his filthy throat by his diuelish pen c. And is there heer no paring nor sparing to be vsed in the iudgment of M. Barlows exact Surueyers Truely eyther their Suru●y was not very exact or their iudgmēt small or els they were not his friēds that would permit such scurrility
Kinges and Emperours had bene so priuiledged by the power of their Empire a● they might not be censured by the high Pastours and Prelates himselfe would neuer haue cen●ured and excomunicated his Emperour Theodosius as he did The wordes then are found not in S. Ambrose his Booke de Apologia Dauid cap. 4 10. as here is cited for there are two Apolygies prior and posterior which M. Barlow by his citation seemeth not to haue vnderstood and the first contain●th but 7. Chapters in all and in the 4 is only this sentence talking of the pennance of King Dauid Qui ●ullis tenebatur legibus humanis indulgentiam petebat cùm qui tenentur legibu● aeudent suum negare peccat●m King Dauid that was subiect to no humane lawes asked forgiu●nes when they that are bound by lawes presume to deny their sinnes But in his enarration vpon the 50. psalme of Dauid he hath the thing more plainely for thus he saith Rex vtique erat nullis ipse legibu● tenebatur quia liberi sunt Reges à vinculis delictorum neque enim illi ad poenam vocātur legibus tuti Imperij potestate Dauid was a King and thereby was not vnder lawes for that Kinges are free from the bandes of their offences for that they are not called to punishment by lawes being safe by the power of their Empire So S. Ambrose Wereby is seene that he vnderstandeth that Princes commonly are not subiect to humane lawes for that they will not nor may be called to accompt for their offences as priuate mē are being free by their pow●r or that no man is able to compell them And this priuiledge perhaps is tolerable in their priuate and personall sinnes but if the same should breake out in publicke and against the vniuersall good of Christians then may we learne by the foresaid act o● S. Ambrose in Excommunicating the Emperour Teodosius that God hath le●t some power by diuine law to r●straine them for the cōseruation of his Church and Kingdome And so we may see that al that which M. Barlow hath chirped here to the contrary is not worth a rush but to shew his penury and misery hauing bene forced of eight Authors heere alleadged by him to wit Salmeron Sa●ders Victoria Bellarmine Barkley Sigebert Espencaeus S. Ambrose to misalledge and falsify seauen as you haue heard that is to say all of them sauing Barkley who in this matter is of lesse accompt then any of the rest if the booke be his which is extāt vnder his name For that he being no Deuine hath taken vpon him to defend a Paradoxe out of his owne head only different from all other writers of our dayes both Catholiks Heretiks graunting against the later all spiritual authority vnto the Pope ouer Princes Christian People throughout the world but denying against the former all temporall authority eyther directly or indirectly annexed vnto the spirituall wherin as he is singular from all so he is like to be impugned by all and is by M. Barlow in this place for the Protestants calling him our owne Writer And for the Catholikes Cardinall Bellarmine hath lately written a most learned booke against him by name confuting his priuat fancy by the publique authority weight and testimonies of all Catholike Deuines And so much for this OF CERTAINE NOTORIOVS Calumniations vsed by M. Barlow against his aduersary which no wayes can be excused from malice witting errour §. II. AS the former fraud discouered and conuinced against M. Barlow of abusing authors against their owne wordes and meaning is a foule fault and very shāfull in him that pretendeth to haue conscience or care of his credit so is the crime of apparēt and willfull Calumniation bearing no shew of truth or reason at all much more foolish wicked Foolish for that it doth wholy discredit the Calumniator with his Readers wicked for that it sheweth plaine malice and will to hurt although with his owne greater losse So then it falleth out in this place that M. Barlow finding himselfe much pressed and strained with the reasonable and moderate speach which I vsed in my Epistle throughout three numbers togeather concerning the Oath freely taken as was said by many Catholikes both Priests and Laicks expounding their taking of the Oath in a good sense he doth so malignantly peruert the same by open calumniatiōs as euery child may discouer not only the falshood but the fury also of his passion against me nothing being in his answere but exorbitant rayling apparent lying For whereas I in reason deserued rather approbation and commendation from him for expounding plainly and sincerely that meaning which those Catholikes if they were Catholikes had or could haue in their taking of the Oath without all Equiuocation or mentall reseruation which I condemned in an Oath as altogeather vnlawfull concerning any point of religion that ought to be confessed he not being able to abide the light of this truth and plaine dealing falleth into a certaine frenzy of rayling against me for the ground of his accusation ●ayeth hi● owne fiction that I doe teach them perswade them 〈◊〉 Equiuocate in this very case For cleare confutati●● wherof it shal be sufficiēt first to set down my own word● as they ly in my epistle and then to consider and ponder the collections and inferences that he maketh vpon the● And if by this you doe not finde him to be one of the loosest conscience and law●est tongue and least respectiu● of his owne credit honesty that euer yow saw I am much deceiued My words then were these that follow As for that multitude of Priestes and L●ickes which he sayth haue freely tak●n the Oath as their freedome was that which now I haue mentioned and a principall motiue as may be presumed the desire they had to gi●e his Maiesty satisfaction and deliuer themselues and othe●● so much as lay in them from that inference of disloyall meaning which vpon the denyall therof some do vse 〈◊〉 make so I cannot but in charity assure my selfe that they being Catholikes tooke the sayd Oath for so much as co●cerneth the Popes authority in dealing with temporall Princes in ●ome such lawfull sense and interpretation as being by them expressed and accepted by the Magistrate may stand with the integrity and sincerity of true Catholike doctrine and fayth to witt that the Pope hath not authority without iust cause to proceed again●● them Quia illud possum●● quod iure possumus saith the law ou● authority is limited by Iustice. Directly also the Pope may be denyed to haue such authority against Princes but indirectly only in ordine ad spiritualia when certayne great important and vrgent cases concerning Christian religion fall out which we hope will neuer be betweene ou● Soueraigne and the Sea Apostolicke for so much as they haue past already many yeares though in different Relions in peace and quietnes euen since
his Maiesty beg●● first to rai●ne But concerning the generall Question to deny simply and absolutely That the Pope is supreme Pastour of the Catholi●● Church hath any authority le●t him by Christ eyther directly or ●●●●●●ctly with cause or without cause in neuer so great a necessity or for ●euer so great and publicke an v●ility of the C●ristian Religion to proceed against any Prince whatsoeuer temporally ●or his restraint or a●endme●● or to per●it other Princes to do the s●me this I suppose was neuer t●eir meaning that tooke the Oath for that they should therby contradict the generall conse●t of all Catholicke Deuines and con●●sse that Gods prouidence for the conseruation and preseruation of his Church and Kingdome vpon earth had bene defectuous for that he should haue left no lawfull remedy for so great and excessiue an euill as that way might fall out● Wherefore for so much as some such moderate meaning must needs be presumed to haue bene in those that tooke the Oath for safeguard of their Consciences if it might please his Maiesty to like well and allow of this moderation and fauourable interpretation as all forraine Catholicke Kings and Monarchs doe without any preiudice at all of their safety dignity or Imperiall prehemi●ence I doubt not but he should find most ready conformity in all his said English Catholicke Subiects to take the said Oath who now haue great scruple and repugnance of Conscience therin both for that the chiefe●t learned men of their Church doe hold the same for vtterly vnlawfull being mixed and compounded as it is and the voyce of their chiefe Pastour to whome by the rules of their Religion they thinke themselues bound to harken in like cases hath vtterly condemned the same and the very tenour of the Oath it selfe and last lines therof are That euery ●●e shall sweare without any Equiuocation or mentall reseruation at ●●l that is to say hartily willingly and truely vpon the true fayth of a Christian. Which being so they see not how they may take the said Oath in truth of conscience for so much as they find no such willingnes in their harts nor can they induce themselues in a matter so neerely concerning the Confession of their faith● to Equiuocate or sweare in any other sense then from his Maiesty is proposed and therfore do thinke it lesse hurt to deny plainly a●d sincerely to sweare then by swearing neyther to giue satisfaction to God nor to his Maiesty nor to themsel●●●● nor to their neighbours And so much for this point Hitherto haue I thought good to relate my for●●● words somewhat at large to the end the Reader may se● my reasonable and duti●ull speach in this behalfe a●● vpon what ground M. Barlow hath fallen into such a ra●e against me as now shall appeare by his reply First of a●● he condēneth me of h●pocrisy saying Let the Reader c●●●●der ●●at an ●ypocrite he is for it is an inseparable marke of ●n hyp●c●●●● to iudge o● othe● m●ns con●●iences the hart of man is Gods peculi●● ●o● an● man to place his cons●s●ory there is high presump●ion so be ●●nneth out in that comon place which maketh nothing at all to ou● purpose as you see For I did not iudg●t or con●●mne then con●ci●nces that tooke the Oath but exc●s●● the same yea interpreted their ●act in good sense giuing my ●ea●ons for it● that they being good Catholike could not be presu●●d to meane otherwise then the in●●gritie of Catholicke doctrine did permit them for that otherwise they should be no good Cat●olickes if they should haue done any thing contrary to that whic● the● selues held to appertaine to the same in which I did not excuse their fact which my whole booke proueth to be vnlaw●ull but only their intention and meaning touching the integrity of Catholick doctrine And this is far dif●erent from the nature of hypocrisy which forbiddeth not all iudging but only euill and rash iudging of other m●ns actions or intentiōs thereby to seeme better more i●st then they For if two for example sake should see M. Barlow to sup largely with flesh and other good meate vpon a vigill or fasting-day and the one should iudge it in the worst part saying that he did it for the loue of h●s belly and sensuality the other should interpret the same spiritually as done for glorifying God in his creatures by his thanks-giuing for the same for liberty also of the ghospell and for to make him the more strong able to ●peake preach his Seruice and Sermon the next day I doubt no● but that this second iudgement would not be censured by him for hypocriticall And this is ou● very case with those that tooke the Oath For that I hearing what they had done and that they were Catholicks did interprete their meaning to the best sense And was not this rather charity then hypocrisy But let vs see a little if you please how M. Barlow can defend this generall proposition of his that it is an inseparable m●rke of an hypocrite to iudge of other mens consciences You haue heard before how wisely he defended a certain definition which he gaue of an Oath now you shall see him as wisely learnedly defend an inseparable propriety or marke of an hypocrite And first you see that here is no distinction or limitation at all whether he iudg well or ill with cause or without cause rashly or maturely how then if wee should heare a man or woman speake ordinarily lewd wordes can no iudgement be made of the speakers consciences without hypocrisie If a man should see another frequēt bad howses or exercise wicked actions may no man iudge him to haue an ill conscience from whence these things doe proceed but he must be ●n hypocrite Moreouer if this bee an inseparable marke or propriety as he saith then according to Aristotle Porphyri●● it must conuenire omni soli semper agree to all only and euer For if it do not agree to all and euer it is not inseparable and if it agree to others besides hypocrites it is not alwaies the marke of an hypocrite and therefore albeit that I had iudged their consciences as M. Barlow imposeth vpon me he could not by good consequēce haue inferred that I was an hypocrite But this is ridiculous that all hypocrites and only hypocrites iudge of mens consciences for first the hypo●rite that soundeth a trumpet before his almes whose conscience doth he iudge The other also that kneeleth and prayeth in the corners of streetes whose conscience doth he iudge or condemne Those also that came to tempt Christ about the woman taken in ●dultery and about Tribute to be payd to Cesar I reade not whose consciences they iudged and therefore would be loath to doe them iniury except M. ●arlow can bring any iust accusation against them and yet were they called hypocrites by our Sauiour whereby i● inferred that all hypocrisy is not subiect to