victuals and fewel that must be for such a multitude of people And these buildings serue likewise to harbour the worst sort of people as Alehouses and Cottages doe I remember that before Christmas was Twelue-moneth I made a Proclamation for this cause That all Gentlemen of qualitie should depart to their owne countreys and houses to maintaine Hospitalitie amongst their neighbours which was equiuocally taken by some as that it was meant onely for that Christmas But my will and meaning was and here I declare that my meaning was that it should alwayes continue One of the greatest causes of all Gentlemens desire that haue no calling or errand to dwell in London is apparently the pride of the women For if they bee wiues then their husbands and if they be maydes then their fathers must bring them vp to London because the new fashion is to bee had no where but in London and here if they be vnmarried they marre their marriages and if they be married they loose their reputations and rob their husbands purses It is the fashion of Italy especially of Naples which is one of the richest parts of it that all the Gentry dwell in the principall Townes and so the whole countrey is emptie Euen so now in England all the countrey is gotten into London so as with time England will onely be London and the whole countrey be left waste For as wee now doe imitate the French fashion in fashion of Clothes and Lackeys to follow euery man So haue wee got vp the Italian fashion in liuing miserably in our houses and dwelling all in the Citie but let vs in Gods Name leaue these idle forreine toyes and keepe the old fashion of England For it was wont to be the honour and reputation of the English Nobilitie and Gentry to liue in the countrey and keepe hospitalitie for which we were famous aboue all the countreys in the world which wee may the better doe hauing a soile abundantly fertile to liue in And now out of my owne mouth I declare vnto you which being in this place is equall to a Proclamation which I intend likewise shortly hereafter to haue publikely proclaimed that the Courtiers Citizens and Lawyers and those that belong vnto them and others as haue Pleas in Terme time are onely necessary persons to remaine about this Citie others must get them into the Countrey For beside the hauing of the countrey desolate when the Gentrie dwell thus in London diuers other mischiefes arise vpon it First if insurrections should fall out as was lately seene by the Leuellers gathering together what order can bee taken with it when the countrey is vnfurnished of Gentlemen to take order with it Next the poore want reliefe for fault of the Gentlemens hospitalitie at home Thirdly my seruice is neglected and the good gouernment of the countrey for lacke of the principall Gentlemens presence that should performe it And lastly the Gentlemen lose their owne thrift for lacke of their owne presence in seeing to their owne businesse at home Therefore as euery fish liues in his owne place some in the fresh some in the salt some in the mud so let euery one liue in his owne place some at Court some in the Citie some in the Countrey specially at Festiuall times as Christmas and Easter and the rest And for the decrease of new Buildings heere I would haue the builders restrained and committed to prison and if the builders cannot be found then the workemen to be imprisoned and not this onely but likewise the buildings to bee cast downe I meane such buildings as may be ouerthrowen without inconuenience and therefore that to be done by order and direction There may be many other abuses that I know not of take you care my Lords the Iudges of these and of all other for it is your part to looke vnto them I heare say robbery begins to abound more then heretofore and that some of you are too mercifull I pray you remember that mercy is the Kings not yours and you are to doe Iustice where trew cause is And take this for a rule of Policie That what vice most abounds in a Common-wealth that must be most seuerely punished for that is trew gouernment And now I will conclude my Speach with GOD as I began First that in all your behauiours aswell in your Circuits as in your Benches you giue due reuerence to GOD I meane let not the Church nor Church-men bee disgraced in your Charges nor Papists nor Puritanes countenanced Countenance and encourage the good Church-men and teach the people by your example to reuerence them for if they be good they are worthy of double honour for their Office sake if they be faultie it is not your place to admonish them they haue another Forum to answere to for their misbehauiour Next procure reuerence to the King and the Law enforme my people trewly of mee how zealous I am for Religion how I desire Law may bee maintained and flourish that euery Court should haue his owne Iurisdiction that euery Subiect should submit himselfe to Law So may you liue a happie people vnder a iust KING freely enioying the fruite of PEACE and IVSTICE as such a people should doe Now I confesse it is but a Tandem aliquando as they say in the Schooles that I am come hither Yet though this bee the first it shall not with the grace of GOD bee the last time of my comming now my choice is taken away for hauing once bene here a meaner occasion may bring mee againe And I hope I haue euer caried my selfe so and by GODS grace euer will as none will euer suspect that my comming here will be to any partiall end for I will euer bee carefull in point of Iustice to keepe my selfe vnspotted all the dayes of my life And vpon this my generall protestation I hope the world will know that I came hither this day to maintaine the Law and doe Iustice according to my Oath IMPRINTED AT LONDON BY ROBERT BARKER AND IOHN BILL PRINTERS TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE ANNO DOM. 1616. Cum Priuilegio
good Subiects and such terrible firebrands of hell as would maintaine the like maximes which these Powder-men did Nay could there be a more gracious part in a King suppose I say it towards Subiects of a contrary Religion then by making them to take this Oath to publish their honest fidelitie in temporal things to me their Soueraigne and thereby to wipe off that imputation and great slander which was laide vpon the whole professours of that Religion by the furious enterprise of these Powder-men And whereas for illustration of this strong argument of his hee hath brought in for a similitude the historie of 1 Nazianzen in Iulian. â—â—ectiuâ primâ Iulian the Apostata his dealing with the Christians when as he straited them either to commit idolatrie or to come within the compasse of treason I would wish the authour to remember that although a similitude may be permitted claudicare vno pede The disproportion of the Cardinals similitude yet this was a very ill chosen similitude which is lame both of feete and hands and euery member of the body For I shall in fewe wordes prooue that it agreeth in no one point saue one with our purpose which is that Iulian was an Emperour and I a King First Iulian was an Apostata one that had renounced the whole Christian faith which he had once professed and became an Ethnike againe or rather an Atheist whereas I am a Christian who neuer changed that Religion that I dranke in with my milke nor euer I thanke GOD was ashamed of my profession Iulian dealt against Christians onely for the profession of CHRISTES cause I deale in this cause with my Subiects onely to make a distinction betweene trew Subiects and falese-hearted traitours Iulians end was the ouerthrow of the Christians my onely end is to maintaine Christianitie in a peaceable gouernement Iulians drift was to make them commit Idolatrie my purpose is to cause my Subiects to make open profession of their naturall Allegiance and ciuill Obedience Iulians meanes whereby he went about it was by craft and insnaring them before they were aware my course in this is plaine cleare and voyd of all obscuritie neuer refusing leaue to any that are required to take this Oath to study it at leisure and giuing them all the interpretation of it they can craue But the greatest dissimilitude of all is in this that Iulian pressed them to commit idolatrie to Idoles and Images but as well I as all the Subiects of my profession are so farre from guilt in this point as wee are counted heretiques by you because we will not commit idolatrie So as in the maine point of all is the greatest contrarietie For Iulian persecuted the Christians because they would not commit idolatrie and ye count me a persecutour because I will not admit idolatrie So as to conclude this point this old sentence may well be applied to Bellarmine in vsing so vnapt a similitude Perdere quos vult Iupiter hos dementat And therefore his vncharitable conclusion doeth not rightly follow That it seemeth vnto him that some such thing should be subtilly or fraudulently included in this Oath as if no man can detest Treason against the King or professe ciuill subiection except hee renounce the Primacie of the Apostolique Sea But how he hath suckt this apprehension out at his fingers ends I cannot imagine for sure I am as I haue oft said hee neuer goeth about to prooue it and to answere an improbable imagination is to fight against a vanishing shadow It cannot be denied indeed that many seruants of CHRIST as well Priests as others haue endured constantly all sorts of torments and death for the profession of CHRIST and therefore to all such his examples as hee bringeth in for verifying the same I need not to giue him any other answere saue onely to remember him that he playeth the part of a sophister in all these his examples of the constancie of Martyrs euer taking Controuersum pro confesso as if this our case were of the same nature But yet that the Reader may the better discouer not onely how vnaptly his similitudes are applied but likewise how dishonestly hee vseth himselfe in all his citations I haue thought good to set downe the very places themselues cited by him together with a short deduction of the trew state of those particular cases whereby how little these examples can touch our case nay by the contrary how rightly their trew sense may bee vsed as our owne weapons to be throwen backe vpon him that alledgeth them shall easily appeare And first for 1 2. Maccab. chap. 6. ver 18. Eleazar If the Arch-priest his ground of refusing the Oath were as good as Eleazars was to forbeare to eate the swines flesh it might not vnfitly be applied by the Cardinal to this purpose An answere to the Card example of Eleazar For as Eleazar was a principall Scribe so is he a principall Priest As Eleazars example had a great force in it to animate the yonger Scribes to keepe the Lawe or in his colourable eating it to haue taught them to dissemble so hath the Arch-priests either to make the inferiour Priests to take the Oath or to refuse it but the ground failing the building cannot stand For what example is there in all the Scripture in which disobedience to the Oath of the King or want of Allegiance is allowed If the Cardinall would remember that when the Church maketh a Lawe suppose to forbid flesh on certaine dayes he that refuseth to obey it incurreth the iust censure of the Church If a man then ought to die rather then to breake the least of Gods Ceremoniall Lawes and to pine and starue his body rather then to violate the Church his positiue Law will he not giue leaue to a man to redeeme his soule from sinne and to keepe his body from punishment by keeping a Kings politike Law and by giuing good example in his Person raise vp a good opinion in me of like Allegiance in the inferiour of his order This application as I take it would haue better fitted this example But let mee remember the Cardinall of another 2 1. Sam. 14.25 Oath inioyned by a King to his people whereby he indangered his owne life and hazarded the safetie of the whole armie when hee made the people sweare in the morning not to taste of any meate vntill night which Oath he exacted so strictly that his eldest sonne and heire apparant Ionathan for breaking of it by tasting a little hony of the top of his rodde though he heard not when the King gaue that Oath had well-nigh died for it And shall an Oath giuen vpon so vrgent an occasion as this was for the apparant safetie of me and my posteritie forbidding my people to drinke so deeply in the bitter cup of Antichristian fornications but that they may keepe so much hony in their hearts as may argue them still espoused to me
pronounce in the like case Mala est impia consuetudo contra Deum disputandi siuè seriò id fit siuè simulatè It is an euill and a wicked custome saith hee to dispute against God whether it be in earnest or in iest Now my Lords I addresse my selfe vnto your Lordships and according vnto the charge which I haue receiued from the King my Master I coniure you by the amitie that is betwixt his Kingdomes and your Prouinces the which on his part will continue alwayes inuiolable to awaken your spirits and to haue a carefull eye at this Assembly of Holland which is already begunne ne quid Respublica detrimenti capiat That the Common wealth take no harme which vndoubtedly at one time or other will be turned vpside downe if you suffer such a dangerous contagion to barbour so neere you and not remoue it out of your Prouinces assoone as possibly you may The disciples of Socinus with whose doctrine he hath bene suckled in his childhood doe seeke him for their Master and are ready to embrace him Let him goe bee is a Bird of their owne feather Et dignum sanè patellâ operculum A couer fit for such a dish On the other side the Students in Diuinitie at Leyden to the number of 56. by a duetiful Remonstrance presented vnto the States of Holland the 16. of October the last yeere did most humbly beseech the said States not to vse their authoritie in compelling them to receiue a Professor who both by the attestations of the Diuinitie Colledges at Basil and Heydelberg as also by manifest euidence out of his owne writings is conuinced of an infinite number of Heresies These reasons therefore namely the proofes of so many enormous and horrible Heresies maintained in his Bookes the instance of his Maiestie grounded vpon the welfare and honour of this Countrey the requests either of all or of the most part of your Prouinces the petitions of all the Ministers excepting those onely which are of Arminius Sect should me thinkes preuaile so farre with my Lords the States of Holland and we hope will so farre preuaile as they will at the last apply themselues to the performance of that which both the sinceritie of Religion and the seruice of their Countrey requireth at their hands Furthermore I haue commandement from his Maiestie to mooue you in his Name to set downe some certaine Reglement in matters of Religion throughout your Prouinces that this licentious freedome of disputation may by that meanes be restrained which breeds nothing but Factions and part-taking and that you would absolutely take away the libertie of Prophecying which Vorstius doeth so much recommend vnto you in the dedicatorie Epistle of his Anti-Bellarmine the Booke whereof his Patrons doe boast so much To conclude his Maiestie doeth exhort you seeing you haue heretofore taken Armes for the libertie of your consciences and haue so much endured in a violent and bloody warre the space of fourtie yeeres for the profession of the Gospel that now hauing gotten the vpper hand of your miseries you would not suffer the followers of Arminius to make your actions an example for them to proclaime throughout the world that wicked doctrine of the Apostasie of the Saints To bee short the account which his Maiestie doeth make of your amitie appeares sufficiently by the Treaties which hee hath made with your Lordships by the succours which your Prouinces haue receiued from his crownes by the deluge of blood which his subiects haue spent in your warres Religion is the onely sowder of this Amitie For his Maiestie being by the Grace of GOD Defender of the Faith by which Title hee doeth more value himselfe then by the Title of King of Great Britaine doeth hold himselfe obliged to defend all those who professe the same Faith and Religion with him But if once your zeale begin to grow colde therein his Maiestie will then straightwayes imagine that your friendship towards him and his subiects will likewise freeze by little and little Thus much I had in charge to adde vnto that which his Maiestie in his owne letters hath written vnto you You may bee pleased to consider of it as the importance of the cause doeth require and to resolue thereupon that which your wisedomes shall thinke fittest for the honour and seruice of your Countrey But our Ambassadour hauing after a delay for the space of diuers weekes receiued this cold and ambiguous answere vnto our Letter and Proposition that is to say That The Lords States Generall hauing seriously deliberated vpon the Proposition which was made vnto them by our Ambassadour the fift of Nouember as also vpon our Letters of the sixt of October deliuered vnto them at the same time did very humbly giue vs thankes for the continuance of our Royall affection toward the welfare of their Countreys and the preseruation of the trew reformed Christian Religion therein And that the said States Generall as also the States of Holland and Westfrizeland in their seuerall assemblies respectiuely hauing entred into consultation with all due reuerence and regard vnto vs concerning those Articles wherewith Doctor Conradus Vorstius was charged the Curators of the Vniuersitie of Leyden did thereupon take occasion to make an order prouisionall that the said Vorstius should not bee admitted to the exercise of his place which was accordingly performed So as vpon the matter hee was then in the Citie of Leyden but as an inhabitant or Citizen And that in case the said Vorstius should not bee able to cleare himselfe from those accusations which were layd to his charge before or in the next Assembly of the States of Holland and Westfrizeland which was to bee holden in February following the Lords States Generall did then assure themselues that the States of Holland and Westfrizeland would decide the matter with good contentment And therefore forasmuch as at that time there could be no more done in the cause without great inconuenience and distaste to the principall Townes of the said Prouinces our Ambassadour was required to recommend thus much in the best manner he could vnto vs and with the most aduantage to the seruice of their Countrey Vpon the coldnesse therefore of this Answere which hee feared would giue vs no satisfaction hee thought it was now high time to consider what the last remedy might bee whereof vse was to bee made for the aduancement of this businesse and perceiuing that hee had already performed all the rest of our commandements excepting onely to Protest in case of refusall and esteeming such a cold answere accompanied with so many delayes to be no lesse in effect then an absolute refusall hee thereupon resolued to make this Protestation in their publique assemblie which hereafter followeth MY Lords The Historiographers who haue diligently looked into the Antiquities of France doe obserue that the Aduocates there in times past were accustomed to begin their pleadings with some Latine Sentence taken out of the holy Scriptures I
shall at this time follow their example and my Sentence shall be this Si peccauerit in te frater tuus argue eum inter te ipsum solum si audiuerit te lucratus es fratrem tuum si non audiuerit te adhibevnum atque alterum vt in ore duorum vel trium stet omne verbum si non audiuerit eos dic Ecclesiae If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene him and thee alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if hee heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may bee confirmed and if hee refuse to heare them tell it vnto the Church There is not any one of you as I suppose in this Assemblie that will not acknowledge the brotherly loue wherewith the King my Master hath alwayes affected the good of your Prouinces and the fatherly care which hee hath euer had to procure the establishment of your State In which respect his Maiestie hauing vnderstood that my Lords the States of Holland were determined to call vnto the place of Diuinitie Professour in the Vniuer sitie of Leyden one Doctor Conradus Vorstius a person attainted by many witnesses iuris facti of a number of Heresies the shame whereof would light vpon the Church of God and consequently vpon his Maiesties person and Crownes is therewith exceedingly offended And for the more timely preuention of an infinitie of euils which necessarily would thereupon ensue did giue mee in charge by expresse Letters to exhort you which I did the 21. of September last to wash your hands from that man and not to fuffer him to come within your Countrey To this exhortation your answere was that in the carriage of this businesse all due obseruance and regard should be had vnto his Maiestie Neuerthelesse so it is that his Maiestie hath receiued so little respect heerein as that in stead of debarring Vorstius from comming into the Countrey which euen by the lawes of friendship his Maiestie might haue required the proceedings haue beene cleane contrary for he is suffered to come vnto Leyden hath beene receiued there with all honour hath there taken vp his habitation where he is treated and lodged in the qualitie of a publique Professour His Maiestie then perceiuing that his first motion had so little preuailed thought good to write himselfe a Letter vnto you to the same purpose full of zeale and affection perswading you by many reasons there set downe at length not to staine your owne honour and the honour of the reformed Churches by calling vnto you that wretched and wicked Atheist These Letters were presented in this Assembly the fifth of Nouember a great number of the Deputies of the Townes of Holland being then present At which time as I was commanded by his Maiestie I vsed some speach my selfe to the same effect Some sixe weekes after I receiued an Answere to my Proposition but an Answere confused ambiguous and wholly impertinent by which I haue reason to conceiue that there is no meaning at all to send Vorstius away who is at this present in Leyden receiued and acknowledged respected and treated as publique Professour whether it be to grace that Vniuersitie in stead of the deceased Ioseph Scaliger I cannot tell or whether it bee to giue him meanes to doe more mischiefe in secret which perhaps for shame hee durst not in publique For these reasons according vnto that charge which I haue receiued from the King my Master I doe in his name and on his behalfe Protest in this Assembly against the wrong iniurie and scandall done vnto the reformed Religion by the receiuing and reteining of Conradus Vorstius in the Vniuersitie of Leyden and against the violence offered vnto that Alliance which is betwixt his Maiestie and your Prouinces the which beeing founded vpon the preseruation and maintenance of the reformed Religion you haue not letted so much as in you lies absolutely to violate in the proceeding of this cause Of which enormous indignities committed against the Church of GOD and against his Maiesties person in preferring the presence of Vorstius before his Amitie and Alliance the King my Master holds himselfe bound to bee sensible and if reparation thereof bee not made and that speedily which cannot be by any other meanes then by sending Vorstius away his Maiestie will make it appeare vnto the world by some such Declaration as he will cause to be printed and published how much he detests the Atheismes and Heresies of Vorstius and all those that maintaine fauour and cherish them This is my charge which if I had failed to performe I had failed in my duetie both towards the Seruice of GOD which is now in question as also toward the honour of the King my Master who will alwayes bee ready to maintaine the puritie of the reformed Religion though it were with the profusion of his owne blood the blood of his children and subiects This Protestation being made the States after some deliberation framed vs an answere in these termes That howsoeuer His Maiestie of GREAT BRITAINE had not yet receiued that contentment which Hee might expect in this businesse of Vorstius neuerthelesse they did not doubt but that at the Assembly of the States of Holland in February next His Maiestie should receiue entire satisfaction Which answere gaue some life to our hope that at the said assembly of the States to bee holden the fifteenth day of the next moneth of Februarie GOD will vouchsafe so to open the eyes of those of Holland as that they may be able to discerne what a Cockatrice egge they hatch within their bosome and that seeing the smooth speaches of Vorstius doe but verifie the old Prouerbe Latet anguis in herbâ There lurkes a snake in the grasse they will at that assembly resolue to purge their Territories from the poison of his Heresie Wee mention Holland because the other Prouinces namely Frizeland and Zeland and some part of Holland likewise are already so distasted with his Heresies as of themselues they haue desired Holland to banish him out of the Countrey And certainely wee are no lesse sorie then amazed that the Curators of Leyden as appeareth by a long letter which they haue written to the States Ambassador resident with vs can haue their vnderstanding so stupified as to haue made choice of the person of Vorstius for a man well qualified to appease the Schismes and troubles of their Church and Vniuersitie and as an apt instrument of peace For to shew their blindnesse in this they need no other answere then Exitus acta probat The issue tries the action Seeing to our great griefe it cannot bee denied but that there hath bene more distraction of spirits and a greater diuision in their State since the comming of Vorstius then was for many yeeres before witnesse so many Bookes and Accusations written against him and his answeres thereunto
the Order of Matrimonie and Relgion is wounded By this deuice not onely the Kings vices but likewise his naturall diseases and infirmities are fetcht into the circle of Religion and the L. Cardinall hath not done himselfe right in restraining the Popes power to depose Kings vnto the cases of Heresie Apostasie and persecution of the Church In the next place followeth Leo III. who by setting the Imperial Crowne vpon the head of Charles absolued all the Subiects in the West of their obedience to the Greeke Emperours if the L. of Perron might bee credited in this Example But indeed it is crowded among the rest by a slie tricke and cleane contrary to the naked trewth of all histories For it shall neuer be iustified by good historie that so much as one single person or man I say not one Countrey or one people was then wrought or wonne by the Pope to change his copy and Lord or from a subiect of the Greeke Emperours to turne subiect vnto Charlemaine Let me see but one Towne that Charlemaine recouered from the Greeke Emperours by his right and title to his Empire in the West No the Greeke Emperours had taken their farewell of the West Empire long before And therefore to nicke this vpon the tallie of Pope Leo his Acts that he tooke away the West from the Greeke Emperour it is euen as if one should say that in this aage the Pope takes the Dukedome of Milan from the French Kings or the citie of Rome from the Emperours of Germanie because their Predecessours in former aages had beene right Lords and gouernours of them both It is one of the Popes ordinary and solemne practises to take away much after the maner of his giuing For as he giueth what he hath not in his right and power to giue or bestoweth vpon others what is already their owne euen so he taketh away from Kings and Emperors the possessions which they haue not in present hold and possession After this maner he takes the West from the Greeke Emperors when they hold nothing in the West and lay no claime to any citie or towne of the West Empire And what shall wee call this way of depriuation but spoiling a naked man of his garments and killing a man already dead Trew it is the Imperiall Crowne was then set on Charlemaines head by Leo the Pope did Leo therefore giue him the Empire No more then a Bishop that crownes a King at his Royall and solemne consecration doeth giue him the Kingdome For shall the Pope himselfe take the Popedome from the Bishop of Ostia as of his gift because the crowning of the Pope is an Office of long time peculiar to the Ostian Bishop It was the custome of Emperours to be crowned Kings of Italy by the hands of the Archbishop of Milan did he therefore giue the Kingdome of Italy to the said Emperours And to returne vnto Charlemaine If the Pope had conueyed the Empire to him by free and gracious donation the Pope doubtlesse in the solemnitie of his coronation would neuer haue perfourmed vnto his ownecreature an Emperour of his owne making the dueties of adoration Perfectit landibus a Pontifice more Principum antiquorum adoratus est Auentinus Annalium Boiorum lib. 4. Posthaec ab eodem Pontifice vt caeteri veterum Prineipum mere maiorum aioratus est Magnus Sigeb ad an 801. Marianus Scotus lib. 3. Annalium Plat. in vita Leon. 3. Auent Annal. Boio lib. 4. Imperium transferre iure suo in Germanos Carolúmque tacito Senatus consulto plebiscitoque decernunt as Ado that liued in the same aage hath left it on record After the solemne prayses ended saith Ado the chiefe Bishop honoured him with adoration according to the custome of ancient Princes The same is like wise put downe by Auentine in the 4. booke of his Annals of Bauaria The like by the President Fauchet in his Antiquities and by Monsieur Petau Counsellour in the Court of Parliament at Paris in his Preface before the Chronicles of Eusebius Hierome and Sigebert It was therefore the people of Rome that called this Charles the Great vnto the Imperiall dignitie and cast on him the title of Emperour So testifieth Sigebert vpon the yeere 801. All the Romanes with one generall voice and consent ring out acclamations of Imperiall praises to the Emperour they crowne him by the bands of Leo the Pope they giue him the style of Caesar and Augustus Marianus Scotus hath as much in effect Charles was then called Augustus by the Romanes And so Platina After the solemne seruice Leo declareth and proclaimeth Charles Emperour according to the publike Decree and generall request of the people of Rome Auentine and Sigonius in his 4. booke of the Kingdome of Italie witnesse the same Neuerthelsse to gratifie the L. Cardinall Suppose Pope Leo dispossessed the Greeke Emperours of the West Empire What was the cause what infamous acte had they done what prophane and irreligious crime had they committed Nicephorus and Irene who reigned in the Greeke Empire in Charlemaines time were not reputed by the Pope or taken for Heretikes How then The L. Cardinall helpeth at a pinch and putteth vs in minde that Constantine and Leo predecessours to the said Emperours had beene poysoned with Heresie and stained with persecution Here then behold an Orthodoxe Prince deposed For what cause for Heresie forsooth not in himselfe but in some of his Predecessors long before An admirable case For I am of a contrary minde that he was worthy of double honour in restoring and setting vp the trewth againe which vnder his predecessors had endured oppression and suffered persecution Doubtlesse Pope Siluester was greatly ouerseene and played not well the Pope when hee winked at Constantine the Great and cast him not downe from his Imperiall Throne for the strange infide litie and Paganisme of Diocletian of Maximian and Maxentius whom Constantine succeeded in the Empire From this example the L. of Perron passeth to Fulke Archbishop of Reims Examp. 9. pag. 21. by whom Charles the Simple was threatned with Excommunication and refusing to continue any longer in the fidelity and allegiance of a subiect To what purpose is this example For who can be ignorant that all aages haue brought forth turbulent and stirring spirits men altogether forgetfull of respect and obseruance towards their Kings especially when the world finds them shallow and simple-witted like vnto this Prince But in this example where is there so much as one word of the Pope or the deposing of Kings Here the L. Cardinall chops in the example of Philip I. King of France but mangled and strangely disguised as hereafter shall be shewed At last he leadeth vs to Gregory VII surnamed Hildebrand Exam. 11. An. 1076. the scourge of Emperours the firebrand of warre the scorne of his aage This Pope after he had in the spirit of pride and in the very height of all audaciousnesse thundred the sentence of
to display the colours and ensignes of their censures against Princes who violating their publike and solemne oath doe raise and make open warre against Iesus Christ I grant yet againe that in this case they need not admit Laics to be of their counsell nor allow them any scope or libertie of iudgement Yet all this makes no barre to Clerics for extending the power of their keyes many times a whole degree further then they ought and when they are pleased to make vse of their said power to depriue the people of their goods or the Prince of his Crowne all this doeth not hinder Prince or people from taking care for the preseruation of their owne rights and estates nor from requiring Clerics to shew their cards and produce their Charts and to make demonstration by Scripture that such power as they assume and challenge is giuen them from God For to leaue the Pope absolute Iudge in the same cause wherein hee is a partie and which is the strongest rampier and bulwarke yea the most glorious and eminent point of his domination to arme him with power to vnhorse Kings out of their seates what is it else but euen to draw them into a state of despaire for euer winning the day or preuailing in their honourable and rightful cause It is moreouer granted if a King shall command any thing directly contrary to Gods word and tending to the subuerting of the Church that Clerics in this case ought not onely to dispense with subiects for their obedience but also expresly to forbid their obedience For it is alwayes better to obey God then man Howbeit in all other matters whereby the glory and maiestie of God is not impeached or impaired it is the duety of Clerics to plie the people with wholesome exhortation to constant obedience and to auert by earnest disswasions the said people from tumultuous reuolt and seditious insurrection This practise vnder the Pagan Emperours was held and followed by the ancient Christians by whose godly zeale and patience in bearing the yoke the Church in times past grew and flourished in her happy and plentifull increase farre greater then Poperie shall euer purchase and attaine vnto by all her cunning deuices and sleights as namely by degrading of Kings by interdicting of Kingdoms by apposted murders and by Diabolicall traines of Gunne-powder-mines The places of Scripture alleadged in order by the Cardinal Pag 66. in fauour of those that stand for the Popes claime of power and authoritie to depose Kings are cited with no more sincerity then the former They alledge these are his words that Samuel deposed King Saul or declared him to bee deposed because hee had violated the Lawes of the Iewes Religion His Lordship auoucheth elsewere that Saul was deposed because he had sought prophanely to vsurpe the holy Priesthood Both false and contrary to the tenour of trewth in the sacred history For Saul was neuer deposed according to the sense of the word I meane depose in the present question to wit as deposing is taken for despoiling the King of his royall dignitie and reducing the King to the condition of a priuate person But Saul held the title of King and continued in possession of his Kingdome euen to his dying day 1. Sam. 23.20 24.15 2. Sam. 2.5 Yea the Scripture styles him King euen to the periodicall and last day of his life by the testimony of Dauid himselfe who both by Gods promise and by precedent vnction was then heire apparant as it were to the Crown in a maner then ready to gird and adorne the temples of his head For if Samuel by Gods commandement had then actually remooued Saul from his Throne doubtlesse the whole Church of Israel had committed a grosse errour in taking and honouring Saul for their King after such deposition doubtlesse the Prophet Samuel himselfe making knowen the Lords Ordinance vnto the people would haue enioyned them by strict prohibition to call him no longer the King of Israel Doubtlesse Dauid would neuer haue held his hand from the throat of Saul 1. Sam. 26.11 for this respect and consideration because he was the Lords Anointed For if Saul had lost his Kingly authority from that instant when Samuel gaue him knowledge of his reiection then Dauid lest otherwise the Body of the Kingdome should want a Royall Head was to beginne his Reigne and to beare the Royall scepter in the very same instant which were to charge the holy Scriptures with vntrewth in as much as the sacred historie begins the computation of the yeeres of Dauids Reigne from the day of Sauls death Trew it is that in the 1. Sam. cap. 15. Saul was denounced by Gods owne sentence a man reiected and as it were excommunicated out of the Kingdome that hee should not rule and reigne any longer as King ouer Israel neuerthelesse the said sentence was not put in execution before the day when God executing vpon Saul an exemplarie iudgement did strike him with death From whence it is manifest and cleare 1. Sam. 16.23 that when Dauid was annointed King by Samuel that action was onely a promise and a testimony of the choice which God had made of Dauid for succession immediately after Saul and not a present establishment inuestment or installment of Dauid in the Kingdome Wee reade the like in 1. King cap. 19. where God commandeth Elias the Prophet to annoint Hasael King of Syria For can any man bee so blinde and ignorant in the sacred historie to beleeue the Prophets of Israel established or sacred the Kings of Syria For this cause 2. Sam. 2.4 when Dauid was actually established in the Kingdome hee was annointed the second time In the next place he brings in the Popes champions vsing these words Rehoboam was deposed by Ahiah the Prophet 1 King 12. from his Royall right ouer the tenne Tribes of Israel because his father Salomon had played the Apostata in falling from the Law of God This I say also is more then the trewth of the sacred history doeth afoard For Ahiah neuer spake to Rehoboam for ought we reade nor brought vnto him any message from the Lord As for the passage quoted by the L. Cardinal out of 3. Reg. chap. 11. it hath not reference to the time of Rehoboams raigne but rather indeed to Salomons time nor doeth it carry the face of a iudicatorie sentence for the Kings deposing but rather of a Propheticall prediction For how could Rehoboam before hee was made King be depriued of the Kingdome Last of all but worst of all to alleadge this passage for an example of a iust sentence in matter of deposing a King is to approoue the disloyall treacherie of a seruant against his master and the rebellion of Ieroboam branded in Scripture with a marke of perpetuall infamie for his wickednesse and impietie He goes on with an other example of no more trewth 1. King 19. King Achab was deposed by Elias the Prophet
of his life in the city of Tours Certaine it is they neuer abandoned that Henry 3. nor his next successor Henry 4. in all the heat of reuolts and rebellions raised in the greatest part of the Kingdome by the Pope and the more part of the Clergie but stood to the said Kings in all their battels to beare vp the Crowne then tottering and ready to fall Certaine it is that euen the heads and principalls of those by whom the late King deceased was pursued with all extremities at this day doe enioy the fruit of all the good seruices done to the King by the said Protestants And they are now disgraced kept vnder exposed to publike hatred What for kindling coales of questions and controuersies about Religion Forsooth not so but because if they might haue equall and indifferent dealing if credit might be giuen to their faithfull aduertisements the Crowne of their Kings should bee no longer pinned to the Popes flie-flap in France there should bee no French exempted from subiection to the French King causes of benefices or of matrimonie should bee no longer citable and summonable to the Romish Court and the Kingdome should bee no longer tributarie vnder the colour of annats the first fruits of Benefices after the remooue or death of the Incumbent and other like impositions But why doe I speake so much in the behalfe of the French Protestants The Lord Cardinall himselfe quittes them of this blame when he telleth vs this doctrine for the deposing of Kings by the Popes mace or verge had credit and authoritie through all France vntill Caluins time Doth not his Lordship vnder-hand confesse by these words that Kings had beene alwaies before Caluins time the more dishonoured and the worse serued Item that Protestants whom his Lordship calls heretikes by the light of holy Scripture made the world then and euer since to see the right of Kings oppressed so long before As for those of the Low Countries and the subiects of Swethland I haue little to say of their case because it is not within ordinary compasse and indeed serueth nothing to the purpose These Nations besides the cause of Religion doe stand vpon certaine reasons of State which I will not here take vpon me like a Iudge to determine or to sift Iunius Brutus Whom the Lord Cardinall obiecteth is an author vnknowne and perhaps of purpose patcht vp by some Romanist with a wyly deceit to draw the reformed Religion into hatred with Christian Princes Buchanan I reckon and ranke among Poets not among Diuines classicall or common If the man hath burst out here and there into some tearmes of excesse or speach of bad temper that must be imputed to the violence of his humour and heate of his spirit not in any wise to the rules and conclusions of trew Religion rightly by him conceiued before Barclaius alledged by the Cardinall meddles not with deposing of Kings but deals with disavowing them for Kings when they shal renounce the right of Royalty and of their owne accord giue ouer the Kingdome Now he that leaues it in the Kings choice either to hold or to giue ouer his Crowne leaues it not in the Popes power to take away the Kingdome Of Gerson obtruded by the Cardinal we haue spoken sufficiently before Where it hath beene shewed how Gerson is disguised masked and peruerted by his Lordship In briefe I take not vpon me to iustifie and make good all the sayings of particular authors We glory and well we may that our religion affordeth no rules of rebellion nor any dispensation to subiects for the oath of their allegiance and that none of our Churches giue entertainement vnto such monstrous and abhominable principles of disloyaltie If any of the French otherwise perswaded in former times Richcrius now hauing altered and changed his iudgement doth contend for the Soueraignty of Kings against Papall vsurpation He doubtles for winding himselfe out of the Laborinth of an error so intricate pernicious deserueth great honour and speciall praise He is worthy to hold a place of dignity aboue the L. Cardinall who hath quitted and betrayed his former iudgement which was holy and iust Their motions are contrary their markes are opposite The one reclineth from euill to good the other declineth from good to euill At last his Lordship commeth to the close of his Oration and bindes vp his whole harangue with a feate wreath of praises proper to his King He styles the King the eldest Sonne of the Church a young shoot of the lilly which King Salomon in all his Royaltie was not able to match He leades vs by the hand into the pleasant meadowes of Histories there to learne vpon the very first sight and view That so long so oft as the Kings of France embraced vnion and kept good tearmes of concord with Popes and the Apostolike See so long as the spouse of the Church was pastured and fed among the lillies all sorts of spirituall and temporall graces abundantly showred vpon their Crownes and vpon their people On the contrary when they made any rent or separation from the most holy See then the lillies were pricked and almost choaked with sharpe thornes they beganne to droope to stoope and to beare their beautifull heads downe to the very ground vnder the strong flawes and gusts of boystrous windes and tempests My answere to this flourishing close and vpshot shall be no lesse apert then apt It sauours not of good and faithfull seruice to smooth and stroake the Kings head with a soft hand of oyled speech and in the meane time to take away the Crowne from his head and to defile it with dirt But let vs try the cause by euidence of Historie yea by the voice and verdict of experience to see whether the glorious beauty of the French lillies hath beene at any time blasted and thereupon hath faded by starting aside and making separation from the holy See Vnder the raigne of King Philip the Faire France was blessed with peace and prosperity notwithstanding some outragious acts done against the Papall See and contumelious crying quittance by King Philip with the Pope Lewis 12. in ranged battell defeated the armies of Pope Iulius 2. and his Confederates proclaimed the said Pope to be fallen from the Popedome stamped certaine coynes and pieces of gold with a dishonourable mot euen to Rome it selfe Rome is Babylon yet so much was Lewis loued and honoured of his people that by a peculiar title he was called the Father of the Country Greater blessings of God greater outward peace and plenty greater inward peace with spirituall and celestiall treasures were neuer heaped vpon my Great Brittaine then haue beene since my Great Brittaine became Great in the greatest and chiefest respect of all to wit since my Great Brittaine hath shaken off the Popes yoke since she hath refused to receiue and to entertaine the Popes Legats employed to collect S. Peters tribute or Peter-pence since the Kings of England
is euer to argue our selues of ignorance then to accuse GOD of improuidence But if so much Scripture be lost as is alleadged farewell GOD his prouidence farewell the fidelitie of the Church to whose care was concredited the Oracles of GOD. Let vs come to the writings of Kings where we shall not incurre any danger of this controuersie that were so farre from being acted by GOD his Spirit that they were more like those Disciples of Iohn that had not heard whether there were an Holy-Ghost or no that knew nothing of GOD though they felt neuer so much of his Goodnesse that neuer beleeued his Omnipotencie though they had neuer so much experience of his Power To beginne with the Assyrians whose first Monarch was Nimrod and his chiefe Citie Babel from his time to Sardanapalus the last of that Monarchie there was no King amongst them that gaue himselfe to Letters for as their Kingdome was founded in Tyrannie so they laboured to keepe it in Barbaritie neither must we euer looke to see Learning flourish where Tyrannie beareth the Standerd for Learning hath no more a facultie to bring the minde to vnderstanding then it hath with it a power that workes the will to libertie neither of which can euer consist with Tyrannie And therefore it is no wonder that this aage affoorded no learned Kings for in that State which continued thirteene or foureteene hundred yeeres yee can scarce reade of a learned man Therefore let either Histories or Poets paint that out for a Golden aage as they please there was neuer any aage that hath left so little memory of the Golden tincture of their Witts After the time of Sardanapalus in the dayes of Phull Tiglath-Philasar and Salmanasar of whom mention is made in Scripture and to whom as it is thought Ionas preached and with whom some of the Prophets were conuersant when as these Kings came into the land of Israel as they did in the dayes of Menahem who gaue to Phul-Belochus a thousand Talents of Siluer for a Tribute And in the dayes of Hezechiah came Salmanasar and besieged Samaria three yeeres and caried away a great part of the people of the Kingdome of Israel From that time forward their Kings gaue themselues to Letters insomuch as in the dayes of Nabucodonolor who set vp the Monarchy of the Babylonians within one hundred yeeres of Salmanasar King of the Assyrians learning was in great estimation and the Kings Court was a Schoole for the best witts of the Kingdome to be bred in that they might bee able to stand before the King furnished with all learning and vnderstanding And if Stories do not intollerably deceiue vs Daniel and his companions instructed fiue great Monarches as in the trew knowledge of GOD so in the vnderstanding of all excellent Arts and Sciences Namely Nabuchodonosor Euilmerodack Baltazar Darius of the Medes and Cyrus of the Persians And it were no hard matter to proue the trewth of this out of Daniel himselfe Come to the Persians who conuersed more with the Prophets as with Ezra Nehemiah Zachary Malachy and the people that were in captiuitie we shall finde them giuen much to Letters Cyrus the first Monarch is recorded to haue written large Commentaries of all his diurnall Actions amongst those Books are found saith Esdras the Edicts of reducing of the Iewes to their Countrey He wrote diuers Letters for the same purpose to all the chiefe Cities of Asia some whereof we haue in the 11. of Iosephus Chap. the first Many things likewise are reported to haue bene written of Artaxerxes Darius and some others of those Monarches as wee may partly conceiue by the Canonicall Bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah and more by the Apocriphal Esdras who reports it to haue bene a custome of those Kings so much to delight in learning and in the sayings of wise men that they vsed for an exercise in their greatest Solemnities to haue solemne Orations made in the presence of the King and State of sundry purposes which whoso performed to the liking of the King was rewarded with the highest Preferments that so mighty a Monarch could aduance them vnto Come we to the Graecians and there we shall finde Learning in the Tropicke of Cancer at such a height as it neuer was before nor euer that we read of since And surely it is worth the obseruing that when that extarordinary Diuine Light went out humane Learning came in and the ende of the Prophets was the beginning of the Poets The last of the diuinity of the one the first of the Philosophy of the other for from the end of the Captiuity till the Comming of our Sauiour Christ the space of foure hundreth yeares and more in which there was no Prophet that euer J reade of there were so many Orators Poets and Philosophers of such singular giftes in all kindes as wee are onely their Schollers since and can neuer attaine to the Excellency of our Master Jn this time Alexander the Great was as famous for his Learning and writings as he was for his Victories He wrote to Antipater of all his owne Actions in Asia and in India as Plutark reports in his Life S. Ciprian in his Tractate of the vanitie of Jdoles saith that Alexander the Great wrote Insigne Volumen to his Mother wherein he signifies vnto her how it was tolde him by a certaine Egyptian-Priest that all the Gods of the Gentiles had bene but men And S. Augustine also in his twelft Booke De ciuitate Dei makes mention of other of the writings of Alexander to Olimpias his Mother about the Succession of the Monarchies Amongst the Kings of Syria Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes writ many Bookes and sent them into Iudea about changing the Rites and Ceremonies of the Iewes into the Religion of the Grecians The principall heades of his Bookes may be found in the Bookes of Machabes and in Iosephus Amongst the Romans which of their Emperours did not aduance his fame by Letters Iulius Caesar besides many other things writ his Commentaries after the example of Cyrus Octauius as Suetonius reportes writ many Volumes The historie of his owne life Exhortations to Philosophie Heroick Verses Epigrams Tragedies and diuers other things of whom I will only relate two Stories not impertinent to my purpose He is reported to haue bene a very diligent searcher out of all such Bookes as appertayned to the Roman-Ethnick-Religion All the Bookes Fatidicorum of Fortune-tellers that proceeded not from approued Authors both of Greeke and Latin he cast in the fire to the number of two thousand Onely he reserued the writings of the Sibills but with that choise as hee burnt all such of them as he thought to bee counterfeit J relate this Story the rather for that J thinke it were a good President for our Augustus to follow to make a diligent search of all good and profitable Authors As for all Hereticall Pamphlets slaunderous Libells and impertinent writings to commit them to Vulcane for one of
doe write of Piety or Deuotion compile a History giue Precepts of Policy handle Moralls or treate of some rare Experiences of Nature wee doe in these things commend his Iudgement admire his parts without any euill cogitation against his Person There can hardly be giuen a more viue Example in this case then is to be found in the Writings of his Maiestie When the King had published his Basilicon-Doron a Booke so singularly penned that a Pomegranat is not so full of kernells as that is of Excellent Counsells What applause had it in the world How did it inflame mens minds to a loue and admiration of his Maiestie beyond measure Insomuch that comming out iust at the time his Maiestie came in it made the hearts of all his people as one Man as much to Honour him for Religion and Learning as to obey him for Title and Authoritie and gaue vs then a taste or rather the first fruits of that we haue since reaped a plentifull Haruest of by his Maiesties most prudent and Gracious Gouernment ouer vs. The like I may say of his Maiesties Demonologie a rare peece for many Precepts and Experiments both in Diuinitie and Naturall Philosophie Jn these there was nothing heard of but Sunne-shine and faire-weather euery countenance sweet and smiling vpon them But as soone as his Maiestie dealt against the Pope tooke the Cardinall in hand made the world see the vsurped power of the one and Sophistry of the other Good Lord what a stirre we had what roaring of the wilde Bulls of Basan what a commotion in euery Countrey Jnsomuch that I thinke there is scarce a People Language or Nation in Christendome out of which his Maiestie hath not receiued some answere or other either by way of resuting or at least by rayling So that had not the King contemned and made himselfe sport and recreation by such kinde of Reuelling rather then bene mooued to passion It could not haue bene but a marueilous perturbation to a Prince of so exquisite sense and vnderstanding But what of all this Shall wee wish his Maiestie had not fought with beasts at Ephesus stopped the roaring of the Bull nor encountered the Cardinall Trewly when J thinke vpon the wonderfull abuses and Hyperbolicall indignities his Maiestie hath receiued from these men I am somewhat of that minde But when on the other side J consider his Maiesties zeale for to maintaine the cause of GOD and Right of Kings his singular dexteritie to doe it the blessing of GOD that hath followed vpon his so doing of it I cannot but change my opinion and bee of another minde And the better to induce you to bee of my minde I will make vnto you a trew Relation of his Maiesties entering into this businesse and then leaue it to your consideration whether there were not a Diuine hand that led his into it or no. Jt is the Speach of our Blessed Sauiour that there is nothing hid that shall not be knowne and what is spoken in darkenesse shall be heard in the Light This his Maiestie as himselfe confesseth found trew in the comming foorth of one of his Bookes and I thinke it may bee found as trew in the comming foorth of some other of them For after the Pope had put forth his Breues and the Cardinall had sent his Letters to the Archpriest the one to enioyne the People not to take the Oath of Allegiance affirming they could not take it with safety of their Saluation the other to reproue the Arch-priest for that hee had taken it and to draw him to a penitencie for so foule a Lapse His Maiestie like as became a Prudent and a Religious Prince thought it not meete that these things should passe for current but that it was expedient his People should know that the taking of this Oath was so farre from endangering their Soules as that it intended nothing but ciuill Obedience and without touching any point of their conscience made the State secure of their Allegiance To performe this worke his Maiestie thought the Bishop of Winchester that then was a very fit man both for his singular Learning as for that he had long laboured in an Argument not much of a diuers nature from this Whereupon his Maiestie calling for penne and incke to giue my L. of Winchester directions how and in what maner to proceed in this Argument I know not how it came to passe but it fell out trew that the Poet saith Amphora coepit Institui currente rota post vrceus exit For the Kings Penne ranne so fast that in the compasse of sixe dayes his Maiestie had accomplished that which hee now calleth his Apologie which when my Lord of Canterburie that then was and my Lord of Elie had perused being indeed deliuered by his Maiestie but as briefe Notes and in the nature of a Minute to bee explicated by the Bishop in a larger Volume yet they thought it so sufficient an Answere both to the Pope and Cardinall as there needed no other Whereupon his Maiestie was perswaded to giue way to the comming of it foorth but was pleased to conceale his Name And so haue wee the Apologie beyond his Maiesties owne purpose or determination After that the Apologie was out his Maiestie diuerse times would bee pleased to vtter a Resolution of his that if the Pope and Cardinall would not rest in his answere and sit downe by it take the Oath as it was intended for a point of Allegiance and Ciuill Obedience Hee would publish the Apologie in his owne name with a Preface to all the Princes in Christendome wherein hee would publish such a Confession of his Faith perswade the Princes so to vindicate their owne Power discouer so much of the Mysterie of Jniquitie vnto them as the Popes Bulles should pull in their hornes and himselfe wish he had neuer medled with this matter The Cardinall contending against the Apologie his Maiestie confirmed his Resolution and with the like Celerity in the compasse of one weeke wrote his Monitory-Preface for as Hirtius said of Caesars Comentaries Qua foelicitate they were done let others iudge but Qua celeritate J can tell And being so written published it and the Apologie in his owne Name and made good his word sent it to the Emperour and all the Kings and free Princes in Christendome Now hauing made this Relation wherein J haue deliuered nothing but trewth Let me offer vnto you some few things worthy Consideration First that vpon the comming foorth of that Booke there were no States that disauowed the Doctrine of it in that point of the Kings power And the Venetians mainetained it in their writings and put it in Execution The Sorbons maintained it likewise in France Secondly their owne writers that opposed it so ouerlashed as they were corrected and castigated of men of their owne Religion Becanus his Booke corrected by the Cardinalles of Rome Bellarmines Booke burnt in Paris Suarez his Answere burnt also in France As for the
World euen our Aduersaries as Moses said being Iudges And praysed be GOD the present time passeth a long with the like felicity and much more Securitie for let me recount a little for the Glory of GOD and encouragement of his Maiestie to goe on in his happie Course begunne the Blessings of GOD we receiue by him And then let our Aduersaries tell vs whether we be a miserable People or no as some of late haue gone about to perswade vs. Neither doe J stand in feare of any mans reprehension for J will speake nothing but trewth and I haue my President from GOD his owne Booke wherein the good Actes of euery good King are to their eternall praises trewly recounted First to beginne with Religion as the Generall to the Armie Of all Gods Blessings wee haue it without any alteration or change contynued vnto vs. His Maiesties first Care was for the Confirmation of the Gospell for at his Maiesties first comming in who knowes not the endeauours of men to haue made a change either to the Papists or to the Puritanes His Maiestie therefore to quiet the State and Peace of the Church called a Conference at Hampton-Court where passing ouer the one as being neuer in his heart to giue the least way vnto He so tempered the other as the Harmony hath bene the better euer since The Religion thus ratified His Maiesties next Care was for the Translation of the Bible it being the ground of our Religion His Maiestie was desirous his People should haue it in as much perfection as the Jndustrie and Labors of the best Learned were able to afford it them Hauing done what was necessary for the Spirituall part of the Church his Maiestie tooke into consideration the Temporal State thereof No sooner came the Parliament but finding what spoile had bene made of the Lands thereof in the tyme of his Predecessors by a libertie they had to take the Landes of the Church for a longer Terme then others could doe Cut himselfe off from that libertie and equalled himselfe to a common person in the taking of any State in the Churches Landes When his Maiestie had done this in England he looked backe into Scotland and reforming the State of the Church there as farre as in his Princely-Wisedome he thought conuenient for the time restored the Bishops there as to their Spirituall Keies so to their temporall Estates though it were to the great losse and dammage of his owne Reuennue and Crowne From Scotland his Maiestie came to Ireland that forlorne Kingdome both for Temporall and Spiritual estate till be looked into it There his Maiestie hath reduced the Bishoppricks not only to their old Rents but added vnto them many new Reuennues so that many places there are answerable to the best Liuings here Neither hath his Care bene onely on these high places of the Church but hath descended to the lowest in the same hauing both protected the Benefices from being raysed to any higher Taxe and hindred all courses that might giue his Cleargie molestation or trouble His Maiesties Bountie hath not bene wanting to Colledges and Hospitalls hauing parted with his owne Tenures to giue them power of larger Indowments whereby there hath bene works of more sumptuousnes and cost done in his Maiesties time then there hath bene in any one aage before J may not forget one thing that since his Maiesties comming to this Crowne he hath neuer put into his Coffers the meane proffitts of any Ecclesiasticall liuing but hath bene a Fidus-Depositarius and euer giuen them to the next Jncumbent Let me descend a little from these workes of Piety to Peace Neuer hath there bene so vniuersall a Peace in Christendome since the time of our Sauiour Christ as in these his Dayes And I dare say as much if not more by the procurement of his Maiestie then by any other earthly meanes in this world A Peace to let forraigne partes passe so entertayned at home that in his Maiesties three Kingdomes apt enough by constitution and not vnaccustomed by practise to be at variance there hath bene no Ciuill dissension at all With Peace GOD hath giuen vs Plentie So that if Peace and Plenty haue not made vs too too wanton I know not what wee want Neither is there any crying out for lacke of Iustice in our Courtes for neuer was there Iustice administred with more liberty from the King nor more vprightnes from the Judges And yet in the free dispensation of Iustice Mercie did neuer more triumph If this bee to bee miserable J know not what on earth they call Happinesse GOD continue these still vnto vs and then let them call Happinesse what they please But I know wherefore all is miserable because there is no more Mercy shewed to their Catholiks J will put it as a Crowne vpon all his Maiesties Mercies There was neuer King that had so great a cause giuen him that euer tooke so little bloode extending his Mercy to all that were not personall workers in that Powder-Plot And before that you had hatched that Monster neither was the person or purse of any your reputed Catholicks touched And since that time you may doe well to complaine of your Miseries but the Church and Comonwealth both doe trauaile and groane vnder the burthen of your disobedience But the worst J wish you is that at length by his Maiesties long Patience you may bee drawne to Repentance for as we are come out from you lest we should bee partakers of your plagues so we pray for you that you may come in to vs that you may be participants of our felicities To Conclude this Preface GOD hath giuen vs a Solomon and GOD aboue all things gaue Solomon Wisedome Wisedome brought him peace Peace brought him Riches Riches gaue him Glory His wisedome appeared in his wordes and Workes his Peace he preserued by the power of his Army His riches he raysed as by his Reuennue so by the Trade of his Nauie His Glory did accrue from them all Now as in these GOD exalted him beyond all the Kings that euer were or should be after him So had he in other things Humiliations not farre behind the proportion of his Exaltations the fearefullest fall that the Scripture affords an Example of the most vnchast life and immoderate excesse of Women that we read of the weakest Posterity for Wisedome and Gouernment that we finde in all the Line of his Succession GOD would haue it so that he should no more be set out as a Type of the Glory of his owne Sonne in the felicity of his State one way then he would haue him proposed as a patterne of Humane frailty an other way Therefore though we may not approach him in his Typicall State yet GODS Name be blessed that hath giuen vs to goe farre beyond him in his personall Condition For we haue already blessed be GOD seene the Constancie and perseuerance of his Maiesty in his Holy Profession without any Eclipse or Shaddow of
often haue heard already and the in-dwellers of the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the booke of life before the foundation of the world was laide of this wondering yee heard before they shall wonder I say at this beast which was to wit in great power and is not to wit in a maner as ye presently heard and yet is I meane doeth stand though farre decayed from the former greatnesse 9 Take good heede vnto this that I declare vnto thee for herein shall the trew wisedome of men be tried to wit in knowing by this my description what particular Empire and Tyrannie I speake of And the seuen heads of this beast signifie aswell seuen materiall hilles whereupon the seate of this Monarchie is situated as also seuen kings or diuers formes of Magistrates that this Empire hath had and is to haue hereafter 10 Fiue of them haue beene alreadie one is presently and makes the sixt another shall follow it and make the seuenth but it is not yet come and when it comes it shall remaine but a very short space 11 And this beast which was to wit so great and is not for now it is decaying as thou presently hast heard it is the eight and yet one of the seuen for this beast which rose out of the ruines of the fourth Monarchie as ye heard before in respect it vseth an hereticall Tyrannie ouer the consciences of men by that new forme of Empire is different from any of the rest and so is the eight and yet because this forme of gouernment shall haue the same seate which the rest had and vse as great Tyrannie and greater vpon the world and shall vse the same forme in ciuill gouernment which one of the seuen vsed therefore because it is so like them I call it one of the seuen 12 And the tenne hornes which thou sawest signifie tenne Kings to wit the great number of subalterne Magistrates in all the Prouinces vnder that Monarchy who haue not yet receiued their kingdome for vnder all the diuers sorts of gouernments that shall be in it except the last and hereticall sort these subalterne powers shall be but in the ranke of subiects but they shall take their kingly power with the beast to wit at the very time that this Apollyon shall rise out of the ashes of the fourth beast or Monarchie the kings of the earth shall become his slaues and subalterne Magistrates whereas the subiects were onely the power of that Monarchie before so as the hornes or powers of this beast were but of subiects before it was wounded but after the healing of it the worldly kings and rulers shall become the powers and hornes of it 13 These shall haue one counsell and shall giue their strength and power to the beast to wit these kings shal all willingly yeeld obedience to Babylon and shall employ their whole forces for the maintenance of that Monarchie and the persecution of the Saints 14 For they shal fight with the Lambe in his members albeit all in vaine for in the end the Lambe shall ouercome them because he is Lord of lords and King of all kings and these that are with him and followeth him are called Chosen and Faithfull 15 He also said vnto me The waters that thou saw this Whore sit vpon are the peoples multitudes nations and tongues that haue subiected themselues to her Empire 16 But as touching these ten hornes thou saw thus farre I foretell vnto thee although that for a time these kings shall be slaues and seruants to Babylon and shall be her instruments to persecute the Saints the time shall come before the consummation that they shall hate the Whore who abused them so strongly and long and shall make her to be alone for they shall withdraw from her their Subiects the nations that were her strength and shall make her naked for they shall discouer the mysterie of her abominations and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire to wit they shall spoile her of her riches power and glory and so destroy her 17 But doe not thou wonder at this for God gaue them in their hearts to wit permitted them to be abused by her for a space that they might doe what pleased her and consent to all her vnlawfull policies and pretences and giue their kingdomes vnto this beast vntill the words of God might be accomplished to wit they shall submit their very Crownes and take the right thereof from her vnto the fulnesse of times here prophecied At what time God shall raise them vp as ye heard to destroy Babylon for the hearts of the greatest kings as well as of the smallest subiects are in the hands of the Lord to be his instruments and to turne them as it shall please him to employ them 18 And this woman or Whore which thou sawest is that great citie and seate of this Beast or Monarchie which beareth rule ouer the kings of the earth as thou hast heard alreadie But although it be one seat yet diuers and a great number of kings or heads thereof shall succeed into it one to another all vpholding an hereticall religion and false worship of God and one forme of gouernment as the fourth Monarchie did out of the which this did spring as ye haue heard CHAP. XVIII ARGVMENT The sorrow of the earth for the destruction of the Popedome The profite that worldly men had by his standing The great riches and wealth of that Church The Pope by his Pardons makes merchandise of the soules of men Heauen and the Saints reioyce at his destruction albeit the earth and the worldlings lament for the same ANd then I saw another Angel comming downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth shined with his glory for so soone as God by one of the seauen Angels who had the phials had more plainely described vnto mee this woman sitting on the beast then he did before hee now appointeth this other Angel who is Christ to declare vnto me and proclaime to the world as is signified by his comming downe to the earth for that cause the iust condemnation of Babylon according to her sinnes 2 And hee cryed out with a loude voyce saying It is fallen It is fallen Babylon that great Citie and it is made the dwelling place of vncleane spirits and the habitation of all vncleane and hatefull fowles to wit it shall be destroyed and that great Citie the seate of that Monarchie shall be desolate for euer euen as it was prophesied of Ierusalem 3 Because all nations haue drunke of the Vine of her whoredome and the kings of the earth haue committed whoredome with her and the Merchants of the earth are become rich by the great wealth of her delights in so great a worldly glory and pompe did that Monarchie shine 4 And I heard another voyce from heauen to wit the voyce of the holy Spirit saying Goe foorth from her my people to wit all the chosen
ratified in Heauen the curse that in that case here I giue vnto you For I protest before that Great GOD I had rather not bee a Father and childlesse then bee a Father of wicked children But hoping yea euen promising vnto my selfe that GOD who in his great blessing sent you vnto mee shall in the same blessing as hee hath giuen mee a Sonne so make him a good and a godly Sonne not repenting him of his Mercie shewed vnto mee I end with my earnest prayer to GOD to worke effectually into you the fruites of that blessing which here from my heart I bestow vpon you Your louing Father I. R. TO THE READER CHaritable Reader it is one of the golden Sentences which Christ our Sauiour vttered to his Apostles that there is nothing so couered Luk. 12. that shal not be reuealed neither so hidde that shall not be knowen and whatsoeuer they haue spoken in darkenesse should be heard in the light and that which they had spoken in the eare in secret place should be publikely preached on the tops of the houses And since he hath said it most trew must it be fince the authour thereof is the fountaine and very being of trewth which should mooue all godly and honest men to be very warie in all their secretest actions and whatsoeuer middesses they vse for attaining to their most wished ends lest otherwise how auowable soeuer the marke be whereat they aime the middesses being discouered to be shamefull whereby they climbe it may turne to the disgrace both of the good worke it selfe and of the authour thereof since the deepest of our secrets cannot be hidde from that all-seeing eye and penetrant light piercing through the bowels of very darkenesse it selfe But as this is generally trew in the actions of all men so is it more specially trew in the affaires of Kings for Kings being publike persons by reason of their office and authority are as it were set as it was said of old vpon a publike stage in the sight of all the people where all the beholders eyes are attentiuely bent to looke and pry in the least circumstance of their secretest drifts Which should make Kings the more carefull not to harbour the secretest thought in their minde but such as in the owne time they shall not be ashamed openly to auouch assuring themselues that Time the mother of Veritie will in the due season bring her owne daughter to perfection The trew practise hereof I haue as a King oft found in my owne person though I thanke God neuer to my shame hauing laide my count euer to walke as in the eyes of the Almightie examining euer so the secretest of my drifts before I gaue them course as how they might some day bide the touchstone of a publike triall And amongst therest of my secret actions which haue vnlooked for of me come to publike knowledge it hath so fared with my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 directed to my eldest son which I wrote for exercise of mine owne ingyne and instruction of him who is appointed by God I hope to sit on my Throne after me For the purpose and matter thereof being onely fit for a King as teaching him his office and the person whomfor it was ordained a Kings heire whose secret counsellor and faithfull admonisher it must be I thought it no wayes conuenient nor comely that either it should to all be proclaimed which to one onely appertained and specially being a messenger betwixt two so coniunct persons or yet that the mould whereupon he should frame his future behauiour when hee comes both vnto the perfection of his yeeres and possession of his inheritance should before the hand be made common to the people the subiect of his future happy gouernment And therefore for the more secret and close keeping of them I onely permitted seuen of them to be printed the Printer being first sworne for secrecie and these seuen I dispersed amongst some of my trustiest seruants to be keeped closely by them lest in case by the iniquitie or wearing of time any of them might haue beene lost yet some of them might haue remained after me as witnesses to my Sonne both of the honest integritie of my heart and of my fatherly affection and naturall care towards him But since contrary to my intention and expectation as I haue alreadie said this Booke is now vented and set foorth to the publike view of the world and consequently subiect to euery mans censure as the current of his affection leades him I am now forced as well for resisting to the malice of the children of enuie who like waspes sucke venome out of euery wholsome herbe as for the satisfaction of the godly honest sort in any thing that they may mistake therein both to publish and spread the true copies thereof for defacing of the false copies that are alreadie spread as I am enformed as likewise by this Preface to cleare such parts thereof as in respect of the concised shortnesse of my Style may be mis-interpreted therein To come then particularly to the matter of my Booke there are two speciall great points which as I am informed the malicious sort of men haue detracted therein and some of the honest sort haue seemed a little to mistake whereof the first and greatest is that some sentences therein should seeme to furnish grounds to men to doubt of my sinceritie in that Religion which I haue euer constantly professed the other is that in some parts thereof I should seeme to nourish in my minde a vindictiue resolution against England or at the least some principals there for the Queene my mothers quarrell The first calumnie most grieuous indeed is grounded vpon the sharpe and bitter wordes that therein are vsed in the description of the humors of Puritanes and rash-headie Preachers that thinke it their honour to contend with Kings and perturbe whole kingdomes The other point is onely grounded vpon the strait charge I giue my Sonne not to heare nor suffer any vnreuerent speeches or bookes against any of his parents or progenitors wherein I doe alledge my owne experience anent the Queene my mother affirming that I neuer found any that were of perfit aage the time of her reigne here so stedfastly trew to me in all my troubles as these that constantly kept their allegiance to her in her time But if the charitable Reader will aduisedly consider both the methode and matter of my Treatise he will easily iudge what wrong I haue sustained by the carping at both For my Booke suppose very small being diuided in three seuerall parts the first part thereof onely treats of a Kings duety towards God in Religion wherein I haue so clearely made profession of my Religion calling it the Religion wherein I was brought vp and euer made profession of and wishing him euer to continue in the same as the onely trew forme of Gods worship that I would haue thought my sincere plainnesse in that
righteousnesse that their persons as bright lampes of godlinesse and vertue may going in and out before their people giue light to all their steps Remember also that by the right knowledge and feare of God which is the beginning of Wisedome Prou 9.10 as Salomon saith ye shall know all the things necessarie for the discharge of your duetie both as a Christian and as a King seeing in him as in a mirrour the course of all earthly things whereof hee is the spring and onely moouer Now the onely way to bring you to this knowledge The meanes to know God is diligently to reade his word and earnestly to pray for the right vnderstanding thereof Search the Scriptures sayth Christ for they beare testimonie of me and Iohn 5.39 the whole Scripture saith Paul is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach 2. Tim. 3.16.17 to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfite vnto all good workes And most properly of any other belongeth the reading thereof vnto Kings Deut. 17. since in that part of Scripture where the godly Kings are first made mention of that were ordained to rule ouer the people of God there is an expresse and most notable exhortation and commandement giuen them to reade and meditate in the Law of God I ioyne to this the carefull hearing of the doctrine with attendance and reuerence for faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 sayth the same Apostle But aboue all beware ye wrest not the word to your owne appetite as ouer many doe making it like a bell to sound as ye please to interprete but by the contrary frame all your affections to follow precisely the rule there set downe The whole Scripture chiefly containeth two things a command Wherein chiefely the whole Scripture consisteth and a prohibition to doe such things and to abstaine from the contrary Obey in both neither thinke it enough to abstaine from euill and do no good nor thinke not that if yee doe many good things it may serue you for a cloake to mixe euill turnes therewith And as in these two points the whole Scripture principally consisteth Two degrees of the seruice of God so in two degrees standeth the whole seruice of God by man interiour or vpward exteriour or downward the first by prayer in faith towards God the next by workes flowing therefra before the world which is nothing else but the exercise of Religion towards God and of equitie towards your neighbour As for the particular points of Religion I need not to dilate them I am no hypocrite follow my footsteps A regardable paterne and your owne present education therein I thanke God I was neuer ashamed to giue account of my profession howsoeuer the malicious lying tongues of some haue traduced me and if my conscience had not resolued me that all my Religion presently professed by me and my kingdome was grounded vpon the plaine wordes of the Scripture without the which all points of Religion are superfluous as any thing contrary to the same is abomination I had neuer outwardly auowed it for pleasure or awe of any flesh And as for the points of equitie towards your neigbour because that will fall in properly vpon the second part concerning a Kings office I leaue it to the owne roume For the first part then of mans seruice to his God Religion which is Religion that is the worship of God according to his reuealed will it is wholly grounded vpon the Scripture as I haue alreadie said quickened by faith and conserued by conscience For the Scripture I haue now spoken of it in generall but that yee may the more readily make choice of any part thereof for your instruction or comfort remember shortly this methode The whole Scripture is dyted by Gods Spirit The methode of Scripture thereby as by his liuely word to instruct and rule the whole Church militant to the end of the word It is composed of two parts the Olde and New Testament The ground of the former is the Lawe which sheweth our sinne and containeth iustice the ground of the other is Christ who pardoning sinne containeth grace The summe of the Law is the tenne Commandements more largely delated in the bookes of Moses Of the Law interpreted and applied by the Prophets and by the histories are the examples shewed of obedience or disobedience thereto and what praemium or poena was accordingly giuen by God But because no man was able to keepe the Law nor any part thereof it pleased God of his infinite wisedome and goodnesse to incarnate his only Sonne in our nature for satisfaction of his iustice in his suffering for vs that since we could not be saued by doing we might at least bee saued by beleeuing The ground therefore of the word of grace Of Grace is contained in the foure histories of the birth life death resurrection and ascention of Christ The larger interpretation and vse thereof is contained in the Epistles of the Apostles and the practise in the faithfull or vnfaithfull with the historie of the infancie and first progresse of the Church is contained in their Actes Would ye then know your sinne by the Lawe Vse of the Law reade the bookes of Moses containing it Would ye haue a commentarie thereupon Reade the Prophets and likewise the bookes of the Prouerbes and Ecclesiastes written by that great patterne of wisedome Salomon which will not only serue you for instruction how to walke in the obedience of the Lawe of God but is also so full of golden sentences and morall precepts in all things that can concerne your conuersation in the world as among all the prophane Philosophers and Poets ye shall not finde so rich a storehouse of precepts of naturall wisedome agreeing with the will and diuine wisedome of God Would ye see how good men are rewarded and wicked punished looke the historicall parts of these same bookes of Moses together with the histories of Ioshua the Iudges Ezra Nehemiah Esther and Iob but especially the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles wherewith ye ought to bee familiarly acquainted for there shall yee see your selfe as in a myrrour in the catalogue either of the good or the euill Kings Would yee know the doctrine life and death of our Sauiour Christ Vse of the Gospel reade the Euangelists Would ye bee more particularly trained vp in his Schoole meditate vpon the Epistles of the Apostles And would ye be acquainted with the practises of that doctrine in the persons of the primitiue Church Cast vp the Apostles Actes And as to the Apocryphe bookes I omit them because I am no Papist as I said before and indeed some of them are no wayes like the dytement of the Spirit of God But when ye reade the Scripture How to reade the Scripture reade it with a sanctified and chaste heart admire reuerently
late shall he finde that beautie without bountie wealth without wisdome and great friendship without grace and honestie are but faire shewes and the deceitfull masques of infinite miseries But haue ye respect my Sonne to these three speciall causes in your Mariage Matth. 13. A special caution in mariage which flow from the first institution thereof caetera omnia adijcientur vobis And therefore I would rathest haue you to Marie one that were fully of your owne Religion her ranke and other qualities being agreeable to your estate For although that to my great regrate the number of any Princes of power and account professing our Religion bee but very small and that therefore this aduice seemes to be the more strait and difficile yet ye haue deeply to weigh and consider vpon these doubts how ye and your wife can bee of one flesh and keepe vnitie betwixt you being members of two opposite Churches disagreement in Religion bringeth euer with it disagreement in maners and the dissention betwixt your Preachers and hers wil breed and foster a dissention among your subiects taking their example from your family besides the perill of the euill education of your children Neither pride you that ye wil be able to frame and make her as ye please that deceiued Salomon the wisest King that euer was the grace of Perseuerance not being a flowre that groweth in our garden Remember also that Mariage is one of the greatest actions that a man doeth in all his time especially in taking of his first Wife and if hee Marie first basely beneath his ranke he will euer be the lesse accounted of thereafter For keeping the blood pure Pla. 5. de Rep. Cic. 2. de Din. Arist de gen An. Lucr. 4. And lastly remember to choose your Wife as I aduised you to choose your seruants that she be of a whole and cleane race not subiect to the hereditary sicknesses either of the soule or the body For if a man wil be careful to breed horses and dogs of good kinds how much more careful should he be for the breed of his owne loines So shal ye in your Mariage haue respect to your conscience honour and naturall weale in your successours When yee are Maried keepe inuiolably your promise made to God in your Mariage which standeth all in doing of one thing and abstayning from another to treat her in all things as your wife and the halfe of your selfe and to make your body which then is no more yours but properly hers common with none other Pl. 11. de leg Is in Sym. I trust I need not to insist here to disswade you from the filthy vice of adulterie remember onely what solemne promise yee make to God at your Mariage and since it is onely by the force of that promise that your children succeed to you which otherwayes they could not doe aequitie and reason would ye should keepe your part thereof God is euer a seuere auenger of all periuries Cic. 2. de leg and it is no oath made in iest that giueth power to children to succeed to great kingdomes Haue the King my grand-fathers example before your eyes who by his adulterie bred the wracke of his lawfull daughter and heire in begetting that bastard who vnnaturally rebelled and procured the ruine of his owne Souerane and sister And what good her posteritie hath gotten sensyne of some of that vnlawfull generation Bothuell his treacherous attempts can beare witnesse Keepe praecisely then your promise made at Mariage as ye would wish to be partaker of the blessing therein And for your behauiour to your Wife the Scripture can best giue you counsell therein Treat her as your owne flesh command her as her Lord cherish her as your helper rule her as your pupill and please her in all things reasonable Arist. 8. Aeth 1 Pel. Xen. Arist in oeco but teach her not to be curious in things that belong her not Ye are the head shee is your body It is your office to command and hers to obey but yet with such a sweet harmonie as shee should be as ready to obey as ye to command as willing to follow as ye to go before your loue being wholly knit vnto her and all her affections louingly bent to follow your will And to conclude keepe specially three rules with your Wife first Arist 1 rhet Plu. in Meron Aegid R. de reg pr. Plu. 5. de Reâ— 7. de leg suffer her neuer to meddle with the Politicke gouernment of the Common-weale but holde her at the Oeconomicke rule of the house and yet all to be subiect to your direction keepe carefully good and chaste company about her for women are the frailest sexe and be neuer both angry at once but when ye see her in passion ye should with reason danton yours for both when yee are setled ye are meetest to iudge of her errours and when she is come to her selfe she may be best made to apprehend her offence and reuerence your rebuke If God send you succession be carefull for their vertuous education A Kings behauiour towards his children Plu. in Thes 4. 5 de Rep. 6. 7. de l. Arist 7. pol. A caution foreshewing future diuision loue them as ye ought but let them know as much of it as the gentlenesse of their nature will deserue contayning them euer in a reuerent loue and feare of you And in case it please God to prouide you to all these three Kingdomes make your eldest sonne Isaac leauing him all your kingdomes and prouide the rest with priuate possessions Otherwayes by deuiding your kingdomes yee shall leaue the seed of diuision and discord among your posteritie as befell to this I le by the diuision and assignement thereof to the three sonnes of Brutus Locrine Albanact and Camber Polid. 1. Crownes come not in commerce But if God giue you not succession defraud neuer the nearest by right what-soeuer conceit yee haue of the person For Kingdomes are euer at Gods disposition and in that case we are but liue-rentars lying no more in the Kings nor peoples hands to dispossesse the righteous heire And as your company should be a paterne to the rest of the people Plu. in Pol. Cic. ad Q. frat so should your person be a lampe and mirrour to your company giuing light to your seruants to walke in the path of vertue and representing vnto them such worthie qualities as they should preasse to imitate I need not to trouble you with the particular discourse of the foure Cardinall vertues The right vse of temperance Arist 5. pol. Pol. 6. Cic. 1. off 2. de inuen in Par. it is so troden a path but I will shortly say vnto you make one of them which is Temperance Queene of all the rest within you I meane not by the vulgar interpretation of Temperance which onely consists in gustu tactu by the moderating of
of God for the weale of them that doe well and as the minister of God Rom. 13. to take vengeance vpon them that doe euill as S. Paul saith And finally 1. Sam. 8. As a good Pastour to goe out and in before his people as is said in the first of Samuel Ierem. 29. That through the Princes prosperitie the peoples peace may be procured as Ieremie saith And therefore in the Coronation of our owne Kings as well as of euery Christian Monarche they giue their Oath first to maintaine the Religion presently professed within their countrie according to their lawes whereby it is established and to punish all those that should presse to alter or disturbe the profession thereof And next to maintaine all the lowable and good Lawes made by their predecessours to see them put in execution and the breakers and violaters thereof to be punished according to the tenour of the same And lastly to maintaine the whole countrey and euery state therein in all their ancient Priuiledges and Liberties as well against all forreine enemies as among themselues And shortly to procure the weale and flourishing of his people not onely in maintaining and putting to execution the olde lowable lawes of the countrey and by establishing of new as necessitie and euill maners will require but by all other meanes possible to fore-see and preuent all dangers that are likely to fall vpon them and to maintaine concord wealth and ciuilitie among them as a louing Father and careful watchman caring for them more then for himselfe knowing himselfe to be ordained for them and they not for him and therefore countable to that great God who placed him as his lieutenant ouer them vpon the perill of his soule to procure the weale of both soules and bodies as farre as in him lieth of all them that are committed to his charge And this oath in the Coronation is the clearest ciuill and fundamentall Law whereby the Kings office is properly defined By the Law of Nature the King becomes a naturall Father to all his Lieges at his Coronation And as the Father of his fatherly duty is bound to care for the nourishing education and vertuous gouernment of his children euen so is the king bound to care for all his subiects As all the toile and paine that the father can take for his children will be thought light and well bestowed by him so that the effect thereof redound to their profite and weale so ought the Prince to doe towards his people As the kindly father ought to foresee all inconuenients and dangers that may arise towards his children and though with the hazard of his owne person presse to preuent the same so ought the King towards his people As the fathers wrath and correction vpon any of his children that offendeth ought to be by a fatherly chastisement seasoned with pitie as long as there is any hope of amendment in them so ought the King towards any of his Lieges that offend in that measure And shortly as the Fathers chiefe ioy ought to be in procuring his childrens welfare reioycing at their weale sorrowing and pitying at their euill to hazard for their safetie trauell for their rest wake for their sleepe and in a word to thinke that his earthly felicitie and life standeth and liueth more in them nor in himselfe so ought a good Prince thinke of his people As to the other branch of this mutuall and reciprock band is the duety and alleageance that the Lieges owe to their King the ground whereof I take out of the words of Samuel dited by Gods Spirit when God had giuen him commandement to heare the peoples voice in choosing and annointing them a King And because that place of Scripture being well vnderstood is so pertinent for our purpose I haue insert herein the very words of the Text. 9 NOw therefore hearken to their voice howbeit yet testifie vnto them and shew them the maner of the King that shall raigne ouer them 10 So Samuel tolde all the wordes of the Lord vnto the people that asked a King of him 11 And he said This shall be the maner of the King that shall raigne ouer you he will take your sonnes and appoint them to his Charets and to be his horsemen and some shall runne before his Charet 12 Also hee will make them his captaines ouer thousands and captaines ouer fifties and to eare his ground and to reape his haruest and to make instruments of warre and the things that serue for his charets 13 Hee will also take your daughters and make them Apothicaries and Cookes and Bakers 14 And hee will take your fields and your vineyards and your best Oliue trees and giue them to his seruants 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your Vineyards and giue it to his Eunuches and to his seruants 16 And he will take your men seruants and your maid seruants and the chiefe of your yong men and your asses and put them to his worke 17 He will take the tenth of your sheepe and ye shall be his seruants 18 And ye shall cry out at that day because of your King whom ye haue chosen you and the Lord God will not beare you at that day 19 But the people would not heare the voice of Samuel but did say Nay but there shal be a King ouer vs. 20 And we also will be like all other Nations and our King shall iudge vs and goe out before vs and fight our battels That these words and discourses of Samuel were dited by Gods Spirit it needs no further probation but that it is a place of Scripture since the whole Scripture is dited by that inspiration as Paul saith which ground no good Christian will or dare denie Whereupon it must necessarily follow that these speeches proceeded not from any ambition in Samuel as one loath to quite the reines that he so long had ruled and therefore desirous by making odious the gouernment of a King to disswade the people from their farther importunate crauing of one For as the text proueth it plainly he then conueened them to giue them a resolute grant of their demand as God by his owne mouth commanded him saying Hearken to the voice of the people And to presse to disswade them frō that which he then came to grant vnto them were a thing very impertinent in a wise man much more in the Prophet of the most high God And likewise it well appeared in all the course of his life after that his so long refusing of their sute before came not of any ambition in him which he well proued in praying as it were importuning God for the weale of Saul Yea after God had declared his reprobation vnto him yet he desisted not while God himselfe was wrath at his praying and discharged his fathers suit in that errand And that these words of Samuel were not vttered as a prophecie of Saul their first Kings defection
tyrant whom they can obiect nor was here fore-warned to the people of God and yet all rebellion countermanded vnto them if tyrannizing ouer mens persons sonnes daughters and seruants redacting noble houses and men and women of noble blood to slauish and scruile offices and extortion and spoile of their lands and goods to the princes owne priuate vse and commoditie and of his courteours and seruants may be called a tyrannie And that this proposition grounded vpon the Scripture may the more clearely appeare to be trew by the practise often prooued in the same booke we neuer reade that euer the Prophets perswaded the people to rebell against the Prince how wicked soeuer he was When Samuel by Gods command pronounced to the same king Saul 1. Sam. 15. that his kingdome was rent from him and giuen to another which in effect was a degrading of him yet his next action following that was peaceably to turne home and with floods of teares to pray to God to haue some compassion vpon him And Dauid notwithstanding hee was inaugurate in that same degraded Kings roome not onely when he was cruelly persecuted for no offence but good seruice done vnto him would not presume hauing him in his power skantly but with great reuerence to touch the garment of the annoynted of the Lord and in his words blessed him but likewise 1. Sam. 2 4. 2. Sam. 1. when one came to him vanting himselfe vntrewly to haue slaine Saul hee without forme of proces or triall of his guilt caused onely for guiltinesse of his tongue put him to sodaine death And although there was neuer a more monstrous persecutor and tyrant nor Achab was yet all the rebellion that Elias euer raised against him was to flie to the wildernes where for fault of sustentation he was fed with the Corbies And I thinke no man will doubt but Samuel Dauid and Elias had as great power to perswade the people if they had liked to haue employed their credite to vproares rebellions against these wicked kings as any of our seditious preachers in these daies of whatsoeuer religion either in this countrey or in France had that busied themselues most to stir vp rebellion vnder cloake of religion This farre the only loue of veritie I protest without hatred at their persons haue mooued me to be somewhat satyricke And if any will leane to the extraordinarie examples of degrading or killing of kings in the Scriptures thereby to cloake the peoples rebellion as by the deed of Iehu and such like extraordinaries I answere besides that they want the like warrant that they had if extraordinarie examples of the Scripture shall bee drawne in daily practise murther vnder traist as in the persons of Ahud and Iael theft as in the persons of the Israelites comming out of Egypt lying to their parents to the hurt of their brother as in the person of Iacob shall all be counted as lawfull and allowable vertues as rebellion against Princes And to conclude the practise through the whole Scripture prooueth the peoples obedience giuen to that sentence in the law of God Thou shalt not rayle vpon the Iudges neither speake euill of the ruler of thy people To end then the ground of my proposition taken out of the Scripture let two speciall and notable examples one vnder the law another vnder the Euangel Ier. 27. conclude this part of my alleageance Vnder the lawe Ieremie threatneth the people of God with vtter destruction for rebellion to Nabuchadnezar the king of Babel who although he was an idolatrous persecuter a forraine King a Tyrant and vsurper of their liberties yet in respect they had once receiued and acknowledged him for their king he not only commandeth them to obey him Iere. 29. but euen to pray for his prosperitie adioyning the reason to it because in his prosperitie stood their peace And vnder the Euangel that king whom Paul bids the Romanes obey and serue for conscience sake Iere. 13. was Nero that bloody tyrant an infamie to his aage and a monster to the world being also an idolatrous persecuter as the King of Babel was If then Idolatrie and defection from God tyranny ouer their people and persecution of the Saints for their profession sake hindred not the Spirit of God to command his people vnder all highest paine to giue them all due and heartie obedience for conscience sake giuing to Caesar that which was Caesars and to God that which was Gods as Christ saith and that this practise throughout the booke of God agreeth with this lawe which he made in the erection of that Monarchie as is at length before deduced what shamelesse presumption is it to any Christian people now adayes to claime to that vnlawfull libertie which God refused to his owne peculiar and chosen people Shortly then to take vp in two or three sentences grounded vpon all these arguments out of the lawe of God the duetie and alleageance of the people to their lawfull king their obedience I say ought to be to him as to Gods Lieutenant in earth obeying his commands in all things except directly against God as the commands of Gods Minister acknowledging him a Iudge set by GOD ouer them hauing power to iudge them but to be iudged onely by GOD whom to onely hee must giue count of his iudgement fearing him as their Iudge louing him as their father praying for him as their protectour for his continuance if he be good for his amendement if he be wicked following and obeying his lawfull commaunds eschewing and flying his fury in his vnlawfull without resistance but by sobbes and teares to God according to that sentence vsed in the primitiue Church in the time of the persecution Preces Lachrymae sunt arma Ecclesiae Now as for the describing the alleageance that the lieges owe to their natiue King out of the fundamentall and ciuill Lawe especially of this countrey as I promised the ground must first be set downe of the first maner of establishing the Lawes and forme of gouernement among vs that the ground being first right laide we may thereafter build rightly thereupon Although it be trew according to the affirmation of those that pryde themselues to be the scourges of Tyrants that in the first beginning of Kings rising among Gentiles in the time of the first aage diuers common-wealths and societies of men choosed out one among themselues who for his vertues and valour being more eminent then the rest was chosen out by them and set vp in that roome to maintaine the weakest in their right to throw downe oppressours and to foster and continue the societie among men which could not otherwise but by vertue of that vnitie be wel done yet these examples are nothing pertinent to vs because our Kingdome and diuers other Monarchies are not in that case but had their beginning in a farre contrary fashion For as our Chronicles beare witnesse this I le and especially our part of it
foolish deuised Pasquil by some of his enemies to skarre him from his attendance at the Parliament yet did he as a most dutifull and loyall Subiect conclude not to conceale it what euer might come of it Whereupon notwithstauding the latenesse and darknesse of the night in that season of the yeere he presently repaired to his Maiesties Pallace at Whitehall and there deliuered the same to the Earle of Salisbury his Maiesties principall Secretarie Reuealed to the Earle of Salisbury Whereupon the said Earle of Salisbury hauing read the Letter and heard the maner of the comming of it to his hands did greatly encourage and commend my Lord for his discretion telling him plainly that whatsoeuer the purpose of the Letter might proue hereafter yet did this accident put him in mind of diuers aduertisements he had receiued from beyond the Seas wherewith he had acquainted aswell the King himselfe as diuers of his Priuie Counsellors concerning some businesse the Papists were in both at home and abroad making preparations for some combination amongst them against this Parliament time for enabling them to deliuer at that time to the King some petition for toleration of Religion Purpose of the Papists for deliuering a petition to his Maiestie to craue toleration of Religion which should bee deliuered in some such order and so well backed as the King should be loth to refuse their requests like the sturdie beggars crauing almes with one open hand but carying a stone in the other in case of refusall And therefore did the Earle of Salisbury conclude with the Lord Mountegle that he would in regard of the Kings absence impart the same Letter to some more of his Maiesties Councell whereof my L. Mountegle liked well onely adding this request by way of protestation That whatsoeuer the euent hereof might proue it should not be imputed to him as proceeding from too light and too suddaine an apprehension that he deliuered this Letter being onely mooued thereunto for demonstration of his ready deuotion and care for preseruation of his Maiestie and the State And thus did the Earle of Salisbury presently acquaint the Lord Chamberlaine with the said letter The Lord Chamberlaine made priuie to the Letter by the Earle of Salubury Whereupon they two in presence of the Lord Mountegle calling to mind the former intelligence already mentioned which seemed to haue some relation with this Letter The tender care which they euer caried to the preseruation of his Maiesties person made them apprehend that some perillous attempt did thereby appeare to be intended against the same which did the more neerly concerne the said L. Chamberlaine to haue a care of in regard that it doth belong to the charge of his Office to ouersee as well all places of Assembly where his Maiesty is to repaire as his Highnesse owne priuate houses And therfore did the said two Counsailors conclude That they should ioyne vnto themselues three more of the Councell to wit the Lord Admiral the Earles of Worcester and Northampton to be also particularly acquainted with this accident who hauing all of them concurred together to the re-examination of the Contents of the said Letter they did conclude That how slight a matter it might at the first appeare to bee yet was it not absolutely to be contemned in respect of the care which it behooued them to haue of the preseruation of his Maiesties person But yet resolued for two reasons Thought meet by the Councellors to acquaint the King with the Letter first to acquaint the King himselfe with the same before they proceeded to any further inquisition in the matter aswell for the expectation and experience they had of his Maiesties fortunate Iudgement in clearing and soluing of obscure riddles and doubtful mysteries as also because the more time would in the meane while be giuen for the Practise to ripen if any was whereby the Discouery might be the more cleere and euident and the ground of proceeding thereupon more safe iust and easie And so according to their determination did the sayd Earle of Salisbury repaire to the King in his Gallery vpon Friday being Athallow day in the afternoone Vpon Alhallow day the Earle of Sasuburie shewed the Letter to the King which was the day after his Maiesties arriuall and none but himselfe being present with his Highnesse at that time where without any other speach or iudgement giuing of the Letter but onely relating simply the forme of the deliuery thereof he presented it to his Maiestie The contents whereof follow MY Lord Out of the loue I beare to some of your friends I haue a care of your preseruation Therefore I would aduise you as you tender your life to deuise some excuse to shift off your attendance at this Parliament For God and man haue concurred to punish the wickednesse of this Time And thinke not slightly of this Aduertisement but retire your selfe into your Countrey where you may expect the euent in safety For though there be no apparance of any stirre yet I say they shal receiue a terrible Blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who burts them This counsell is not to be contemned because it may doe you good and can doe you no harme for the danger is past so soone as you haue burnt the Letter And I hope God will giue you the grace to make good vse of it To whose holy protection I commend you The King no sooner read the Letter but after a little pause His Maiesties iudgement of the Letter and then reading it ouer againe he deliuered his iudgement of it in such sort as hee thought it was not to be contemned for that the Style of it seemed to bee more quicke and pithie then is vsuall to be in any Pasquil or libel the superfluities of idle braines But the Earle of Salisbury perceiuing the King to apprehend it deepelier then he looked for knowing his nature told him that he thought by one sentence in it that it was like to be written by some foole or madman reading to him this sentence in it For the danger is past as soone as you haue burnt the Letter which hee said was likely to bee the saying of a foole for if the danger was past so soone as the Letter was burnt then the warning behooued to bee of little auayle when the burning of the Letter might make the danger to be eschewed But the King by the contrary considering the former sentence in the Letter That they should receiue a terrible Blow at this Parliament and yet should not see who hurt them Ioyning it to the sentence immediatly following already alledged did therupon coniecture That the danger mentioned should bee some suddaine danger by blowing vp of Powder For no other Insurrection Rebellion or whatsoeuer other priuate and desperate Attempt could bee committed or attempted in time of Parliament and the Authours thereof vnseene except onely it were by a blowing vp of Powder which might
our Myne vnto the Wal and about Candlemas we had wrought the Wall halfe through And whilest they were in working I stood as Sentinell to descrie any man that came neere whereof I gaue them warning and so they ceased vntill I gaue notice againe to proceed All we seuen lay in the House and had shot and powder being resolued to die in that place before we should yeeld or be taken As they were working vpon the wall they heard a rushing in a cellar of remoouing of coales whereupon we feared wee had bene discouered and they sent mee to goe to the cellar who finding that the coales were a selling and that the cellar was to be let viewing the commoditie thereof for our purpose Percy went and hired the same for yeerely rent Wee had before this prouided and brought into the House twentie barrels of powder which we remooued into the cellar and couered the same with billets and faggots which were prouided for that purpose About Easter the Parliament being prorogued till October next wee dispersed our selues and I retired into the Low countreys by aduice and direction of the rest aswell to acquaint Owen with the particulars of the plot as also lest by my longer stay I might haue growne suspicious and so haue come in question In the meane time Percy hauing the key of the cellar layd in more powder and wood into it I returned about the beginning of September next and then receiuing the key againe of Percy wee brought in more powder and billets to couer the same againe and so I went for a time into the countrey till the 30. of October It was further resolued amongst vs that the same day that this acte should haue bene performed some other of our confederates should haue surprised the person of the Lady ELIZABETH the Kings eldest daughter who was kept in Warwickshire at the Lord Haringtons house and presently haue proclaimed her Queene hauing a proiect of a Proclamation ready for that purpose wherein wee made no mention of altering of Religion nor would haue auowed the deed to be ours vntill we should haue had power ynough to make our partie good and then wee would haue auowed both Concerning duke CHARLES the Kings second sonne we had sundry consultations how to seize on his person But because wee found no meanes how to compasse it the duke being kept neere London where we had not forces ynough wee resolued to serue our turne with the Lady ELIZABETH THE NAMES OF OTHER PRINCIPALL PERSONS THAT WERE MADE PRIVIE AFTERwards to this horrible conspiracie Euerard Digby knight Ambrose Rookwood Francis Tresham John Grant Robert Keyes Commiss Notingham Worcester Suffolke Deuonshire Northampton Salisbury Marre Dunbar Popham Edw. Cooke William Waad ANd in regard that before this discourse could be ready to goe to the Presse Thomas Winter being apprehended and brought to the Tower made a confession in substance agreeing with this former of Fawkes onely larger in some circumstances I haue thought good to insert the same likewise in this place for the further clearing of the matter and greater benefit of the Reader THOMAS WINTERS CONFESSION TAKEN THE XXIII OF NOVEMBER 1605. IN THE PRESENCE OF the Counsellors whose names are vnder-written My most Honourable Lords NOt out of hope to obtaine pardon for speaking of my temporall part I may say The fault is greater then can bee forgiuen nor affecting hereby the title of a good Subiect for I must redeeme my countrey from as great a danger as I haue hazarded the bringing of her into before I can purchase any such opinion Onely at your Honours command I will briefly set downe mine owne accusation and how farre I haue proceeded in this businesse which I shall the faithfullier doe since I see such courses are not pleasing to Almightie God and that all or the most materiall parts haue bene already confessed I remained with my brother in the countrey from Alhallontyde vntill the beginning of Lent in the yeere of our Lord 1603. the first yeere of the Kings reigne about which time master Catesby sent thither intreating me to come to London where hee and other my friends would be glad to see me I desired him to excuse me for I found my selfe not very well disposed and which had happened neuer to mee before returned the messenger without my company Shortly I receiued another letter in any wise to come At the second summons I presently came vp and found him with master Iohn Wright at Lambeth where he brake with me how necessary it was not to forsake our countrey for he knew I had then a resolution to goe ouer but to deliuer her from the seruitude in which shee remained or at least to assist her with our vttermost endeuours I answered That I had often hazarded my life vpon farre lighter termes and now would not refuse any good occasion wherein I might doe seruice to the Catholicke cause but for my selfe I knew no meane probable to succeed He said that he had bethought him of a way at one instant to deliuer vs from all our bonds and without any forraine helpe to replant againe the Catholicke Religion and with all told mee in a word It was to blow vp the Parliament house with Gunpowder for said he in that place haue they done vs all the mischiefe and perchance God hath desseigned that place for their punishment I wondered at the strangenesse of the conceipt and told him that trew it was this strake at the root and would breed a confusion fit to beget new alterations But if it should not take effect as most of this nature miscaried the scandall would be so great which Catholicke Religion might hereby sustaine as not onely our enemies but our friends also would with good reason condemne vs. He told me The nature of the disease required so sharpe a remedie and asked me if I would giue my consent I told him yes in this or what els soeuer if he resolued vpon it I would venture my life But I proposed many difficulties As want of an house and of one to cary the Myne noyse in the working and such like His answere was Let vs giue an attempt and where it faileth passe no further But first quoth hee Because wee will leaue no peaceable and quiet way vntryed you shall goe ouer and informe the Constable of the state of the Catholickes here in England intreating him to sollicite his Maiestie at his comming hither that the penall Lawes may be recalled and wee admitted into the rancke of his other Subiects withall you may bring ouer some confident Gentleman such as you shall vnderstand best able for this businesse and named vnto mee master Fawkes Shortly after I passed the Sea and found the Constable at Bergen neere Dunkirke where by helpe of master Owen I deliuered my message Whose answere was that hee had strict command from his Master to doe all good Offices for the Catholickes and for his owne part hee thought himselfe
small sparke should flie out and light among lesse then two pound weight of Powder which was drying a little from the chimney which being thereby blowen vp so maymed the faces of some of the principall Rebels and the hands and sides of others of them blowing vp with it also a great bag full of Powder which notwithstanding neuer tooke fire as they were not only disabled and discouraged hereby from any further resistance in respect Catesby himselfe Rookwood Grant and diuers others of greatest account among them Catesby who was the first inuentor of this Treason in generall and of the maner of working the same by powder in speciall himselfe now first maimed with the blowing vp of powder and next he and Percy both killed with one shot proceeding from powder were thereby made vnable for defence but also wonderfully stroken with amazement in their guiltie consciences calling to memory how God had iustly punished them with that same Instrument which they should haue vsed for the effectuating of so great a sinne according to the olde Latine saying In quo peccamus in eodem plectimur as they presently see the wonderfull power of Gods Iustice vpon guiltie consciences did all fall downe vpon their knees praying GOD to pardon them for their bloody enterprise And thereafter giuing ouer any further debate opened the gate suffered the Sheriffes people to rush in furiously among them and desperately sought their owne present destruction The three specials of them ioyning backes together Catesby Percy and Winter whereof two with one shot Catesby and Percy were slaine and the third VVinter taken and saued aliue And thus these resolute and high aspiring Catholikes who dreamed of no lesse then the destruction of Kings and kingdomes and promised to themselues no lower estate then the gouernment of great and ancient Monarchies were miserably defeated and quite ouerthrowen in an instant falling in the pit which they had prepared for others and so fulfilling that sentence which his Maiestie did in a maner prophecie of them in his Oration to the Parliament some presently slaine others deadly wounded stripped of their clothes left lying miserably naked and so dying rather of cold then of the danger of their wounds and the rest that either were whole or but lightly hurt taken and led prisoners by the Sheriffe the ordinary minister of Iustice to the Gaole the ordinarie place euen of the basest malefactors where they remained till their sending vp to London being met with a huge confluence of people of all sorts desirous to see them as the rarest sort of Monsters fooles to laugh at them women and children to wonder all the common people to gaze the wiser sort to satisfie their curiosity in seeing the outward cases of so vnheard of a villeny generally all sorts of people to satiate and fill their eyes with the sight of them whom in their hearts they so farre admired and detested seruing so for a fearfull and publike spectacle of Gods fierce wrath and iust indignation What hereafter will be done with them is to be left to the Iustice of his Maiestie and the State Which as no good Subiect needes to doubt will be performed in the owne due time by a publike and an exemplarie punishment So haue we all that are faithfull and humble Subiects great cause to pray earnestly to the Almighty that it will please him who hath the hearts of all Princes in his hands to put it in his Maiesties heart to make such a conclusion of this Tragedie to the Traitors but Tragicomedie to the King and all his trew Subiects as thereby the glory of God and his trew Religion may be aduanced the future securitie of the King and his estate procured and prouided for all hollow and vnhonest hearts discouered preuented this horrible attempt lacking due epitheres to be so iustly auenged That where they thought by one Catholike indeed vniuersall blow to accomplish the wish of that Romane tyrant who wished all the bodies in Rome to haue but one necke and so by the violent force of Powder to breake vp as with a Pettard our triple locked peacefull gates of Ianus which God be thanked they could not compasse by any other meanes they may iustly be so recompensed for their trewly viperous intended parricide As Aeneas Sylâ—â—â—â— doth notably write concerning the murther of K. Iames the first of Scotland and the following punishment of the traitours whereof himselfe was an eye witnesse Hist de Europa cap. 46. as the shame and infamie that otherwise would light vpon this whole Nation for hauing vnfortunately hatched such cockatrice egges may be repaired by the execution of famous and honourable Iustice vpon the offendors and so the kingdome purged of them may hereafter perpetually flourish in peace and prosperitie by the happy coniunction of the hearts of all honest and trew Subiects with their iust and religious Soueraigne And thus whereas they thought to haue effaced our memories the memory of them shall remaine but to their perpetuall infamie and wee as I said in the beginning shall with all thankefulnesse eternally preserue the memory of so great a benefite To which let euery good Subiect say AMEN Triplici nodo triplex cuneus OR AN APOLOGIE FOR THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE AGAINST THE TWO BREVES OF POPE PAVLVS QVINTVS AND THE late Letter of Cardinall BELLARMINE to G. BLACKVVEL the Arch-priest VVHat a monstrous rare nay neuer heard-of Treacherous attempt was plotted within these few yeeres here in England for the destruction of Mee my Bed-fellow and our posteritie the whole house of Parliament and a great number of good Subiects of all sorts and degrees is so famous already through the whole world by the infamie thereof as it is needlesse to bee repeated or published any more the horrour of the sinne it selfe doeth so lowdly proclaime it For if those * Gen. 4.10 crying sinnes whereof mention is made in the Scripture haue that epithet giuen them for their publique infamie and for procuring as it were with a lowd cry from heauen a iust vengeance and recompense and yet those sinnes are both old and too common neither the world nor any one Countrey being euer at any time cleane voyd of them If those sinnes I say are said in the Scripture to cry so lowd What then must this sinne doe plotted without cause infinite in crueltie and singular from all examples What proceeded hereupon is likewise notorious to the whole world our Iustice onely taking hold vpon the offenders and that in as honourable and publique a forme of Triall as euer was vsed in this Kingdome 2. For although the onely reason they gaue for plotting so heinous an attempt was the zeale they caried to the Romish Religion yet were neuer any other of that profession the worse vsed for that cause as by our gracious Proclamation immediatly after the discouery of the said fact doeth plainly appeare onely at the next sitting downe againe of the
Parliament there were Lawes made setting downe some such orders as were thought fit for preuenting the like mischiefe in time to come Amongst which a forme of OATH was framed to be taken by my Subiects whereby they should make a cleare profession of their resolution faithfully to persist in their obedience vnto mee according to their naturall allegiance To the end that I might hereby make a separation not onely betweene all my good Subiects in generall and vnfaithfull Traitors that intended to withdraw themselues from my obedience But specially to make a separation betweene so many of my Subiects who although they were otherwise Popishly affected yet retained in their hearts the print of their naturall duetie to their Soueraigne and those who being caried away with the like fanaticall zeale that the Powder-Traitors were could not conteine themselues within the bounds of their naturall Allegiance but thought diuersitie of religion a safe pretext for all kinde of treasons and rebellions against their Soueraigne Which godly and wise intent God did blesse with successe accordingly For very many of my Subiects that were Popishly affected aswell Priests as Layicks did freely take the same Oath whereby they both gaue me occasion to thinke the better of their fidelitie and likewise freed themselues of that heauie slander that although they were fellow professors of one Religion with the powder-Traitors yet were they not ioyned with them in treasonable courses against their Soueraigne whereby all quietly minded Papists were put out of despaire and I gaue a good proofe that I intended no persecution against them for conscience cause but onely desired to be secured of them for ciuill obedience which for conscience cause they were bound to performe 3. But the diuel could not haue deuised a more malicious tricke for interrupting this so calme and clement a course then fell out by the sending hither and publishing a Breue of the Popes countermanding all them of his profession to take this Oath Thereby sowing new seeds of ielousie betweene me and my Popish Subiects by stirring them vp to disobey that lawfull commandement of their Soueraigne which was ordeined to bee taken of them as a pledge of their fidelitie And so by their refusall of so iust a charge to giue mee so great and iust a ground for punishment of them without touching any matter of conscience throwing themselues needlesly into one of these desperate straits either with the losse of their liues and goods to renounce their Allegiance to their naturall Soueraigne or else to procure the condemnation of their soules by renouncing the Catholicke faith as he alleadgeth 4. And on the other part although disparitie of Religion the Pope being head of the contrary part can permit no intelligence nor intercourse of messengers betweene mee and the Pope yet there being no denounced warre betweene vs he hath by this action broken the rules of common ciuilitie and iustice betweene Christian Princes in thus condemning me vnheard both by accounting me a persecutor which cannot be but implied by exhorting the Papists to endure Martyrdome as likewise by so straitly commanding all those of his profession in England to refuse the taking of this Oath thereby refusing to professe their naturall obedience to me their Soueraigne For if he thinke himselfe my lawfull Iudge wherefore hath he condemned me vnheard And if he haue nothing to doe with me and my gouernment as indeed he hath not why doeth he mittere falcem in alienam messem to meddle betweene me and my Subiects especially in matters that meerely and onely concerne ciuill obedience And yet could Pius Quintus in his greatest fury and auowed quarrell against the late Queene doe no more iniurie vnto her then hee hath in this case offered vnto mee without so much as a pretended or an alleadged cause For what difference there is betweene the commanding Subiects to rebell and loosing them from their Oath of Allegiance as Pius Quintus did and the commanding of Subiects not to obey in making profession of their Oath of their dutifull Allegiance as this Pope hath now done no man can easily discerne 5. But to draw neere vnto his Brene wherein certainely hee hath taken more paines then he needed by setting downe in the said Breue the whole body of the Oath at length whereas the onely naming of the Title thereof might as well haue serued for any answere hee hath made thereunto making Vna litura that is the flat and generall condemnation of the whole Oath to serue for all his refutation Therein hauing as well in this respect as in the former dealt both vndiscreetly with me and iniuriously with his owne Catholickes With mee in not refuting particularly what speciall words he quarrelled in that Oath which if hee had done it might haue beene that for the fatherly care I haue not to put any of my Subiects to a needlesse extremitie I might haue beene contented in some sort to haue reformed or interpreted those wordes With his owne Catholickes for either if I had so done they had beene thereby fully eased in that businesse or at least if I would not haue condescended to haue altered any thing in the saide Oath yet would thereby some appearance or shadow of excuse haue beene left vnto them for refusing the same not as seeming thereby to swarue from their Obedience and Allegiance vnto mee but onely beeing stayed from taking the same vpon the scrupulous tendernesse of their consciences in regard of those particular words which the Pope had noted and condemned therein And now let vs heare the words of his thunder POPE PAVLVS THE FIFT to the ENGLISH Catholickes WElbeloued Sonnes The Pope his first Breue Salutation and Apostolicall Benediction The tribulations and calamities which yee haue continually sustained for the keeping of the Catholike Faith haue alwayes afflicted vs with great griefe of minde But for as much as we vnderstand that at this time all things are more grieuous our affliction hereby is wonderfully increased For wee haue heard how you are compelled by most grieuous punishments set before you to goe to the Churches of Heretikes to frequent their assemblies to be present at their Sermons Truely wee doe vndoubtedly beleeue that they which with so great constancie and fortitude haue hitherto indured most cruell persecutions and almost infinite miseries that they may walke without spot in the Law of the Lord will neuer suffer themselues to be defiled with the communion of those that haue forsaken the diuine Law Yet notwithstanding being compelled by the zeale of our Pastorall Office and by our Fatherly care which we doe continually take for the saluation of your soules we are inforced to admonish and desire you that by no meanes you come vnto the Churches of the Heretickes or heare their Sermons or communicate with them in their Rites lest you incurre the wrath of God For these things may ye not doe without indamaging the worship of God and your owne saluation As
away of the Primacie of the Apostolique Sea then are they busie about cutting off the very head of the faith and dissoluing of the state of the whole body and of all the members Which selfe same thing S. Leâ—â— â—â—th confirme in his third Sermon of his Assumption to the Popedom when he saith Our Lord had a special care of Peter praied properly for Peters faith as though the state of others were more stable when their Princes mind was not to be ouercome Whereupon himselfe in his Epistle to the bishops of the prouince of Vienna doth not doubt to affirme that he is not partaker of the diuine Mysterie that dare depart from the solidity of Peter who also saith That who thinketh the Primacy to be denied to that Sea he can in no sort lessen the authority of it but by being puft vp with the spirit of his owne pride doth cast himselfe headlong into hel These and many other of this kind I am very sure are most familiar to you who besides many other books haue diligently read ouer the visible Monarchy of your owne Sanders a most diligent writer and one who hath worthily deserued of the Church of England Neither can you be ignorant that these most holy and learned men Iohn bishop of Rochester and Tho. Moore within our memory for this one most weighty head of doctrine led the way to Martyrdome to many others to the exceeding glory of the English nation But I would put you in remembrance that you should take heart and considering the weightines of the cause not to trust too much to your owne iudgement neither be wise aboue that is meet to be wise and if peraduenture your fall haue proceeded not vpon want of consideration but through humane infirmity for feare of punishment and imprisonment yet do not preferre a temporall liberty to the liberty of the glory of the Sonnes of God neither for escaping a light momentanie tribulation lose an eternal weight of glory which tribulation it selfe doeth worke in you You haue fought a good fight a long time you haue wel-neere finished your course so many yeeres haue you kept the faith do not therefore lose the reward of such labors do not depriue your selfe of that crowne of righteousnes which so long agone is prepared for you Do not make the faces of so many yours both brethren and children ashamed Vpon you at this time are fixed the eyes of all the Church yea also you are made a spectacle to the world to Angels to men Do not so carry your selfe in this your last act that you leaue nothing but laments to your friends and ioy to your enemies But rather on the contrary which we assuredly hope and for which we continually powre forth prayers to God display gloriously the banner of faith and make to reioyce the Church which you haue made heauy so shall you not onely merite pardon at Gods hands but a Crowne Farewell Quite you like a man and let your heart be strengthened From Rome the 28. day of September 1607. Your very Reuerendships brother and seruant in Christ Robert Bellarmine Cardinall THE ANSWERE TO THE CARDINALS LETTER ANd now that I am to enter into the field against him by refuting his Letter I must first vse this protestation That no desire of vaine-glory by matching with so learned a man maketh me to vndertake this taske but onely the care and conscience I haue that such smooth Circes charmes and guilded pilles as full of exterior eloquence as of inward vntrewths may not haue that publike passage through the world without an answere whereby my reputation might vniustly be darkened by such cloudie and foggie mists of vntrewths and false imputations the hearts of vnstayed and simple men be misse-led and the trewth it selfe smothered But before I come to the particular answere of this Letter A great mistaking of the state of the Question and case in hand I must here desire the world to wonder with me at the committing of so grosse an errour by so learned a man as that he should haue pained himselfe to haue set downe so elaborate a Letter for the refutation of a quite mistaken question For it appeareth that our English Fugitiues of whose inward societie with him he so greatly vaunteth haue so fast hammered in his head the Oath of Supremacie which hath euer bene so great a scarre vnto them as he thinking by his Letter to haue refuted the last Oath hath in place thereof onely paied the Oath of Supremacie which was most in his head as a man that being earnestly caried in his thoughts vpon another matter then he is presently in doing will often name the matter or person he is thinking of in place of the other thing he hath at that time in hand For as the Oath of Supremacie was deuised for putting a difference betweene Papists and them of our profession so was this Oath The difference betweene the Oath of Supremacie and this of Allegiance which hee would seeme to impugne ordained for making a difference betweene the ciuilly obedient Papists and the peruerse disciples of the Powder-Treason Yet doeth all his Letter runne vpon an Inuectiue against the compulsion of Catholiques to deny the authoritie of S. Peters successors and in place thereof to acknowledge the Successors of King Henry the eight For in K. Henry the eights time was the Oath of Supremacie first made By him were Thomas Moore and Roffensis put to death partly for refusing of it From his time till now haue all the Princes of this land professing this Religion successiuely in effect maintained the same and in that Oath onely is contained the Kings absolute power to be Iudge ouer all persons aswell Ciuill as Ecclesiastical excluding al forraigne powers and Potentates to be Iudges within his dominions whereas this last made Oath containeth no such matter onely medling with the ciuill obedience of Subiects to their Soueraigne in meere temporall causes And that it may the better appeare that whereas by name hee seemeth to condemne the last Oath yet indeed his whole Letter runneth vpon nothing but vpon the condemnation of the Oath of Supremacie I haue here thought good to set downe the said Oath leauing it then to the discretion of euery indifferent reader to iudge whether he doth not in substance onely answere to the Oath of Supremacie but that hee giues the child a wrong name I A B. doe vtterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the Kings Highnesse is the onely Supreame Gouernour of this Realme and all other his Highnesse Dominions and Countries aswell in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall And that no forraine Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to haue any Iurisdiction Power Superioritie Preeminence or Authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realme And therefore I doe vtterly renounce and forsake all forraine Iurisdictions Powers Superiorities and Authorities and doe promise that from
made doubt or stop in it but at the first offering it vnto him did freely take it as a thing most lawfull neither meanes of threatening or flatterie being euer vsed vnto him as himselfe can yet beare witnesse And as for the temperature and modification of this Oath except that a reasonable and lawfull matter is there set downe in reasonable and temperate wordes agreeing thereunto I know not what he can meane by quarelling it for that fault For no temperatnesse nor modifications in words therein can iustly be called the Deuils craft when the thing it selfe is so plaine and so plainely interpreted to all them that take it as the onely troublesome thing in it all bee the wordes vsed in the end thereof for eschewing Aequiuocation and Mentall reseruation Which new Catholike doctrine may farre iustlier bee called the Deuils craft then any plaine and temperate wordes in so plaine and cleare a matter But what shall we say of these strange countrey clownes whom of with the Satyre we may iustly complaine that they blow both hote cold out of one mouth For Luther and all our bold and free-speaking Writers are mightily railed vpon by them as hote-brained fellowes and speakers by the Deuils instinct and now if we speake moderately and temperately of them it must be tearmed the Deuils craft And therefore wee may iustly complaine with CHRIST that when we 1 Mat. 11.17 mourne they wil not lament and when we pipe they wil not dance But neither Iohn Baptist his seueritie nor CHRIST his meekenesse and lenitie can please them who build but to their owne Monarchie vpon the ground of their owne Traditions and not to CHRIST vpon the ground of his word and infallible trewth But what can bee meant by alleadging that the craft of the Deuill herein is onely vsed for subuersion of the Catholique Faith and euersion of Saint Peters Primacie had neede bee commented anew by Bellarmine himselfe For in all this Letter of his neuer one word is vsed to prooue that by any part of this Oath the Primacie of Saint Peter is any way medled with except Master Bellarmine his bare alleadging which without proouing it by more cleare demonstration can neuer satisfie the conscience of any reasonable man For for ought that I know heauen and earth are no farther asunder then the profession of a temporall obedience to a temporall King is different from any thing belonging to the Catholique Faith or Supremacie of Saint Peter For as for the Catholique Faith No decision of any point of Religion in the Oath of Allegiance can there be one word found in all that Oath tending or sounding to matter of Religion Doeth he that taketh it promise there to beleeue or not to beleeue any article of Religion Or doeth hee so much as name a trew or false Church there And as for Saint Peters Primacie I know no Apostles name that is therein named except the name of IAMES it being my Christen name though it please him not to deigne to name me in all the Letter albeit the contents thereof concerne mee in the highest degree Neither is there any mention at all made therein either disertis verbis or by any other indirect meanes either of the Hierarchie of the Church of Saint Peters succession of the Sea Apostolike or of any such matter but that the Author of our Letter doeth brauely make mention of Saint Peters succession bringing it in comparison with the succession of Henry the eight Of which vnapt and vnmannerly similitude I wonder he should not be much ashamed For as to King Henries Successour which hee meaneth by mee as I I say neuer did nor will presume to create any Article of Faith or to bee Iudge thereof but to submit my exemplarie obedience vnto them in as great humilitie as the meanest of the land so if the Pope could bee as well able to prooue his either Personall or Doctrinall Succession from Saint Peter as I am able to prooue my lineall descent from the Kings of England and Scotland there had neuer beene so long adoe nor so much sturre kept about this question in Christendome neither had 2 Bellar. de Rom. Pont. li. 4. cap. 6. Ibid. l 2. ca. 12. Master Bellarmine himselfe needed to haue bestowed so many sheetes of paper De summo Pontifice in his great bookes of Controuersies And when all is done to conclude with a morall certitude and a piè credendum bringing in the 3 Idem ibid. lib. 2. cap. 14. Popes that are parties in this cause to be his witnesses and yet their historicall narration must bee no article of Faith And I am without vanterie sure that I doe farre more neerely imitate the worthie actions of my Predecessours then the Popes in our aage can be well proued to be similes Petro especially in cursing of Kings and setting free their Subiects from their Allegiance vnto them But now wee come to his strongest argument which is That he would alledge vpon mee a Panicke terrour as if I were possessed with a needlesse feare The Cardinals weightiest Argument For saith the Cardinall from the beginning of the Churches first infancie euen to this day where was it euer heard that euer a Pope either commaunded to bee killed or allowed the slaughter of any Prince whatsoeuer whether hee were an Hereticke an Ethnicke or Persecutour But first wherefore doeth he here wilfully and of purpose omit the rest of the points mentioned in that Oath for deposing degrading stirring vp of armes or rebelling against them which are as well mentioned in that Oath as the killing of them as beeing all of one consequence against a King no Subiect beeing so scrupulous as that hee will attempt the one and leaue the other vnperformed if hee can And yet surely I cannot blame him for passing it ouer since he could not otherwise haue eschewed the direct belying of himselfe in tearmes which hee now doeth but in substance and effect For 1 Bellarm. de Rom Pont. lib. 5. cap. 8. et lib. 3. cap. 16. as for the Popes deposing and degrading of Kings hee maketh so braue vaunts and bragges of it in his former bookes as he could neuer with ciuill honestie haue denied it here But to returne to the Popes allowing of killing of Kings I know not with what face hee can set so stout a deniall vpon it against his owne knowledge How many Emperours did the Pope raise warre against in their owne bowels Who as they were ouercome in battaile were subiect to haue beene killed therein which I hope the Pope could not but haue allowed when he was so farre inraged at 2 Gotfrid Viterb Helmod Cuspinian Henry the fifth for giuing buriall to his fathers dead corpes after the 3 Paschal 2. Pope had stirred him vp to rebell against his father and procured his ruine But leauing these olde Histories to Bellarmines owne bookes that doe most authentically cite them as I haue already
whereof neuer Christian King is or was afraid Was neuer Christian Emperour or King afraid of the Popes How then were these miserable Emperours tost and turmoiled and in the end vtterly ruined by the Popes for proofe whereof I haue already cited Bellarmines owne bookes Was not the 13 Henry 4. Emperour afraid who 14 Abbas Vâ—spergen Lamb Scaff Anno 1077. Plat. in vit Greg. 7. waited barefooted in the frost and snow three dayes at the Popes gate before he could get entrie Was not the 15 Frederick Barbarosia Emperour also afraid 16 Naucler gener 40. Iacob Bergom in Supplem chron Alfons Clacon in vit Alex. 3. who was driuen to lie agroofe on his belly and suffer another Pope to tread vpon his necke And was not another 17 Henry 6. Emperour afraid 18 R. Houeden in Rich 1 Ranulph in Polycronico lib. 7. who was constrained in like maner to endure a third Pope to beat off from his head the Imperiall Crowne with his foot Was not 19 Abbas Vrsper ad Ann. 1191. Nanc gen 40. Cuspin in Philippo Philip afraid being made Emperour against Pope Innocentius the thirds good liking when he brake out into these words Either the Pope shall take the Crowne from Philip or Philip shall take the Miter from the Pope whereupon the Pope stirred vp Ottho against him who caused him to be slaine and presently went to Rome and was crowned Emperour by the Pope though afterward the Pope 1 Abbas Vrsper deposed him too Was not the Emperour 2 Math. Paris in Henr. 3. Petr de Vineis Epist li. 1. 2. Cuspin in Freder 2. Fredericke afraid when Innocentius the fourth excommunicated him depriued him of his crowne absolued Princes of their Oath of fidelitie to him and in Apulia corrupted one to giue him poison whereof the Emperour recouering hee hired his bastard sonne Manfredus to poison him whereof he died What did 3 Vita Frederici Germanicè conscripta Alexander the third write to the Soldan That if he would liue quietly hee should by some slight murther the 4 Fredericke Barbarossa Emperour and to that end sent him the Emperours picture And did not 5 Paul Iouius Hist lib. 2. Cuspinian in Baiazet 11. Guiccâ—ard lib 2. Alexander the sixt take of the Turke Baiazetes two hundred thousand crownes to kill his brother Gemen or as some call him Sisimus whom he helde captiue at Rome Did hee not accept of the conditions to poyson the man and had his pay Was not our 6 Houeden pag. 308. Matth. Paris in Henric 2. Walsinga in Hypodig Neustriae Ioan. Capgraue Henry the second afraid after the slaughter of Thomas Becket that besides his going bare-footed in Pilgrimage was whipped vp and down the Chapter-house like a schoole-boy and glad to escape so to Had not this French King his great grandfather King Iohn reason to be afraid when the 7 Gomecius de rebus gest Fran. Ximenij Archiepis Tolet. lib. 5. Pope gaue away his kingdome of Nauarre to the King of Spaine whereof he yet possesseth the best halfe Had not this King his Successour reason to be afraid when he was forced to begge so submissiuely the relaxation of his Excommunication as he was content likewise to suffer his Ambassadour to be whipped at Rome for penance And had not the late Queene reason to looke to her selfe when she was excommunicated by Pius Quintus her Subiects loosed from their fidelitie and Allegiance toward her her Kingdome of Ireland giuen to the King of Spaine and that famous fugitiue diuine honoured with the like degree of a redde Hat as Bellarmine is was not ashamed to publish in Printan 8 Card. Allens Answere to Stan. letter Anno 1587. Apologie for Stanleys treason maintaining that by reason of her excommunication and heresie it was not onely lawfull for any of her Subiects but euen they were bound in conscience to depriue her of any strength which lay in their power to doe And whether it were armies townes or fortresses of hers which they had in their hands they were obliged to put them in the King of Spaine her enemies hands shee no more being the right owner of anything But albeit it be trew that wise men are mooued by the examples of others dangers to vse prouidence and caution according to the olde Prouerbe Tumtuares agitur paries cùm proximus ardet yet was I much neerlier summoned to vse this caution by the practise of it in mine owne person First by the sending foorth of these Bulles whereof I made mention already for debarring me from entrie vnto this Crowne and Kingdome And next after my entrie and full possession thereof by the horrible Powder-treason which should haue bereft both me and mine both of crowne and life And howsoeuer the Pope will seeme to cleare himselfe of any allowance of the said Powder-treason yet can it not be denied that his principall ministers here and his chiefe Mancipia the Iesuites were the plaine practisers thereof for which the principall of them hath died confessing it and other haue fled the Countrey for the crime yea some of them gone into Italy and yet neither these that fled out of this Countrey for it nor yet Baldwine who though he then remained in the Low-countreys was of counsell in it were euer called to account for it by the Pope much lesse punished for medling in so scandalous and enormous businesse And now what needs so great wonder and exclamation that the only King of England feareth And what other Christian King doeth or euer did feare but hee As if by the force of his rhetoricke he could make me and my good Subiects to mistrust our senses deny the Sunne to shine at midday and not with the serpent to stop our cares to his charming but to the plaine and visible veritie it selfe And yet for all this wonder he can neuer prooue mee to be troubled with such a Panicke terrour Haue I euer importuned the Pope with any request for my securitie Or haue I either troubled other Christian Princes my friends and allies to intreat for me at the Popes hand Or yet haue I begged from them any aide or assistance for my farther securitie No. All this wondred-at feare of mine stretcheth no further then wisely to make distinction betweene the sheepe and goats in my owne pasture For since what euer the Popes part hath beene in the Powder-treason yet certaine it is that all these caitife monsters did to their death maintaine that onely zeale of Religion mooued them to that horrible attempt yea some of them at their death would not craue pardon at God or King for their offence exhorting other of their followers to the like constancie Had not wee then and our Parliament great reason by this Oath to set a marke of distinction betweene good Subiects and bad Yea betweene Papists though peraduenture zealous in their religion yet otherwise ciuilly honest and
thereof since those which immediatly follow are so much derogatorie to the diuine Maiestie And againe My 6 Epist 52. writings be strengthened by the authoritie and merit of my Lord most blessed S. Peter We 7 Epist 89. beseech you to keepe the things decreed by vs through the inspiration of God and the Apostle most blessed S. Peter If 8 In serm 2. in die anniuer assum suae any thing be well done or decreed by vs If any thing be obtained of Gods mercy by daily prayers it is to be ascribed to S. Peters workes and merits whose power doeth liue and authoritie excell in his owne Sea Hee 9 Serm. 3. in die anniuer assump suae was so plentifully watered of the very fountaine of all graces that whereas he receiued many things alone yet nothing passeth ouer to any other but hee was partaker of it And in a word hee was so desirous to extoll Saint Peter that a messenger from him was an 10 Epist 24. embassage from Saint Peter 11 Epist 4. any thing done in his presence was in S. Peters presence Neither did he vse all this Rhetoricke without purpose for at that time the Patriarch of Constantinople contended with him for Primacie And in the Councell of 12 Concil Chalceden Act. 16. Can. 28. Chalcedon the Bishops sixe hundred and more gaue equall authoritie to the Patriarch of that Sea and would not admit any Priuiledge to the Sea of Rome aboue him but went against him And yet he that gaue so much to Peter tooke nothing from Caesar but gaue him both his Titles and due giuing the power of calling a Councell to the Emperour as it may appeare by these one or two places following of many If it may please your 13 Epist 9. Theodosie godlinesse to vouchsafe at our supplication to condiscend that you will command a Councell of Bishops to be holden within Italy And writing vnto the Bishop of Constantinople Because the most clement 1 Epist 16. Flan. Emperour carefull of the peace of the Church will haue a Councell to be holden albeit it euidently appeare the matter to be handled doeth in no case stand in neede of a Councell And againe Albeit 2 Epist 17. Theodosie my occasions will not permit me to be present vpon the day of the Councell of Bishops which your godlinesse hath appointed So as by this it may well appeare that hee that gaue so much to Peter gaue also to Caesar his due and prerogatiue But yet he playeth not faire play in this that euen in all these his wrong applied arguments and examples hee produceth no other witnesses but the parties themselues bringing euer the Popes sentences for approbation of their owne authoritie Now indeed for one word of his in the middest of his examples I cannot but greatly commend him that is that Martyrs ought to endure all sorts of tortures and death before they suffer one syllable to be corrupted of the Law of God Which lesson if hee and all the rest of his owne profession would apply to themselues then would not the Sacrament be administred sub vnâ specie directly contrary to Christs institution the practise of the Apostles and of the whole Primitiue Church for many hundred yeeres then would not the priuate Masses be in place of the Lordes Supper then would not the words of the 3 Bellar. de sacra Encharist lib. 4. cap. 14. Canon of the Masse be opposed to the words of S. Paul and S. Luke as our Aduersarie himselfe confesseth and cannot reconcile them nor then would not so many hundreths other traditions of men be set vp in their Church not onely as equall but euen preferred to the word of God But sure in this point I feare I haue mistaken him for I thinke hee doeth not meane by his Diuina Dogmata the word of the God of heauen but onely the Canons and Lawes of his Dominus Deus Papa otherwise all his Primacie of the Apostolike Sea would not be so much sticken vpon hauing so slender ground in the word of God And for the great feare he hath that the suddennes of the apprehension the bitternesse of the persecution the weaknesse of his aage and other such infirmities might haue been the cause of the Arch-priests fall in this I haue already sufficiently answered him hauing declared as the trewth is and as the said Blackwell himselfe will yet testifie that he tooke this Oath freely of himselfe without any inducement thereunto either Precibus or Minis But amongst all his citations Some of Sanders his worthy sayings remembred hee must not forget holy Sanderus and his visibilis Monarchia whose person and actions I did alreadie a little touch And surely who will with vnpartiall eyes reade his bookes they may well thinke that hee hath deserued well of his English Romane-Church but they can neuer thinke but that hee deserued very ill of his English Soueraigne and State Witnesse his owne books whereout I haue made choice to set downe heere these fewe sentences following as flowers pickt out of so worthy a garland 4 Sand de visib Monar lib. 6. cap. 4. Elizabeth Queene of ENGLAND doeth exercise the Priestly acte of teaching and preaching the Gospel in ENGLAND with no lesse authority then Christ himselfe or Moses euer did The supremacie of a 5 Sand de clau Dauid li. 6. c. 1. woman in Church matters is from no other then from the Deuill And of all things in generall thus he speaketh The 1 Sand. de visib Monar lib. 2. cap. 4. King that will not inthrall himselfe to the Popes authoritie be ought not to be tolerated but his Subiects ought to giue all diligence that another may be chosen in his place assoone as may be A King that is an 2 Ibidem Heretike ought to be remooued from the Kingdome that hee holdeth ouer Christians and the Bishops ought to endeauour to set vp another assoone as possibly they can Wee doe constantly 3 Ibidem affirme that all Christian Kings are so farre vnder Bishops and Priests in all matters appertaining to faith that if they shall continue in a fault against Christian Religion after one or two admonitions obstinately for that cause they may and ought to be deposed by the Bishops from their temporall authoritie they holde ouer Christians 4 Ibidem Bishops are set ouer temporall kingdomes if those kingdomes doe submit themselues to the faith of Christ We doe iustly 5 Sand. de clan Dauid li. 5. c. 2. affirme that all Secular power whether Regall or any other is of men The 6 Ibidem anoynting which is powred vpon the head of the King by the Priest doeth declare that hee is inferiour to the Priest It is altogether against the will of 7 Sand. de clan Dauid li. 5. c. 4. Christ that Christian kings should haue supremacie in the Church And whereas for the crowne and
oues meas and Tibi dabo claues regni Coelorum and That no Catholike euer doubted of it So as I may trewly say of him that hee either vnderstandeth not or at least will not seeme to vnderstand my Booke in neuer directly answering the maine question as I haue alreadie saide and so may I iustly turne ouer vpon himselfe that doome of ignorance which in the beginning of his Booke hee rashly pronounceth vpon mee saying that I neither vnderstand the Popes Breues his Letter nor the Oath it selfe And as hee delighteth to repeate ouer and ouer I know not how oft and triumpheth in this wrong inference of his That to deny the Popes power to depose Kings is to denie the Popes Primacie and his spirituall power of Excommunication So doeth hee vpon that ground of Pasce oues meas giue the Pope so ample a power ouer Kings to throne or dethrone them at his pleasure and yet onely subiecting Christian Kings to that slauerie as I doubt not but in your owne Honours yee will resent you of such indignities the rather since it concernes so many of you as professe the Romish religion farre more then me For since he accounteth me an heretike and like Iulian the Apostate I am consequently extra caulam and none of the Popes flocke and so am in the case of Ethnicke Princes ouer whom he confesseth the Pope hath no power But yee are in the Popes folde and you that great Pastour may leade as sheepe to the slaughter when it shall please him And as the Asses eares must be hornes if the Lion list so to interprete it so must yee be remooued as scabbed sheepe from the flocke if so the Pope thinke you to be though your skinne be indeed neuer so sound Thus hath he set such a new goodly interpretation vpon the wordes of CHRIST Pasce oues meas as if it were as much to say as depose Christian Kings and that Quodcunque solueris gaue the Pope power to dispense with all sorts of Oathes Vowes Penalties Censures and Lawes euen with the naturall obedience of Subiects to their Souereigne Lords much like to that new coyned glosse that his brother 1 Senten Card. Baron super excom Venet. Baronius made vpon the wordes in Saint Peters vision Surge Petre occide manduca That is said he to the Pope Goe kill and confound the Venetians And because I haue in my Booke by citing a place in his controuersies discouered him to be a small friend to Kings he is much commoued For whereas in his said Controuersies Lib. de Cler. cap. 28. speaking de Clericis he is so bolde as to affirme that Church-men are exempted from the power of earthly Kings and that they ought them no subiection euen in temporall matters but onely vi rationis and in their owne discretion for the preseruation of peace and good order because I say citing this place of his in my Booke I tell with admiration that hee freeth all Church-men from any subiection to Kings euen those that are their borne Subiects hee is angry with this phrase and sayth it is an addition for breeding enuie vnto him and raising of hatred against him For sayth hee although Bellarmine affirmed generally that Church-men were not subiect to earthly Kings yet did hee not insert that particular clause though they were borne and dwelling in their Dominions as if the words of Church-men and earthly Kings in generall imported not as much for Layickes as well as Church-men are subiect to none but to their naturall Soueraigne And yet doeth hee not sticke to confesse that he meant it though it was not fit he sayth to be expressed And thus quarrels hee me for reuealing his Printed secret But whose hatred did hee feare in this was it not yours Who haue interest but KINGS in withdrawing of due subiection from KINGS And when the greatest Monarches amongst you will remember that almost the third part of your Subiects and of your Territories is Church-men and Church-liuings I hope yee will then consider and weigh what a feather hee pulles out of your wings when hee denudeth you of so many Subiects and their possessions in the Popes fauour nay what briars and thornes are left within the heart of your dominions when so populous and potent a partie shall haue their birth education and liuelihood in your Countries and yet owe you no subiection nor acknowledge you for their SOVERAIGNES So as where the Church-men of old were content with their tythe of euery mans goods the Pope now will haue little lesse then the third part of euery Kings Subiects and Dominions And as in this place so throughout all the rest of his booke hee doeth nothing but amplifie the Popes power ouer Kings and exaggerate my vnreasonable rigour for pressing this Oath which hee will needs haue to bee nothing but a renewed Oath of Supremacie in more subtill and craftie termes onely to robbe the Pope of his Primacie and spirituall power making his temporall power and authoritie ouer Princes to be one of the chiefe Articles of the Catholike Faith But that it may the better appeare vnto you that all my labour and intention in this errand was onely to meddle with that due temporall Obedience which my Subiects owe vnto mee and not to intrap or inthrall their Consciences as hee most falsely affirmes Yee shall first see how farre other Godly and Christian Emperours and Kings were from acknowledging the Popes temporall Supremacie ouer them nay haue created controlled and deposed Popes and next what a number of my Predecessors in this Kingdome haue at all occasions euen in the times of the greatest Greatnesse of Popes resisted and plainely withstood them in this point And first all Christian Emperours were for a long time so farre from acknowledging the Popes Superioritie ouer them as by the contrary the Popes acknowledged themselues for their Vassals reuerencing and obeying the Emperours as their Lords for proofe whereof I remit you to my Apologie And for the creating of Popes the Emperours were in so long and continuall possession thereof as I will vse for my first witnesse a Pope himselfe who in a 1 Sigebert ad ann 773. Walthram Naumburg lib. 〈◊〉 Episc inuestiturae Mart. Polon ad ann 780. Theod. a Niem de priuileg Iurib. Imperij dist 63. C. Hadrian Synode of an hundreth fiftie and three Bishops and Abbots did ordeine That the Emperour CHARLES the Great should haue the Right of choosing the Pope and ordeining the Apostolicall Seate and the Dignitie of the Romane Principalitie nay farther hee ordeined That all Archbishops and Bishops should receiue their Inuestiture from the Emperour or else bee of no auaile And that a Bishop wanting it should not bee consecrate pronouncing an Anathema against all that should disobey this Sentence And that the Emperours assent to the Popes Election was a thing ordinary for a long time 2 See Platin. in vit Pelag. 2. Gregor 1. Seuerini
learned Lecture Now it is no wonder that in so good an office and loyall cariage towards their King the third Estate hath outgone the Clergie For the Clergie denie themselues to haue any ranke among the Subiects of the King they stand for a Soueraigne out of the Kingdome to whom as to the Lord Paramount they owe suite and seruice they are bound to aduance that Monarchie to the bodie whereof they properly apperteine as parts or members as elsewhere I haue written more at large But for the Nobilitie the Kings right arme to prostitute and set as it were to sale the dignitie of their King as if the arme should giue a thrust vnto the head J say for the Nobilitie to hold and maintaine euen in Parliament their King is liable to deposition by any forreine power or Potentate may it not passe among the strangest miracles and rarest wonders of the world For that once granted this consequence is good and necessarie That in case the King once lawfully deposed shall stand vpon the defensiue and hold out for his right he may then lawfully be murthered Let mee then here freely professe my opinion and this it is That now the French Nobilitie may seeme to haue some reason to disrobe themselues of their titles and to transferre them by resignation vnto the third Estate For that body of that third Estate alone hath caried a right noble heart in as much as the could neither be tickled with promises nor terrified by threatnings from resolute standing to those fundamentall points and reasons of State which most concerne the honour of their King and the securitie of his person Of all the Clergie the man that hath most abandoned or set his honour to sale the man to whom France is least obliged is the Lord Cardinall of Perron a man otherwise inferiour to few in matter of learning and in the grace of a sweete style This man in two seuerall Orations whereof the one was pronounced before the Nobilitie the other had audience before the third Estate hath set his best wits on worke to draw that doctrine into all hatred and infamie which teacheth Kings to be indeposeable by the Pope To this purpose hee termes the same doctrine a breeder of Schismes a gate that openeth to make way and to giue entrance vnto all heresies in briefe a doctrine to bee held in so high a degree of detestation that rather then he and his fellow-Bishops will yeeld to the signing thereof they will bee contented like Martyrs to burne at a stake At which resolution or obstinacie rather in his opinion I am in a manner amased more then I can be mooued for the like brauado in many other forasmuch as hee was many yeeres together a follower of the late King euen when the King followed a contrary Religion and was deposed by the Pope as also because not long before in a certaine Assemblie holden at the Iacobins in Paris hee withstood the Popes Nuntio to his face when the said Nuntio laboured to make this doctrine touching the Popes temporall Soueraigntie passe for an Article of Faith But in both Orations hee singeth a contrary song and from his owne mouth passeth sentence of condemnation against his former course and profession J fuppose not without sollide iudgemen as one that heerein hath well accommodated himselfe to the times For as in the reigne of the late King hee durst not offer to broach this doctrine such was his fore-wit so now he is bold to proclaime and publish it in Parliament vnder the reigne of the said Kings sonne whose tender yeeres and late succession to the Crowne doe make him lie the more open to iniuries and the more facill to be circumuented Such is now his afterwisedome Of these two Orations that made in presence of the Nobilitie he hath for feare of incurring the Popes displeasure cautelously suppressed For therein he hath beene somewhat prodigall in affirming this doctrine maintained by the Clergie to bee but problematicall and in taking vpon him to auouch that Catholikes of my Kingdome are bound to yeeld me the honour of obedience Whereas on the other side he is not ignorant how this doctrine of deposing Princes and Kings the Pope holdeth for meerely necessarie and approoueth not by any meanes Alleagiance to bee performed vnto mee by the Catholikes of my Kingdome Yea if credit may be giuen vnto the abridgement of his other Oration published wherein he paralells the Popes power in receiuing honours in the name of the Church with the power of the Venetian Duke in receiuing honours in the name of that most renowned Rebublike no marueile that when this Oration was dispatched to the presse he commanded the same to be gelded of this clause and other like for feare of giuing his Holinesse any offensiue distaste His pleasure therefore was and content withall that his Oration imparted to the third Estate should be put in Print and of his courtesie he vouchsafed to addresse vnto me a copie of the same Which after J had perused J foorthwith well perceiued what and how great discrepance there is betweene one man that perorateth from the ingenuous and sincere disposition of a sound heart and an other that flaunteth in flourishing speech with inward checkes of his owne conscience For euery where he contradicts himselfe and seemes to be afraid lest men should picke out his right meaning First In 12. seuerall passages the L. Card. seemeth to speake against his owne conscience Pag. 85. he grants this Question is not hither to decided by the holy Scriptures or by the Decrees of the ancient Church or by the analogie of other Ecclesiasticall proceedings and neuerthelesse hee confidently doeth affirme that whosoeuer maintaine this doctrine to be wicked and abhominable that Popes haue no power to put Kings by their supreame Thrones they teach men to beleeue there hath not bene any Church for many aages past and that indeed the Church is the very Synagogue of Antichrist Secondly he exhorts his hearers to hold this doctrine at least for problematicall and not necessary and yet herein he calls them to all humble submission vnto the iudgement of the Pope and Clergie by whom the cause hath bene already put out of all question as out of all hunger and cold Thirdly he doeth auerre in case this Article be authorized it makes the Pope in good consequence to bee the Antichrist Pag. 99. and yet he grants that many of the French are tolerated by the Pope to dissent in this point from his Holinesse prouided their doctrine be not proposed as necessary and materiall to faith As if the Pope in any sort gaue toleration to hold any doctrine contrary to his owne and most of all that doctrine which by consequence inferres himselfe to be the Antichrist Fourthly he protesteth forwardnesse to vndergoe the flames of Martyrdome rather then to signe this doctrine which teacheth Kings Crownes to sit faster on their heads then to be stirred by any
Religion as beeing instructed by their schoolemasters in Religion And who were they but Ecclesiasticall persons All this presupposed as matter of trewth I draw this conclusion Howsoeuer no small number of the French Clergie may perhaps beare the affection of louing Subiects to their King and may not suffer the Clericall character to deface the impression of naturall allegiance yet for so much as the Order of Clerics is dipped in a deeper die and beareth a worse tincture of daungerous practises then the other Orders the third Estate had beene greatly wanting to their excellent prouidence and wisedome if they should haue relinquished and transferred the care of designements and proiects for the life of their King and the safety of his Crowne to the Clergiealone Moreouer the Clergie standeth bound to referre the iudgement of all matters in controuersie to the sentence of the Pope in this cause beeing a partie and one that pretendeth Crownes to depend vpon his Mitre What hope then might the third Estate conceiue that his Holinesse would passe against his owne cause when his iudgement of the controuersie had beene sundrie times before published and testified to the world And whereas the plot or modell of remedies proiected by the third Estate and the Kings Officers hath not prooued sortable in the euent was it because the said remedies were not good and lawfull No verily but because the Clergie refused to become contributors of their duty and meanes to the grand seruice Likewise for that after the burning of bookes addressed to iustifie rebellious people traytors and parricides of Kings neuerthelesse the authors of the said bookes are winked at and backt with fauour Lastly for that some wretched parricides drinke off the cuppe of publike iustice whereas to the firebrands of sedition the sowers of this abominable doctrine no man saith so much as blacke is their eye It sufficiently appeareth as I supose by the former passage that his Lordship exhorting the third Estate to referre the whole care of this Regall cause vnto the Clergie hath tacked his frame of weake ioynts and tenons to a very worthy but wrong foundation Page 9. Howbeit he laboureth to fortifie his exhortation with a more weake and feeble reason For to make good his proiect he affirmes that matters and maximes out of all doubt and question may not be shuffled together with points in controuersie Now his rules indubitable are two The first It is not lawfull to murther Kings for any cause whatsoeuer This he confirmeth by the example of Saul as he saith deposed from his Throne whose life or limbs Dauid neuerthelesse durst not once hurt or wrong for his life Conc. Constan Sess 15. Likewise he confirmes the same by a Decree of the Councill held at Constance His other point indubitable The Kings of France are Soueraignes in all Temporall Soueraigntie within the French Kingdome and hold not by fealtie either of the Pope as hauing receiued or obliged their Crownes vpon such tenure and condition or of any other Prince in the whole world Which point neuerthelesse he takes not for certaine and indubitable but onely according to humane and historicall certaintie Now a third point he makes to be so full of controuersie and so farre within the circle of disputable questions as it may not be drawne into the ranke of classicall and authenticall points for feare of making a certaine point doubtfull by shuffling and iumbling therewith some point in controuersie Now the question so disputable as he pretendeth is this A Christian Prince breakes his oath solemnely taken to God both to liue and to die in the Catholique Religion Say this Prince turnes Arrian or Mahometan fals to proclaime open warre and to wage battell with Iesus Christ Whether may such a Prince be declared to haue lost his Kingdome and who shall declare the Subiects of such a Prince to be quit of their oath of allegiance The L. Cardinall holds the affirmatiue and makes no bones to maintaine that all other parts of the Catholique Church yea the French Church euen from the first birth of her Theologicall Schooles to Caluins time and teaching haue professed that such a Prince may bee lawfully remooued from his Throne by the Pope and by the Councill and suppose the contrarie doctrine were the very Quintessence or spirit of trewth yet might it not in case of faith be vrged and pressed otherwise then by way of problematicall disceptation That is the summe of his Lordships ample discourse The refuting whereof I am constrained to put off and referre vnto an other place because he hath serued vs with the same dishes ouer and ouer againe There we shall see the L. Cardinall maketh way to the dispatching of Kings after deposition that Saul was not deposed as he hath presumed that in the Councill of Constance there is nothing to the purpose of murthering Soueraigne Princes that his Lordship supposing the French King may be depriued of his Crowne by a superiour power doth not hold his liege Lord to be Soueraine in France that by the position of the French Church from aage to aage the Kings of France are not subiect vnto any censure of deposition by the Pope that his Holinesse hath no iust and lawfull pretence to produce that any Christian King holds of him by fealtie or is obliged to doe the Pope homage for his Crowne Well then for the purpose he dwelleth onely vpon the third point pretended questionable and this hee affirmeth If any shall condemne or wrappe vnder the solemne curse the abettours of the Popes power to vnking lawfull and Soueraigne Kings the same shall runne vpon foure dangerous rocks of apparent incongruities and absurdities First he shall offer to force and entangle the consciences of many deuout persons For he shall binde them to beleeue and sweare that doctrine Pag. 14. the contrary whereof is beleeued of the whole Church and hath bene beleeued by their Predecessors Secondly he shall ouerturne from top to bottome the sacred authoritie of holy Church and shall set open a gate vnto all sorts of heresie by allowing Lay-persons a bold libertie to be iudges in causes of Religion and Faith For what is that degree of boldnesse but open vsurping of the Priesthood what is it but putting of prophane hands vpon the Arke what is it but laying of vnholy fingers vpon the holy Censor for perfumes Thirdly hee shall make way to a Schisme not possible to bee put by and auoyded by any humane prouidence For this doctrine beeing held and professed by all other Catholiques how can we declare it repugnant vnto Gods word how can wee hold it impious how can wee account it detestable but wee shall renounce communion with the Head and other members of the Church yea we shall confesse the Church in all aages to haue bene the Synagogue of Satan and the spouse of the Deuill Lastly by working the establishment of this Article which worketh an establishment of Kings Crownes He shall
not onely worke the intended remedy for the danger of Kings out of all the vertue and efficacie thereof by weakening of doctrine out of all controuersie in packing it vp with a disputable question but likewise in stead of securing the life and estate of Kings he shall draw both into farre greater hazards by the traine or sequence of warres and other calamities which vsually waite and attend on Schismes The L. Cardinall spends his whole discourse in confirmation of these foure heads which wee now intend to sift in order and demonstratiuely to prooue that all the said inconueniences are meere nullities matters of imagination and built vpon false presuppositions But before wee come to the maine the reader is to be enformed and aduertised that his Lordship setteth a false glosse vpon the question and propounds the case not onely contrary to the trewth of the subiect in controuersie but also to the Popes owne minde and meaning For he restraines the Popes power to depose Kings onely to cases of Heresie Apostasie and persecuting of the Church whereas Popes extend their power to a further distance They depose Princes for infringing or in any sort diminishing the Priuiledges of Monasteries witnesse Gregorie the first in the pretended Charter granted to the Abbey of S. Medard at Soissons the said Charter beeing annexed to his Epistles in the rere The same hee testifieth in his Epistle to Senator by name the tenth of the eleuenth booke They depose for naturall dulnesse and lacke of capacitie wether in-bred and trew indeed or onely pretended and imagined witnesse the glorious vaunt of Gregory VII that Childeric King of France was hoysted out of his Throne by Pope Zachary Caus 15. Can. Alius Qu. 6. Not so much for his wicked life as for his vnablenesse to beare the weightie burden of so great a Kingdome They depose for collating of Benefices and Prebends witnesse the great quarrels and sore contentions betweene Pope Innocent III. and Iohn King of England as also betweene Philip the Faire and Boniface VIII They depose for adulteries and Matrimoniall suites witnes Philip I. for the repudiating or casting off his lawfull wife Bertha and marrying in her place with Bertrade wife to the Earle of Aniou Paul Aemil. in Phil. 3. Finally faine would I learne into what Heresie or degree of Apostasie either Henry IV. or Frederic Barbarossa or Frederic II. Emperours were fallen when they were smitten with Papall fulminations euen to the depriuation of their Imperiall Thrones What was it for Heresie or Apostasie that Pope Martin IV. bare so hard a hand against Peter King of Arragon that he acquitted and released the Aragonnois from their oath of Alleagiance to Peter their lawfull King Was it for Heresie or Apostasie for Arrianisme or Mahumetisme that Lewis XII so good a King and Father of his Countrey was put downe by Iulius the II Was it for Heresie or Apostasie that Sixtus V. vsurped a power against Henrie III. euen so farre as to denounce him vnkingd the issue whereof was the parricide of that good King and the most wofull desolation of a most flourishing Kingdome But his Lordship best liked to worke vpon that ground which to the outward shew and appearance is the most beautifull cause that can be alleaged for the dishonouring of Kings by the weapon of deposition making himselfe to beleeue that he acted the part of an Orator before personages not much acquainted with ancient and moderne histories and such as little vnderstood the state of the question then in hand It had therefore beene a good warrant for his Lordship to haue brought some authenticall instrument from the Pope whereby the French might haue beene secured that his Holinesse renounceth all other causes auouchable for the degrading of Kings and that he will henceforth rest in the case of Heresie for the turning of Kings out of their Free-hold as also that his Holinesse by the same or like instrument might haue certified his pleasure that hee will not hereafter make himselfe Iudge whether Kings bee tainted with damnable Heresie or free from Hereticall infection For that were to make himselfe both Iudge and Plaintiffe that it might be in his power to call that doctrine Hereticall which is pure Orthodoxe and all for this end to make himselfe master of the Kingdome and there to settle a Successour who receiuing the Crowne of the Popes free gift and grant might be tyed thereby to depend altogether vpon his Holinesse Hath not Pope Boniface VIII declared in his proud Letters all those to be Heretiques that dare vndertake to affirme the collating of Prebends appertemeth to the King It was that Popes grosse errour not in the fact but in the right The like crime forsooth was by Popes imputed to the vnhappy Emperour Henrie IV. And what was the issue of the said imputation The sonne is instigated thereby to rebell against his father and to impeach the interrement of his dead corps who neuer in his life had beate his braines to trouble the sweet waters of Theologicall fountaines Annal. Beio Lib. 3. Iâ—â—â—anen Episcop It is recorded by Auentine that Bishop Virgilius was declared Heretique for teaching the Position of Antipodes The Bull Exurge marching in the rere of the last Lateran Councel sets downe this Position for one of Luthers heresies A new life is the best repentance Optima poenitentia noua vita Conc. Constan Sess 2. Among the crimes which the Councel of Constance charged Pope Iohn XXIII withall one was this that hee denied the immortalitie of the soule and that so much was publiquely manifestly and notoriously knowen Now if the Pope shall be caried by the streame of these or the like errours and in his Hereticall prauitie shall depose a King of the contrary opinion I shall hardly bee perswaded the said King is lawfully deposed THE FIRST INCONVENIENCE EXAMINED THE first inconuenience growing in the Cardinall his conceit by entertaining the Article of the third Estate whereby the Kings of France are declared to be indeposeable by any superiour power spirituall or temporall is this It offereth force to the conscience vnder the penaltie of Anathema to condemne a doctrine beleeued and practised in the Church in the continuall current of the last eleuen hundred yeeres In these words he maketh a secret confession that in the first fiue hundred yeeres the same doctrine was neither apprehended by faith nor approoued by practise Wherein to my vnderstanding the L. Cardinall voluntarily giueth ouer the suite For the Church in the time of the Apostles their disciples and successors for 500. yeeres together was no more ignorant what authoritie the Church is to challenge ouer Emperours and Kings then at any time since in any succeeding aage in which as pride hath still flowed to the height of a full Sea so puritie of religion and manners hath kept for the most part at a lowe water marke Which point is the rather to be considered for that during the first
the spirituall Pastor of soules forsooth pulles the cloake of a poore sinner from his backe by violence or cuts his purse and thereby appropriates an other mans goods to his priuate vse It is to be obserued withall that when the Emperours were not of sufficient strength and Popes had power to beard and to braue Emperours then these Papall practises were first set on foot This Emperour notwithstanding turned head and peckt againe his Lieutenant entred Rome and Gregorie 3. successor to this Gregorie 2. was glad to honour the same Emperour with style and title of his Lord witnesse two seuerall Epistles of the said Gregorie 3. written to Boniface and subscribed in this forme Dat. 10. Cal. Decem Imperante Dom. pijssimo Augusto Leone à Deo coronato magno Imp. anno decimo Imperij eius Examp. 7. Dated the tenth alends of December In the raigne of our most pious and religious Lord Augustus Leo crowned of God the great Emperour in the tenth yeere of his raigne The L. Cardinall with no lesse abuse alleadgeth Pope Zacharie by whom the French as he affirmeth were absolued of the oath of all egiance wherein they stood bound to Childeric their King And for this instance he standeth vpon the testimonie of Paulus Aemilius and du Tillet a paire of late writers But by authors more neere that aage wherein Childeric raigned it is more trewly testified that it was a free and voluntarie act of the French onely asking the aduise of Pope Zacharie but requiring neither leaue nor absolution Ado Bishop of Vienna in his Chronicles hath it after this manner The French following the Counsell of Embassadors and of Pope Zachary elected Pepin their King and established him in the Kingdome Trithemius in his abridgement of Annals thus Childeric as one vnfit for gouernement was turned out of his Kingdome with common consent of the Estates and Peeres of the Realme so aduised by Zacharie Pope of Rome Godfridus of Viterbe in the 17. part of his Chronicle and Guauguin in the life of Pepin affirme the same And was it not an easie matter to worke Pepin by counsell to lay hold on the Kingdome when he could not be hindered from fastening on the Crowne and had already seizd it in effect howsoeuer he had not yet attained to the name of King Moreouer the rudenesse of that Nation then wanting knowledge and Schooles either of diuinitie or of Academicall sciences was a kind of spurre to make them runne for counsell ouer the mountaines which neuerthelesse in a cause of such nature they required not as necessary but onely as decent and for fashion sake The Popealso for his part was well appaied by this meanes to draw Pepin vnto his part as one that stood in some neede of his aide against the Lombards and the more because his Lord the Emperour of Constantinople was then brought so low that hee was not able to send him sufficient aide for the defence of his territories against his enemies But had Zacharie to deale plainely not stood vpon the respect of his owne commodity more then vpon the regard of Gods feare he would neuer haue giuen counsell vnto the seruant vnder the pretended colour of his Masters dull spirit so to turne rebell against his Master The Lawes prouide Gardians or ouerseers for such as are not well in their wits they neuer depriue and spoile them of their estate they punish crimes but not diseases and infirmities by nature Yea in France it is a very auncient custome when the King is troubled in his wits to establish a Regent who for the time of the Kings disability may beare the burden of the Kingdomes affaires So was the practise of that State in the case of Charles 6. when hee fell into a phrensie whom the Pope notwithstanding his most grieuous and sharpe fits neuer offered to degrade And to be short what reason what equity will beare the children to be punished for the fathers debilitie Yet such punishment was laid vpon Childerics whole race and house who by this practise were all disinherited of the Kingdome But shall wee now take some view of the L. Pag. 25. Cardinals excuse for this exemplarie fact The cause of Childerics deposing as the L. Cardinall saith did neerely concerne and touch Religion For Childerics imbecillity brought all France into danger to suffer a most wofull shipwracke of Christian religion vpon the barbarous and hostile inuasion of the Saracens Admit now this reason had beene of iust weight and value yet consideration should haue beene taken whether some one or other of that Royall stemme and of the Kings owne successors neerest of blood was not of better capacity to rule and mannage that mighty State The feare of vncertaine and accidentall mischiefe should not haue driuen them to flie vnto the certaine mischiefe of actuall and effectuall deposition They should rather haue set before their eies the example of Charles Martel this Pepins father who in a farre more eminent danger when the Saracens had already mastered and subdued a great part of France valiantly encountred and withall defeated the Saracens ruled the Kingdome vnder the title of Steward of the Kings house the principall Officer of the Crowne without affecting or aspiring to the Throne for all that great step of aduantage especially when the Saracens were quite broken and no longer dreadfull to the French Nation In our owne Scotland the sway of the Kingdome was in the hand of Walles during the time of Bruse his imprisonment in England who then was lawfull heire to the Crowne This Walles or Vallas had the whole power of the Kingdome at his becke and command His Edicts and ordinances to this day stand in full force By the deadly hatred of Bruse his mortall enemie it may be coniectured that he might haue bene prouoked and inflamed with desiré to trusse the Kingdome in his tallants And notwithstanding all these incitements he neuer assumed or vsurped other title to himselfe then of Gouernour or Administratour of the Kingdome The reason Hee had not beene brought vp in this new doctrine and late discipline whereby the Church is endowed with power to giue and to take away Crownes But now as the L. Cardinall would beare the world in hand the state of Kings is brought to a very dead lift The Pope forsooth must send his Physicians to know by way of inspection or some other course of Art whether the Kings braine be cract or sound and in case there be found any debilitie of wit and reason in the King then the Pope must remooue and translate the Crowne from the weaker braine to a stronger and for the acting of the stratageme the name of Religion must be pretended Ho these Heretikes begin to crawle in the Kingdome order must bee taken they bee not suffered by their multitudes and swarmes like locusts or caterpillers to pester and poison the whole Realme Or in a case of Matrimony thus Ho marriage is a Sacrament touch
the Oath of Allegiance Doeth not his Holinesse by this meanes draw so much as in him lyeth persecution vpon the backes of my Papists as vpon rebels and expose their life as it were vpon the open stall to be sold at a very easie price All these examples either ioynt or seuerall are manifest and euident proofes that feare to draw mischiefe and persecution vpon the Church hath not barred the Popes from thundering against Emperours and Kings whensoeuer they conceiued any hope by their fulminations to aduance their greatnesse Last of all I referre the matter to the most possessed with preiudice euen the very aduersaries whether this doctrine by which people are trained vp in subiection vnto Infidel or hereticall Kings vntill the subiects be of sufficient strength to mate their Kings to expell their Kings and to depose them from their Kingdomes doth not incense the Turkish Emperours and other Infidell Princes to roote out all the Christians that drawe in their yoke as people that waite onely for a fit occasion to rebell and to take themselues ingaged for obedience to their Lords onely by constraint and seruile feare Let vs therefore now conclude with Ozius in that famous Epistle speaking to Constantius an Arrian heretike Apud Athanâ—in Eâ—â—st ad solitâ—â— vitam aâ—gentes As hee that by secret practise or open violence would bereaue thee of thy Empire should violate Gods ordinance so bee thou touched with feare least by vsurping authoritie ouer Church matters thou tumble not headlong into some hainous crime Where this holy Bishop hath not vouchsafed to insert and mention the L. Cardinals exception to wit the right of the Church alwaies excepted and saued when she shall be of sufficient strength to shake off the yoke of Emperours Neither speaks the same holy Bishop of priuate persons alone or men of some particular condition and calling but hee setteth downe a generall rule for all degrees neuer to impeach Imperiall Maiestie vpon any pretext whatsoeuer As his Lordships first reason drawne from weakenesse is exceeding weake so is that which the L. Cardinall takes vp in the next place The 2. reas Pag. 77. He telleth vs there is very great difference betweene Pagan Emperours and Christian Princes Pagan Emperours who neuer did homage to Christ who neuer were by their subiects receiued with condition to acknowledge perpetuall subiection vnto the Empire of Christ who neuer were bound by oath and mutuall contract betweene Prince and subiect Christian Princes who slide backe by Apostasie degenerate by Arrianisme or fall away by Mahometisme Touching the latter of these two as his Lordshippe saith If they shall as it were take an oath and make a vowe contrary to their first oath and vow made and taken when they were installed and contrary to the condition vnder which they receiued the Scepter of their Fathers if they withall shall turne persecutors of the Catholike religion touching these I say the L. Cardinal holds that without question they may bee remooued from their Kingdomes He telleth vs not by whom but euery where he meaneth by the Pope Touching Kings deposed by the Pope vnder pretence of stupidity as Childeric or of matrimoniall causes as Philip I. or for collating of benefices as Philip the Faire not one word By that point he easily glideth and shuffles it vp in silence for feare of distasting the Pope on the one side or his auditors on the other Now in alledging this reason his Lordship makes all the world a witnes that in deposing of Kings the Pope hath no eye of regard to the benefit and securitie of the Church For such Princes as neuer suckt other milke then that of Infidelitie and persecution of Religion are no lesse noisome and pernicious vermin to the Church then if they had sucked of the Churches breasts And as for the greatnesse of the sinne or offence it seemes to me there is very little difference in the matter For a Prince that neuer did sweare any religious obedience to Iesus Christ is bound no lesse to such obedience then if he had taken a solemne oath As the sonne that rebelliously stands vp against his father is in equall degree of sinne whether he hath sworne or not sworne obedience to his father because he is bound to such obedience not by any voluntarie contract or couenant but by the law of Nature The commaundement of God to kisse the Sonne whom the Father hath confirmed and ratified King of Kings doeth equally bind all Kings as well Pagans as Christians On the other side who denies who doubts that Constantius Emperour at his first steppe or entrance into the Empire did not sweare and bind himselfe by solemne vowe to keepe the rules and to maintaine the precepts of the Orthodox faith or that he did not receiue his fathers Empire vpon such condition This notwithstanding the Bishop of Rome pulled not Constantius from his Imperiall throne but Constantius remooued the Bishop of Rome from his Papall See And were it so that an oath taken by a King at his consecration and after violated is a sufficient cause for the Pope to depose an Apostate or hereticall Prince then by good consequence the Pope may in like sort depose a King who beeing neither dead in Apostasie nor sicke of Heresie doeth neglect onely the due administration of iustice to his loyall subiects For his oath taken at consecration importeth likewise that he shall minister iustice to his people A point wherein the holy Father is held short by the L. Cardinall who dares prescribe new lawes to the Pope and presumes to limit his fulnesse of power within certaine meeres and head-lands extending the Popes power only to the deposing of Christian Kings when they turne Apostats forsaking the Catholike faith and not such Princes as neuer breathed any thing but pure Paganisme and neuer serued vnder the colours of Iesus Christ Meane while his Lordship forgets that King Attabaliba was deposed by the Pope from his Kingdome of Peru and the said Kingdome was conferred vpon the King of Spaine though the said poore King of Peru neuer forsooke his heathen superstition and though the turning of him out of his terrestriall Kingdome was no way to conuert him vnto the faith of Christ Pag. 77. Yea his Lordship a little after telleth vs himselfe that Be the Turkes possession in the conquests that he maketh ouer Christians neuer so auncient yet by no long tract of time whatsoeuer can he gaine so much as a thumbes breadth of prescription that is to say the Turke for all that is but a disseisor one that violently and wilfully keeps an other man from his owne and by good right may be dispossessed of the same whereas notwithstanding the Turkish Emperours neuer fauoured nor sauoured Christianitie Let vs runne ouer the examples of Kings whom the Pope hath dared and presumed to depose and hardly will any one be found of whom it may be trewly auouched that he hath taken an oath
contrary to his oath of subiection to Iesus Christ or that he hath wilfully cast himselfe into Apostaticall defection And certes to any man that weighs the matter with due consideration it wil be found apparantly false that Kings of France haue bene receiued of their subiects at any time with condition to serue IESVS CHRIST They were actually Kings before they came forth to the solemnitie of their sacring before they vsed any stipulation or promise to their subiects For in hereditary kingdoms nothing more certaine nothing more vncontrouleable the Kings death instantly maketh liuery and seisin of the Royaltie to his next successour Nor is it materiall to replie that a King succeeding by right of inheritance takes an oath in the person of his predecessor For euery oath is personall proper to the person by whom it is taken and to God no liuing creature can sweare that his owne sonne or his heire shall proue an honest man Well may the father and with great solemnitie promise that he will exhort his heire apparant with all his power and the best of his endeauours to feare God and to practise piety If the fathers oath be agreeable to the dueties of godlinesse the sonne is bound thereby whether he take an oath or take none On the other side if the fathers oath come from the puddles of impietie the sonne is bound thereby to goe the contrary way If the fathers oath concerne things of indifferent nature and such as by the variety or change of times become either pernicious or impossible then it is free for the Kings next successor and heire prudently to fit and proportion his Lawes vnto the times present and to the best benefit of the Common-wealth When I call these things to mind with some attention I am out of all doubt his Lordship is very much to seeke in the right sense and nature of his Kings oath taken at his Coronation to defend the Church and to perseuere in the Catholike faith For what is more vnlike and lesse credible then this conceit that after Clouis had reigned 15. yeeres in the state of Paganisme and then receiued holy Baptisme he should become Christian vpon this condition That in case hee should afterward reuolt from the Faith it should then bee in the power of the Church to turne him out of his Kingdome But had any such conditionall stipulation beene made by Clouis in very good earnest and trewth yet would hee neuer haue intended that his deposing should bee the acte of the Romane Bishop but rather of those whether Peeres or people or whole body of the State by whom he had bene aduanced to the Kingdome Let vs heare the trewth and this is the trewth It is farre from the customary vse in France for their Kings to take any such oath or to vse any such stipulation with their subiects If any King or Prince wheresoeuer doth vse an oath or solemne promise in these expresse termes Let me lose my Kingdome or my life be that day my last both for life and reigne when I shall first reuolt from the Christian Religion By these words he calleth vpon God for vengeance hee vseth imprecation against his owne head but hee makes not his Crowne to stoupe by this meanes to any power in the Pope or in the Church or in the people And touching inscriptions vpon coynes of which point his Lordship speaketh by the way verely the nature of the money or coine the stamping and minting whereof is one of the marks of the Prince his dignity and Soueraignty is not changed by bearing the letters of Christs Name on the reuerse or on the front Such characters of Christs Name are aduertisements and instructions to the people that in shewing and yeelding obedience vnto the King they are obedient vnto Christ those Princes likewise who are so wel aduised to haue the most sacred Names inscribed and printed in their coines doe take and acknowledge Iesus Christ for supreme King of Kings The said holy characters are no representation or profession that any Kings Crowne dependeth vpon the Church or can be taken away by the Pope The L. Cardinal indeed so beareth vs in hand But he inuerts the words of Iesus Christ and wrings them out of the right ioynt For Christ without all ambiguitie and circumlocution by the image and inscription of the money doeth directly and expressely prooue Caesar to bee free from subiection and entirely Soueraigne Now if such a supreme and Soueraigne Prince at any time shall bandie and combine against God and thereby shall become a rebellious and perfidious Prince doubtlesse for such disloyaltie he shall deserue that God would take from him all hope of life eternall and yet hereby neither Pope nor people hath reason to bee puft vp in their power to depriue him of his temporall Kingdome The L. Page 76. Cardinall saith besides The champions of the Popes power to depose Kings doe expound that commandement of S. Paul whereby euery soule is made subiect vnto the superiour powers to bee a prouisionall precept or caution accommodated to the times and to stand in force onely vntll the Church were growen in strength vnto such a scantling that it might be in the power of the faithfull without shaking the pillars of Christian state to stand in the breach and cautelously to prouide that none but Christian Princes might be receiued according to the Law in Deut Thou shalt make thee a King from among thy brethren The reason whereupon they ground is this Because Paul saith It is a shame for Christians to be iudged vnder vniust Infidels in mattrs or businesse which they had one against another For which inconuenience Iustinian after prouided by Law when hee ordeined that no Infidel nor Heretike might be admitted to the administration of iustice in the Common-wealth In which words of the Cardinall the word Receiued is to bee obserued especially and aboue the rest For by chopping in that word hee doeth nimbly and with a tricke of Legier-demain transforme or change the very state of the question For the question or issue of the cause is not about receiuing establishing or choosing a Prince as in those Nations where the Kingdome goes by election but about doing homage to the Prince when God hath setled him in the Kingdome and hath cast it vpon a Prince by hereditary succession For that which is writtten Thou shalt make thee a King doeth no way concerne and touch the people of France in these dayes because the making of their King hath not of long time been tyed to their election The passage therefore in Deuter. makes nothing to the purpose no more then doth Iustinians law For it is our free and voluntary confession that a Christian Prince is to haue speciall care of the Lawes and to prouide that no vnbeleeuer be made Lord Chiefe-Iustice of the Land that no Infidel be put in trust with administration of Iustice to the people But here the issue doeth not
the peace of his Kingdome will beare in mind the great and faithfull seruice of those who in matter of religion dissent from his Maiestie as of the onely men that haue preserued and saued the Crowne for the King his father of most glorious memorie I am perswaded my brother of France wil beleeue that his liege people pretended by the L. Cardinall to bee heretikes are not halfe so bad as my Romane Catholike subiects who by secret practises vndermine my life serue a forreine Souereigne are discharged by his Bulls of their obedience due to me their naturall Souereigne are bound by the maximes and rules published and maintained in fauour of the Pope before this full and famous assemblie of the Estate at Paris if the said maximes be of any weight and authoritie to hold mee for no lawfull King are there taught and instructed that Pauls commandemement concerning subiection vnto the higher Powers aduerse to their professed religion is onely a prouisionall precept framed to the times and watching for the opportunitie to shake off the yoake All which notwithstanding I deale with such Romane-Catholikes by the rules and wayes of Princely clemencie their heinous and pernicious error in effect no lesse then the capitall crime of high treason I vse to call some disease or distemper of the mind Last of all I beleeue my said brother of France will set downe in his tables as in record how little hee standeth ingaged to the L. Cardinall in this behalfe For those of the reformed Religion professe and proclaime that next vnder God they owe their preseruation and safetie to the wisedome and benignity of their Kings But now comes the Cardinall and he seekes to steale this perswasion out of their hearts He tells them in open Parliament and without any going about bushes that all their welfare and securitie standeth in their multitude and in the feare which others conceiue to trouble the State by the strict execution of lawes against Heretikes He addeth moreouer Note by the way that here the Church of Rome is called a Sect. that In case a third Sect should peepe out and growe vp in France the professors thereof should suffer confiscation of their goods with losse of life it selfe as hath bene practised at Geneua against Seruetus and in England against Arians My answere is this That punishments for heretikes duely and according to Law conuicted are set downe by decrees of the ciuill Magistrate bearing rule in the countrey where the said heretikes inhabite and not by any ordinances of the Pope I say withall the L. Cardinall hath no reason to match and parallell the reformed Churches with Seruetus and the Arians For those heretikes were powerfully conuicted by Gods word and lawfully condemned by the ancient Generall Councils where they were permitted and admitted to plead their owne cause in person But as for the trewth professed by me and those of the reformed Religion it was neuer yet hissed out of the Schooles nor cast out of any Council like some Parliament bills where both sides haue bene heard with like indifferencie Yea what Council soeuer hath bene offered vnto vs in these latter times it hath bene proposed with certaine presuppositions as That his Holinesse beeing a partie in the cause and consequently to come vnder iudgement as it were to the barre vpon his triall shall be the Iudge of Assize with Commission of Oyer and Determiner it shall bee celebrated in a citie of no safe accesse without safe conduct or conuoy to come or goe at pleasure and without danger it shall be assembled of such persons with free suffrage and voyce as vphold this rule which they haue already put in practise against Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage that faith giuen and oath taken to an Heretike must not be obserued Now then to resume our former matter If the Pope hitherto hath neuer presumed for pretended heresie to confiscate by sentence either the lands or the goods of priuate persons or common people of the French Nation wherefore should hee dare to dispossesse Kings of their Royall thrones wherefore takes he more vpon him ouer Kings then ouer priuate persons wherefore shall the sacred heads of Kings be more churlishly vnciuilly and rigorously handled then the hoods of the meanest people Here the L. Cardinal in stead of a direct answer breakes out of the lists alledging cleane from the purpose examples of heretikes punished not by the Pope but by the ciuill Magistrate of the Countrey But Bellarmine speakes to the point with a more free and open heart hee is absolute and resolute in this opinion that his Holinesse hath plenary power to dispose all Temporall estates and matters in the whole world I am confident saith Bellarmine and I speake it with assurance Contr. Barclaium cap. 27. that our Lord Iesus Christ in the dayes of his mortalitie had power to dispose of all Temporall things yea to strip Souereigne Kings and absolute Lords of their Kingdomes and Seignories and without all doubt hath granted and left euen the same power vnto his Vicar to make vse thereof whensoeuer hee shall thinke it necessary for the saluation of soules And so his Lordship speaketh without exception of any thing at all For who doth not know that Iesus Christ had power to dispose no lesse of priuate mens possessions then of whole Realmes and Kingdomes at his pleasure if it had beene his pleasure to display the ensignes of his power The same fulnesse of power is likewise in the Pope In good time belike his Holinesse is the sole heire of Christ in whole and in part Sess 9. The last Lateran Council fineth a Laic that speaketh blasphemie for the first offence if he be a gentleman at 25. ducats and at 50. for the second It presupposeth and taketh it for graunted that the Church may rifle and ransacke the purses of priuate men and cast lots for their goods The Councill of Trent diggeth as deepe for the same veine of gold and siluer It ordaines That Emperours Kings Dukes Princes Sess 25. cap. 19. and Lords of cities castles and territories holding of the Church in case they shall assigne any place within their limits or liberties for the duell betweene two Christians shall be depriued of the said citie castle or place where such duell shall be performed they holding the said place of the Church by any kind of tenure that all other Estates held in fee where the like offence shall be committed shall forthwith fall and become forfeited to their immediate and next Lords that all goods possessions and estates as well of the combatants themselues as of their seconds shall bee confiscate This Councill doeth necessarily presuppose it lieth in the hand and power of the Church to dispose of all the lands and estates held in fee throughout all Christendome because the Church forsooth can take from one and giue vnto an other all estates held in fee whatsoeuer as well such as hold of the
of our Catholike Religion then if it should bee granted the Church hath decided the said points without any authoritie c. Mee thinkes the L. Cardinal in the whole draught and course of these words doeth seeke not a little to blemish the honour of his Church and to marke his religion with a blacke coale For the whole frame of his Mother-Church is very easie to be shaken if by the establishing of this Article she shall come to finall ruine and shall become the Synagogue of Satan Likewise Kings are brought into a very miserable state and condition if their Souereigntie shall not stand if they shall not bee without danger of deposition but by the totall ruine of the Church and by holding the Pope whom they serue to be Antichrist The L. Cardinall himselfe let him be well sifted herein doeth not credit his owne words For doeth not his Lordship tell vs plaine that neither by Diuine testimony nor by any sentence of the ancient Church the knot of this controuersie hath bene vntied againe that some of the French by the Popes fauourable indulgence are licensed or tolerated to say their mind to deliuer their opinion of this question though contrary to the iudgement of his Holinesse prouided they hold it onely as problematicall and not as necessary What Can there be any assurance for the Pope that hee is not Antichrist for the Church of Rome that she is not a Synagogue of Satan when a mans assurance is grounded vpon wauering and wilde vncertainties without Canon of Scripture without consent or countenance of antiquitie and in a cause which the Pope by good leaue suffereth some to tosse with winds of problematicall opinion It hath beene shewed before that by Gods word whereof small reckoning perhaps is made by venerable antiquitie and by the French Church in those times when the Popes power was mounted aloft the doctrine which teacheth deposing of Kings by the Pope hath bene checked and countermanded What did the French in those dayes beleeue the Church was then swallowed vp and no where visible or extant in the world No verely Those that make the Pope of Soueraigne authoritie for matters of Faith are not perswaded that in this cause they are bound absolutely to beleeue and credit his doctrine Why so Because they take it not for any decree or determination of Faith but for a point perteining to the mysteries of State and a pillar of the Popes Temporall Monarchie who hath not receiued any promise from God that in causes of this nature hee shall not erre For they hold that errour by no meanes can crawle or scramble vp to the Papall See so highly mounted but grant ambition can scale the highest walls and climbe the loftiest pinacles of the same See They hold withall that in case of so speciall aduantage to the Pope whereby he is made King of Kings and as it were the pay-master or distributer of Crownes it is against all reason that hee should sit as Iudge to carue out Kingdomes for his owne share To bee short let his Lordship be assured that he meeteth with notorious blocke-heads more blunt-witted then a whetstone when they are drawen to beleeue by his perswasion that whosoeuer beleeues the Pope hath no right nor power to put Kings beside their Thrones to giue and take away Crownes are all excluded and barred out of the heauenly Kingdome But now followes a worse matter For they whom the Cardinall reproachfully calls heretikes haue wrought and wonne his Lordship as to mee seemeth to plead their cause at the barre and to betray his owne cause to these heretikes For what is it in his Lordship but plaine playing the Praeuaricator when he crieth so lowd that by admitting and establishing of this Article the doctrine of Cake-incarnation and priuie Confession to a Priest is vtterly subuerted Let vs heare his reason and willingly accept the trewth from his lips The Articles as his Lordship granteth of Transubstantiation auricular Confession and the Popes power to depose Kings are all grounded alike vpon the same authoritie Now he hath acknowledged the Article of the Popes power to depose Kings is not decided by the Scripture nor by the ancient Church but within the compasse of certaine aages past by the authoritie of Popes and Councils Then he goes on well and inferres with good reason that in case the point of the Popes power be weakened then the other two points must needs bee shaken and easily ouerthrowen So that hee doeth confesse the monstrous birth of the breaden-God and the blind Sacrament or vaine fantasie of auricular confession are no more conueyed into the Church by pipes from the springs of sacred Scripture or from the riuers of the ancient Church then that other point of the Popes power ouer Kings and their Crownes Very good For were they indeed deriued from either of those two heads that is to say were they grounded vpon the foundation of the first or second authoritie then they could neuer bee shaken by the downefall of the Popes power to depose Kings I am well assured that for vsing so good a reason the world will hold his Lordship in suspicion that he still hath somesmacke of his fathers discipline and instruction who in times past had the honour to be a Minister of the holy Gospel Howbeit he playeth not faire nor vseth sincere dealing in his proceeding against such as he calls heretikes when hee casts in their dish and beares them in hand they frowardly wrangle for the inuisibilitie of the Church in earth For indeed the matter is nothing so They freely acknowledge a visible Church For howsoeuer the assembly of Gods elect doth make a body not discerneable by mans eye yet we assuredly beleeue and gladly professe there neuer wanted a visible Church in the world yet onely visible to such as make a part of the same All that are without see no more but men they doe not see the said men to be the trew Church Wee beleeue moreouer of the vniuersall Church visible that it is composed of many particular Churches whereof some are better fined and more cleane from lees and dregs then other and withall we denie the purest Churches to be alwayes the greatest and most visible THE FOVRTH AND LAST INCONVENIENCE EXAMINED THE Lord Cardinall before he looketh into the last Inconuenience vseth a certaine preamble of his owne life past and seruices done to the Kings Henry the III. and IIII. Touching the latter of which two Kings his Lordship saith in a straine of boasting after this manner I by the grace of God or the grace of God by mee rather reduced him to the Catholike religion I obtained at Rome his absolution of Pope Clement 8. I reconciled him to the holy See Touching the first of these points I say the time the occasions and the foresaid Kings necessary affaires doe sufficiently testifie that he was induced to change his mind and to alter his religion vpon the strength of other
to reioyce in his owne behalfe and to giue me thanks that I haue done him the honour to enter the lists of Theologicall dispute against his Lordship Howbeit he twitches and carpes at me withall as at one that soweth seeds of dissention and schisme amongst Romane Catholiks And yet he would seeme to qualifie the matter and to make all whole againe by saying That in so doing I am perswaded I doe no more then my duetie requires But now as his Lordship followes the point it standeth neither with godlinesse nor with equity nor with reason that Acts made that Statutes Decrees and Ordinances ratified for the State and Gouernement of England should be thrust for binding Laws vpon the Kingdome of France nor that Catholikes and much lesse that Ecclesiastics to the ende they may liue in safetie and freely enioy their priuiledges or immunities in France should be forced to beleeue and by oath to seale the same points which English Catholikes to the end they may purchase libertie onely to breath nay sorrowfully to sigh rather are constrained to allow and to aduow besides And where as in England There is no small number of Catholikes that lacke not constant and resolute minds to endure all sorts of punishment rather then to take that oath of allegiance will there not be found an other manner of number in France armed with no lesse constancie and Christian resolution There will most honourable Auditors there will without all doubt and we all that are of Episcopall dignity will sooner suffer Martyrdome in the cause Then out of the super-abundance and ouer-weight of his Lordships goodnes he closely coucheth and conuayeth a certaine distastfull opposition betweene mee and his King with praises and thanks to God that his King is not delighted takes no pleasure to make Martyrs All this Artificiall and swelling discourse like vnto puffe-past if it be viewed at a neere distance will be found like a bladder full of wind without any soliditie of substantiall matter For the Deputies of the third Estate were neuer so voide of vnderstanding to beleeue that by prouiding for the life and safety of their King they should thrust him headlong into eternall damnation Their braines were neuer so much blasted so farre benummed to dreame the soule of their King cannot mount vp to heauen except he be dismounted from his Princely Throne vpon earth whensoeuer the Pope shall hold vp his finger And whereas he is bold to pronounce that heretikes of France doe make their benefit and aduantage of this diuision that speech is grounded vpon this proposition That professors of the Christian Religion reformed which is to say purged and cleansed of all Popish dregs are heretikes in fact and ought so to bee reputed in right Which proposition his Lordship will neuer soundly and sufficiently make good before his Holinesse hath compiled an other Gospell or hath forged an other Bible at his Pontificiall anuile The L. Cardinall vndertooke to reade mee a lecture vpon that argument but euer since hath played Mum-budget and hath put himselfe to silence like one at a Non-plus in his enterprise There be three yeeres already gone and past since his Lordship beganne to shape some answere to a certaine writing dispatched by mee in few daies With forming and reforming with filing and polishing with labouring and licking his answere ouer and ouer againe with reiterated extractions and calcinations it may be coniectured that all his Lordships labour and cost is long since evaporated and vanished in the aire Howbeit as well the friendly conference of a King for I will not call it a contention as also the dignitie excellencie and importance of the matter long since deserued and as long since required the publishing of some or other answere His Lordships long silence will neuer be imputed to lacke of capacity wherewith who knoweth not how abundantly he is furnished but rather to well aduised agnition of his owne working and building vpon a weake foundation But let vs returne vnto these heretikes that make so great gaine by the disagreement of Catholikes It is no part of their dutie to aime at sowing of dissentions but rather to intend and attend their faithfull performance of seruice to their King If some be pleased and others offended when so good and loyall duties are sincerely discharged it is for all good subiects to grieue and to be sory that when they speake for the safetie of their King honour of the trewth it is their hard hap to leaue any at all vnsatisfied But suppose the said heretiks were the Authors of this article preferred by the third Estate What need they to conceale their names in that regard What need they to disclaime the credit of such a worthy act Would it not redound to their perpetuall honour to be the onely subiects that kept watch ouer the Kings life and Crowne that stood centinell and walked the rounds for the preseruation of his Princely diademe when all other had no more touch no more feeling thereof then so many stones And what neede the Deputies for the third Estate to receiue instructions from forraine Kingdomes concerning a cause of that nature when there was no want of domesticall examples and the French histories were plentifull in that argument What neede they to gape for this reformed doctrine to come swimming with a fishes tayle out of an Island to the mayne continent when they had before their eyes the murders of two Kings with diuerse ciuill warres and many Arrests of Court all tending to insinuate and suggest the introduction of the same remedy Suggestions are needlesse from abroad when the mischiefe is felt at home it seemes to me that his Lordship in smoothing and tickling the Deputies for the third Estate doth no lesse then wring and wrong their great sufficiencie with contumely and outragious abuse as if they were not furnished with sufficient foresight and with loyall affection towards their King for the preseruation of his life and honour if the remedie were not beaten into their heads by those of the Religion reputed heretikes Touching my selfe ranged by his Lordship in the same ranke with sowers of dissention I take my God to witnes and my owne conscience that I neuer dream'd of any such vnchristian proiect It hath beene hitherto my ordinary course to follow honest counsells and to walke in open waies I neuer wonted my selfe to holes and corners to crafty shifts but euermore to plaine and open designes I neede not hide mine intentions for feare of any mortall man that puffeth breath of life out of his nostrils Nor in any sort doe I purpose to set Iulian the Apostata before mine eyes as a patterne for me to follow Iulian of a Christian became a Pagan I professe the same faith of Christ still which I haue euer professed Iulian went about his designes with crafty conueiances I neuer with any of his captious and cunning sleights Iulian forced his subiects to infidelitie against I
trāsgressors of diuine humane lawes If the French king in the heart of his kingdom should nourish and foster such a nest of stinging hornets and busie wasps I meane such a pack of subiects denying his absolute Soueraignty as many Romane Catholiks of my Kingdome do mine It may wel be doubted whether the L. Cardinal would aduise his king stil to feather the nest of the said Catholiks stil to keep them warme stil to beare them with an easie and gentle hand It may wel be doubted whether his Lordship would extol their constancie that would haue the courage to sheath vp their swords in his Kings bowels or blow vp his King with gun-powder into the neather station of the lowest regiō It may wel be doubted whether he would indure that Orator who like as himselfe hath done should stir vp others to suffer Martyrdome after such examples and to imitate parricides traitors in their constancy The scope then of the L. Cardinall in striking the sweet strings and sounding the pleasant notes of praises which faine he would fil mine eares withal is only by his excellent skil in the musick of Oratory to bewitch the harts of my subiects to infatuate their minds to settle them in a resolution to depriue me of my life The reason Because the plotters and practisers against my life are honoured and rewarded with a glorious name of Martyrs their constancie what els is admired when they suffer death for treason Wheras hitherto during the time of my whole raigne to this day I speake it in the word of a King and trewth it selfe shall make good the Kings word no man hath lost his life no man hath indured the Racke no man hath suffered corporall punishment in other kinds meerely or simply or in any degree of respect for his conscience in matter of religion but for wicked conspiring against my life or Estate or Royall dignitie or els for some notorious crime or some obstinate and wilfull disobedience Of which traiterous and viperous brood I commanded one to be hanged by the necke of late in Scotland a Iesuite of intolerable impudencie who at his arraignment and publike triall stiffely maintained that I haue robbed the Pope of his right and haue no manner of right in the possession of my Kingdome His Lordship therefore in offering himselfe to Martyrdome after the rare example of Catholiks as he saith suffering all sort of punishment in my Kingdome doeth plainely professe himselfe a follower of traytors and parricides These be the Worthies these the heroicall spirits these the honourable Captaines and Coronels whose vertuous parts neuer sufficiently magnified and praysed his Lordshippe propoundeth for imitation to the French Bishops O the name of Martyrs in olde times a sacred name how is it now derided and scoffed how is it in these daies filthily prophaned O you the whole quire and holy company of Apostles who haue sealed the trewth with your dearest blood how much are you disparaged how vnfitly are you paragoned and matched when traytors bloody butchers and King-killers are made your assistants and of the same Quorum or to speake in milder tearmes when you are coupled with Martyrs that suffer for maintaining the Temporall rites of the Popes Empire with Bishops that offer themselues to a Problematicall Martyrdome for a point decided neither by the authorities of your Spirit-inspired pens nor by the auncient and venerable testimonie of the Primitiue Church for a point which they dare not vndertake to teach otherwise then by a doubtfull cold fearefull way of discourse and altogether without resolution In good sooth I take the Cardinall for a personage of a quicker spirit and clearer sight let his Lordship hold mee excused then to perswade my selfe that in these matters his tongue and his heart his pen and his inward iudgement haue any concord or correspondence one with another For beeing very much against his minde as hee doeth confesse thrust into the office of an Aduocate to pleade this cause he suffered himselfe to bee carried after his engagement with some heat to vtter some things against his conscience murmuring and grumbling the contrary within and to affirme some other things with confidence whereof hee had not beene otherwise informed then onely by vaine and lying report Of which ranke is that bold assertion of his Lordship That many Catholiks in England rather then they would subscribe to the oath of allegiance in the forme thereof haue vndergone all sorts of punishment For in England as we haue trewly giuen the whole Christian world to vnderstand in our Preface to the Apologie there is but one forme or kind of punishment ordained for all sorts of traytors Hath not his Lordship now graced me with goodly testimonialls of prayse and commendation Am I not by his prayses proclaimed a Tyrant as it were inebriated with blood of the Saints and a famous Enginer of torments for my Catholikes To this exhortation for the suffering of Martyrdome in imitation of my English traytors and parricides if wee shall adde how craftily and subtilly hee makes the Kings of England to hold of the Pope by fealty and their kingdome in bondage to the Pope by Temporall recognizance it shall easily appeare that his holy-water of prayses wherewith I am so reuerently besprinkled is a composition extracted out of a dram of hony and a pound of gall first steeped in a strong decoction of bitter wormewood or of the wild gourd called Coloquintida For after he hath in the beginning of his Oration Page 10. spoken of Kings that owe fealtie to the Pope and are not Soueraignes in the highest degree of Temporall supremacie within their Kingdomes to explaine his mind and meaning the better he marshals the Kings of England a little after in the same ranke His words be these When King Iohn of England not yet bound in any temporall recognizance to the Pope had expelled his Bishops c. His Lordship means that King Iohn became so bound to the Pope not long after And what may this meaning be but in plaine tearmes and broad speach to call me vsurper and vnlawfull King For the feudatarie or he that holdeth a Mannor by fealty when he doeth not his homage with all suit and seruice that he owes to the Lord Paramount doeth fall from the propertie of his fee. This reproach of the L. Cardinals is seconded with an other of Bellarmines his brother Cardinall That Ireland was giuen to the Kings of England by the Pope The best is that his most reuerend Lordship hath not shewed who it was that gaue Ireland to the Pope And touching Iohn King of England thus in briefe stands the whole matter Betweene Henry 2. and the Pope had passed sundry bickerments about collating of Ecclesiasticall dignities Iohn the sonne after his fathers death reneweth vndertaketh and pursueth the same quarrell Driueth certaine English Bishops out of the Kingdome for defending the Popes insolent vsurpation vpon his Royall prerogatiue and Regall rights
Sheweth such Princely courage and resolution in those times when all that stood and suffered for the Popes Temporall pretensions against Kings were enrowled Martyrs or Confessors The Pope takes the matter in fowle scorne and great indignation shuts the King by his excommunicatory Bulls out of the Church stirres vp his Barons for other causes the Kings heauy friends to rise in armes giues the Kingdome of England like a masterlesse man turned ouer to a new master to Philippus Augustus King of France bindes Philip to make a conquest of England by the sword or else no bargaine or else no gift promises Philip in recompence of his trauell and Royall expences in that conquest full absolution and a generall pardon at large for all his sinnes to bee short cuts King Iohn out so much worke and makes him keepe so many yrons in the fire for his worke that he had none other way none other meanes to pacifie the Popes high displeasure to correct or qualifie the malignitie of the Popes cholericke humour by whom he was then so entangled in the Popes toyles but by yeelding himselfe to become the Popes vassal and his Kingdome feudatary or to hold by fealty of the Papall See By this meanes his Crowne is made tributary all his people liable to payment of taxes by the poll for a certaine yeerely tribute and he is blessed with a pardon for all his sinnes Whether King Iohn was mooued to doe this dishonourable act vpon any deuotion or inflamed with any zeale of Religion or inforced by the vnresistable weapons of necessitie who can be so blind that he doeth not well see and clearely perceiue For to purchase his owne freedome from this bondage to the Pope what could he bee vnwilling to doe that was willing to bring his Kingdome vnder the yoake of Amirales Murmelinus a Mahumetan Prince then King of Granado and Barbaria The Pope after that sent a Legat into England The King now the Popes vassall and holding his Crowne of the Pope like a man that holds his land of another by Knights seruice or by homage and fealtie doeth faire homage for his Crowne to the Popes Legat and layeth downe at his feet a great masse of the purest gold in coyne The reuerend Legat in token of his Masters Soueraigntie with more then vsuall pride falls to kicking and spurning the treasure no doubt with a paire of most holy feet Not onely so but likewise at solemne feasts is easily entreated to take the Kings chaire of Estate Heere I would faine know the Lord Cardinals opinion whether these actions of the Pope were iust or vniust lawfull or vnlawfull according to right or against all right and reason If he will say against right it is then cleare that against right his Lordship hath made way to this example if according to right let him then make it knowen from whence or from whom this power was deriued and conueyed to the Pope whereby hee makes himselfe Souereigne Lord of Temporalties in that Kingdome where neither he nor any of his predecessours euer pretended any right or layd any claime to Temporall matters before Are such prankes to be played by the Pontificiall Bishop Is this an act of Holinesse to set a Kingdome on fire by the flaming brands of sedition to dismember and quarter a Kingdome with intestine warres onely to this end that a King once reduced to the lowest degree of miserie might be lifted by his Holinesse out of his Royall prerogatiue the very soule and life of his Royall Estate When began this Papall power In what aage began the Pope to practise this power What! haue the ancient Canons for the Scripture in this question beareth no pawme haue the Canons of the ancient Church imposed any such satisfaction vpon a sinner that of a Souereigne and free King he should become vassall to his ghostly Father that he should make himselfe together with all his people and subiects tributaries to a Bishop that shall rifle a whole Nation of their coine that shall receiue homage of a King and make a King his vassall What! Shall not a sinner be quitted of his faults except his Pastor turne robber and one that goeth about to get a booty except hee make his Pastour a Feoffee in his whole Estate and suffer himselfe vnder a shadow of penance to freeze naked to be turned out of all his goods and possessions of inheritance But be it granted admit his Holinesse robs one Prince of his rights and reuenewes to conferre the same vpon another were it not an high degree of tyrannie to finger another mans estate and to giue that away to a third which the second hath no right no lawfull authoritie to giue Well if the Pope then shall become his owne caruer in the rights of another if he shall make his owne coffers to swell with anothers reuenewes if he shall decke and aray his owne backe in the spoiles of a sinner with whom in absolution he maketh peace and taketh truce what can this be else but running into further degrees of wickednesse and mischiefe what can this be else but heaping of robbery vpon fraud and Impietie vpon robbery For by such deceitfull craftie and cunning practises the nature of the Pontificiall See meerely spirituall is changed into the Kings-bench-Court meerely temporall the Bishops chaire is changed into a Monarchs Throne And not onely so but besides the sinners repentance is changed into a snare or pit-fall of cousening deceit and S. Peters net is changed into a casting-net or a flew to fish for all the wealth of most flourishing Kingdomes Moreouer the King a hard case is driuen by such wiles and subtilties to worke impossibilities to acte more then is lawfull or within the compasse of his power to practise For the King neither may in right nor can by power trans-nature his Crowne impaire the Maiestie of his Kingdome or leaue his Royal dignitie lesse free to his heire apparant or next successor then he receiued the same of his predecessour Much lesse by any dishonourable capitulations by any vnworthy contracts degrade his posteritie bring his people vnder the grieuous burden of tributes and taxes to a forreine Prince Least of all make them tributary to a Priest vnto whom it no way apperteineth to haue any hand in the ciuill affaires of Kings or to distaine and vnhallow their Crownes And therefore when the Pope dispatched his Nuntio to Philippus Augustus requesting the King to auert Lewis his sonne from laying any claime to the Kingdome of England Philip answered the Legat as we haue it in Matth. Paris No King no Prince can alienate or giue away his Kingdom but by consent of his Barons bound by Knights seruice to defend the said Kingdome and in case the Pope shall stand for the contrary error his Holines shall giue to Kingdomes a most pernicious example By the same Author it is testified that King Iohn became odious to his subiects for such dishonourable and vnworthy
inthralling of his Crowne and Kingdome Therefore the Popes right pretended to the Crowne of England which is nothing else but a ridiculous vsurpation hath long agoe vanished into smoake and required not so much as the drawing of one sword to snatch and pull it by violence out of his hands For the Popes power lying altogether in a certaine wilde and wandring conceit or opinion of men and being onely an imaginary castle in the ayre built by pride and vnderpropped by superstition is very speedily dispersed vpon the first rising and appearing of the trewth in her glorious brightnesse There is none so very a dolt or block-head to deny that in case this right of the Pope ouer England is grounded vpon Gods word then his Holinesse may challenge the like right ouer all other Kingdomes because all other Kingdomes Crownes and Scepters are subiect alike to Gods word For what priuiledge what charter what euidence can France fetch out of the Rolles or any other treasurie of her monuments or records to shew that she oweth lesse subiection to God then England Or was this yoke of bondage then brought vpon the English Nation was it a prerogatiue whereby they might more easily come to the libertie of the sonnes of God Or were the people of England perswaded that for all their substance wealth and life bestowed on the Pope his Holinesse by way of exchange returned them better weight and measure of spirituall graces It is ridiculous onely to conceiue these toyes in thought and yet with such ridiculous with such toyes in conceit his Lordship feeds and entertains his auditors From this point hee falleth to another bowt and fling at his heretikes with whom he played no faire play before Pag. 105. There is not one Synode of ministers as he saith which would willingly subscribe to this Article whereunto wee should bee bound to sweare But herein his Lordship shooteth farre from the marke This Article is approoued and preached by the Ministers of my Kingdome It is likewise preached by those of France and if need bee I asssure my selfe will bee signed by all the Ministers of the French Church The L. Cardinall proceedeth for hee meaneth not so soone to giue ouer these heretikes All their Consistortes beleeue it as their Creed that if Catholike Princes at any time shall offer force vnto their conscience then they are dispensed withall for their oath of alleagiance Hence are these modifications and restricitions tossed so much in their mouthes Prouided the King force vs not in our conscience Hence are these exceptions in the profession of their faith Prouided the Soueraigne power and authoritie of God bee not in any sort violated or infringed I am not able to conceiue what engine can bee framed of these materialls for the bearing of Kings out of their eminent seates by any lawfull authoritie or power in the Pope For say those of the Religion should be tainted with some like errour how can that be any shelter of excuse for those of the Romish Church to vndermine or to digge vp the Thrones of their Kings But in this allegation of the L. Cardinall there is nothing at all which doeth not iumpe iust and accord to a haire with the Article of the third Estate and with obedience due to the King For they doe not professe that in case the King shall commaund them to doe any act contrarie to their conscience they would flie at his throat would make any attempt against his life would refuse to pay their taxations or to defend him in the warres They make no profession of deposing the King or discharging the people from the oath of allegiance tendred to the King which is the very point or issue of the matter in controuersie and the maine mischeife against which the third Estate hath bin most worthily carefull to prouide a wholesome remedie by this Article There is a world of difference betweene the termes of disobedience and of deposition It is one thing to disobey the Kings commaund in matters prohibited by diuine lawes and yet in all other matters to performe full subiection vnto the King It is another thing of a farre higher degree or straine of disloyaltie to bare the King of his Royall robes throne and scepter and when he is thus farre disgraced to degrade him and to put him from his degree and place of a King If the holy Father should charge the L. Cardinal to doe some act repugnant in his owne knowledge to the Law of God I will religiously and according to the rule of charitie presume that his Lordship in this case would stand out against his Holinesse and notwithstanding would still acknowledge him to be Pope His Lordship yet prosecutes and followes his former purpose Hence are those armes which they haue oftentimes borne against Kings when Kings practised to take away the libertie of their conscience and Religion Hence are those turbulent Commotions and seditions by them raised as well in the Low-countryes against the King of Spaine as in Swethland against the Catholike King of Polonia Besides he casteth Iunius Brutus Buchananus Barclaius and Gerson in our teeth To what end all this I see not how it can bee auaileable to authorize the deposing of Kings especially the Popes power to depose And yet his Lordship here doth outface by his leaue and beare downe the trewth For I could neuer yet learne by any good and trew intelligence that in France those of the Religion tooke armes at any time against their King In the first ciuill warres they stood onely vpon their guard they stood onely to their lawfull wards and locks of defence they armed not nor tooke the field before they were pursued with fire and sword burnt vp and slaughtred Besides Religion was neither the root nor the rynde of those intestine troubles The trew ground of the quarrell was this During the minority of King Francis II. the Protestants of France were a refuge and succour to the Princes of the blood when they were kept from the Kings presence and by the ouer powring power of their enemies were no better then plaine driuen and chased from the Court I meane the Grand-father of the King now raigning and the Grand-father of the Prince of Conde when they had no place of safe retreate In regard of which worthy and honourable seruice it may seeme the French King hath reason to haue the Protestants in his gracious remembrance With other commotion or insurrection the Protestants are not iustly to be charged But on the contrary certaine it is that King Henry III. raysed and sent forth seuerall armies against the Protestants to ruine and roote them out of the Kingdome howbeit so soone as they perceiued the said King was brought into dangerous tearms they ranne with great speed and speciall fidelitie to the Kings rescue and succour in the present danger Certaine it is that by their good seruice the said King was deliuered from a most extreame and imminent perill
my Great Brittaine haue not beene the Popes vassals to doe him homage for their Crowne and haue no more felt the lashings the scourgings of base and beggarly Monkes Of Holland Zeland and Friseland what neede I speake yet a word and no more Were they not a kinde of naked and bare people of small value before God lighted the torch of the Gospel and aduanced it in those Nations were they not an ill fedde and scragged people in comparison of the inestimable wealth and prosperity both in all military actions and mechanicall trades in trafficke as merchants in marting as men of warre in long nauigation for discouerie to which they are now raysed and mounted by the mercifull blessing of God since the darknes of Poperie hath beene scattered and the bright Sunne of the Gospel hath shined in those Countryes Behold the Venetian Republique Hath shee now lesse beautie lesse glory lesse peace and prosperitie since she lately fell to bicker and contend with the Pope since she hath wrung out of the Popes hand the one of his two swords since she hath plumed and shaked his Temporall dominion On the contrarie after the French Kings had honoured the Popes with munificent graunts and gifts of all the cities and territories lands and possessions which they now hold in Italy and the auncient Earledome of Auignon in France for an ouer-plus were they not rudely recompenced and homely handled by their most ingratefull fee-farmers and copy-holders Haue not Popes forged a donation of Constantine of purpose to blot out all memory of Pepins and Charlemaignes donation Haue they not vexed and troubled the State haue they not whetted the sonnes of Lewis the Courteous against their owne Father whose life was a patterne and example of innocencie Haue they not by their infinite exactions robbed and scoured the Kingdome of all their treasure Were not the Kings of France driuen to stoppe their violent courses by the pragmaticall sanction Did they not sundry times interdict the Kingdome degrade the Kings solicite the neighbour-Princes to inuade and lay hold on the Kingdome and stirre vp the people against the King whereby a gate was opened to a world of troubles and parricides Did not Rauaillac render this reason for his monstrous and horrible attempt That King Henry had a designe to warre with God because he had a designe to take armes against his Holinesse who is God This makes me to wonder what mooued the L. Cardinall to marshall the last ciuill warres and motions in France in the ranke of examples of vnhappy separation from the Pope when the Pope himselfe was the trumpetor of the same troublesome motions If the Pope had bene wronged and offended by the French King or his people and the Kingdome of France had been scourged with pestilence or famine or some other calamitie by forraine enemies it might haue beene taken in probabilitie as a vengeance of God for some iniurie done vnto his Vicar But his Holinesse being the roote the ground the master-workeman and artificer of all these mischiefes how can it be said that God punisheth any iniurie done to the Pope but rather that his Holinesse doth reuenge his owne quarrell and which is worst of all when his Holinesse hath no iust cause of quarrell or offence Now then to exhort a Nation as the L. Cardinall hath done by the remembrance of former calamities to curry fauour with the Pope and to hold a strict vnion with his Holinesse is no exhortation to beare the Pope any respect of loue or of reuerence but rather a rubbing of memory and a calling to minde of those grieuous calamities whereof the Pope hath been the only occasion It is also a threatning and obtruding of the Popes terrible thunder-bolts which neuer scorched nor parched any skinne except crauens and meticulous bodies and haue brought many great showres of blessings vpon my Kingdome As for France if she hath enioyed prosperity in the times of her good agreement with Popes it is because the Pope seekes the amity of Princes that are in prosperitie haue the meanes to curbe his pretensions and to put him to some plunge Kings are not in prosperity because the Pope holds amitie with Kings but his Holinesse vseth all deuises seeketh all meanes to haue amitie with Kings because he sees them flourish sayle with prosperous winds The swallow is no cause but a companion of the spring the Pope is no worker of a Kingdoms felicity but a wooer of kings when they sit in felicities lap he is no founder but a follower of their good fortunes On the other side let a Kingdome fall into some grieuous disaster or calamitie let ciuill warres boile in the bowels of the Kingdom ciuil wars no lesse dangerous to the State then fearefull and grieuous to the people who riseth sooner then the Pope who rusheth sooner into the troubled streames then the Pope who thrusteth himselfe sooner into the heate of the quarrell then the Pope who runneth sooner to raise his gaine by the publike wrack then the Pope and all vnder colour of a heart wounded and bleeding for the saluation of soules If the lawfull King happen to be foyled to be oppressed and thereupon the State by his fall to get a new master by the Popes practise then the said new master must hold the Kingdome as of the Popes free gift and rule or guide the sterne of the State at his becke and by his instruction If the first and right Lord in despite of all the Popes fulminations and fire-workes shall get the honourable day and vpper hand of his enemies then the holy Father with a cheerfull and pleasant grace yea with fatherly gratulation opens the rich cabinet of his iewells I meane the treasurie of his indulgences and falls now to dandle and cocker the King in his fatherly lap whose throat if he could he would haue cut not long before This pestilent mischiefe hath now a long time taken roote and is growne to a great head in the Christian world through the secret but iust iudgement of God by whom Christian Kings haue beenesmitten with a spirit of dizzinesse Christian Kings who for many aages past haue liued in ignorance without any sound instruction without any trew sense and right feeling of their owne right and power whilest vnder a shadow of Religion and false cloake of pietie their Kingdomes haue beene ouer-burdened yea ouer-borne with tributes and their Crownes made to stoope euen to miserable bondage That God in whose hand the hearts of Kings are poised and at his pleasure turned as the water-courses that mighty God alone in his good time is able to rouze them out of so deepe a slumber and to take order their drowzy fits once ouer and shaken off with heroicall spirits that Popes hereafter shall play no more vpon their patience nor presume to put bits and snaffles in their noble mouthes to the binding vp of their power with weake scruples like mighty buls lead about by
minds the reformation whereof must onely come of God and the trew Spirit But the other ranke of Layicks who either through Curiositie affectation of Noueltie or discontentment in their priuat humours haue changed their coates onely to be factious stirrers of Sedition and Perturbers of the common wealth their backwardnesse in their Religion giueth a ground to me the Magistrate to take the better heed to their proceeding and to correct their obstinacie But for the part of the Clerickes I must directly say and affirme that as long as they maintaine one speciall point of their doctrine and another point of their practise they are no way sufferable to remaine in this Kingdome Their point of doctrine is that arrogant and ambitious Supremacie of their Head the Pope whereby he not onely claimes to bee Spirituall head of all Christians but also to haue an Imperiall ciuill power ouer all Kings and Emperors dethroning and decrowning Princes with his foot as pleaseth him and dispensing and disposing of all Kingdomes and Empires at his appetite The other point which they obserue in continuall practise is the assassinates and murthers of Kings thinking it no sinne but rather a matter of saluation to doe all actions of rebellion and hostilitie against their naturall Soueraigne Lord if he be once cursed his subiects discharged of their fidelitie and his Kingdome giuen a prey by that three crowned Monarch or rather Monster their Head And in this point I haue no occasion to speake further here sauing that I could wish from my heart that it would please God to make me one of the members of such a generall Christian vnion in Religion as laying wilfulnesse aside on both hands wee might meete in the middest which is the Center and perfection of all things For if they would leaue and be ashamed of such new and grosse Corruptions of theirs as themselues cannot maintaine nor denie to bee worthy of reformation I would for mine owne part be content to meete them in the mid-way so that all nouelties might be renounced on either side For as my faith is the Trew Ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith grounded vpon the Scriptures and expresse word of God so will I euer yeeld all reuerence to antiquitie in the points of Ecclesiasticall pollicy and by that meanes shall I euer with Gods grace keepe my selfe from either being an hereticke in Faith or schismatick in matters of Pollicie But of one thing would I haue the Papists of this Land to bee admonished That they presume not so much vpon my Lenitie because I would be loath to be thought a Persecuter as thereupon to thinke it lawfull for them dayly to encrease their number and strength in this Kingdome whereby if not in my time at least in the time of my posteritie they might be in hope to erect their Religion againe No let them assure themselues that as I am a friend to their persons if they be good subiects so am I a vowed enemie and doe denounce mortall warre to their errors And that as I would be sory to bee driuen by their ill behauiour from the protection and conseruation of their bodies and liues So will I neuer cease as farre as I can to tread downe their errors and wrong opinions For I could not permit the encrease and growing of their Religion without first betraying of my selfe and mine owne conscience Secondly this whole Isle aswell the part I am come from as the part I remaine in in betraying their Liberties and reducing them to the former slauish yoke which both had casten off before I came amongst them And thirdly the libertie of the Crowne in my posteritie which I should leaue againe vnder a new slauery hauing found iâ— left free to me by my Predecessors And therefore would I wish all good Subiects that are deceiued with that corruption first if they find any beginning of instinction in themselues of knowledge and loue to the Trewth to foster the same by all lawfull meanes and to beware of quenching the spirit that worketh within them And if they can find as yet no motion tending that way to be studious to reade and conferre with learned men and to vse all such meanes as may further their Resolution assuring themselues that as long as they are disconformable in Religion from vs they cannot bee but halfe my Subiects bee able to doe but halfe seruice and I to want the best halfe of them which is their soules And here haue I occasion to speake to you my Lords the Bishops For as you my Lord of Durham said very learnedly to day in your Sermon Correction without instruction is but a Tyrannie So ought you and all the Clergie vnder you to be more carefull vigilant and diligent then you haue bene to winne Soules to God aswell by your exemplary life as doctrine And since you see how carefull they are sparing neither labour paines nor extreme perill of their persons to diuert the Deuill is so busie a Bishop yee should bee the more carefull and wakefull in your charges Follow the rule prescribed you by S. Paul Bee carefull to exhort and to instruct in season and out of season and where you haue beene any way sluggish before now waken your selues vp againe with a new diligence in this point remitting the successe to God who calling them either at the second third tenth or twelfth houre as they are alike welcome to him so shall they bee to mee his Lieutenant here The third reason of my conuening of you at this time The third reason of assembling the Parliament which conteineth such actions of my thankefulnesse toward you as I may either doe or leaue vndone yet shall with Gods grace euer presse to performe all the dayes of my life It consists in these two points In making of Lawes at certaine times which is onely at such times as this in Parliament or in the carefull execution thereof at all other times As for the making of them I will thus farre faithfully promise vnto you That I will euer preferre the weale of the body and of the whole Common-wealth in making of good Lawes and constitutions to any particular or priuate ends of mine thinking euer the wealth and weale of the Common-wealth to bee my greatest weale and worldly felicitie A point wherein a lawfull King doeth directly differ from a Tyrant But at this time I am onely thus farre to forewarne you in that point That you beware to seeke the making of too many Lawes for two especiall reasons First because In corruptissima Republica plurimae leges and the execution of good Lawes is farre more profitable in a Common-wealth then to burden mens memories with the making of too many of them And next because the making of too many Lawes in one Parliament will bring in confusion for lacke of leisure wisely to deliberate before you conclude For the Bishop said well to day That to Deliberation would a large time be giuen but to
that Religion increaseth vnder mee GOD is my witnesse I speake nothing for vaine-glory but speake it againe My heart is grieued when I heare Recusants increase Therefore I wish you Iudges to take it to heart as I doe and preuent it as you can and make me knowen to my people as I am There are three sorts of Recusants The first are they that for themselues will bee no Recusants but their wiues and their families are and they themselues doe come to Church but once or twice in a yeere inforced by Law or for fashion sake These may be formall to the Law but more false to GOD then the other sort The second sort are they that are Recusants and haue their conscience misse-led and therefore refuse to come to Church but otherwise liue as peaceable Subiects The third sort are practising Recusants These force all their seruants to bee Recusants with them they will suffer none of their Tenants but they must bee Recusants and their neighbours if they liue by them in peace must be Recusants also These you may finde out as a foxe by the foule smell a great way round about his hole This is a high pride and presumption that they for whose soules I must answere to GOD and who enioy their liues and liberties vnder mee will not onely be Recusants themselues but infect and draw others after them As I haue said in Parliament house I can loue the person of a Papist being otherwise a good man and honestly bred neuer hauing knowen any other Religion but the person of an Apostate Papist I hate And surely for those Polypragmaticke Papists I would you would studie out some seuere punishment for them for they keepe not infection in their owne hearts onely but also infect others our good Subiects And that which I say for Recusants the same I say for Priests I confesse I am loath to hang a Priest onely for Religion sake and saying Masse but if he refuse the Oath of Alleagiance which let the Pope and all the deuils in Hell say what they will yet as you finde by my booke and by diuers others is meerely Ciuill those that so refuse the Oath and are Polypragmaticke Recusants I leaue them to the Law it is no persecution but good Iustice And those Priests also that out of my Grace and Mercy haue beene let goe out of prisons and banished vpon condition not to returne aske mee no questions touching these quit me of them and let mee not heare of them And to them I ioyne those that breake prison for such Priests as the prison will not hold it is a plaine signe nothing will hold them but a halter Such are no Martyrs that refuse to suffer for their conscience Paul notwithstanding the doores were open would not come foorth And Peter came not out of the prison till led by the Angel of God But these will goe forth though with the angel of the Diuell I haue giuen order to my Lord of Canterbury and my Lord of London for the distinction c. of the degrees of Priests and when I haue an accompt from them then will I giue you another charge concerning them Another thing that offendeth the Realme is abundance of Ale-houses and therefore to auoyd the giuing occasion of euill and to take away the root and punish the example of vice I would haue the infamous Ale houses pulled downe and a command to all Iustices of Peace that this be done I may complaine of Ale-houses for receipt of Stealers of my Deere but the countrey may complaine for stealing their horses oxen and sheepe for murder cutting of purses and such like offences for these are their haunts Deuouring beasts as Lyons and Beares will not bee where they haue no dennes nor couert So there would be no theeues if they had not their receipts and these Ale-houses as their dennes Another sort are a kinde of Alehouses which are houses of haunt and receipt for debaushed rogues and vagabonds and idle sturdie fellowes and these are not properly Ale-houses but base victuallers such as haue nothing else to liue by but keeping houses of receipt for such kinde of customers I haue discouered a strange packe of late That within tenne or twelue miles of London there are ten or twelue persons that liue in spight of mee going with Pistols and walking vp and downe from harbour to harbour killing my Deere and so shift from hold to hold that they cannot be apprehended For Rogues you haue many good Acts of Parliament Edward the sixt though hee were a child yet for this he in his time gaue better order then many Kings did in their aage You must take order for these Beggars and Rogues for they so swarme in euery place that a man cannot goe in the streetes nor in the high wayes norany where for them Looke to your houses of Correction and remember that in the chiefe Iustice Pophams time there was not a wandering begger to bee found in all Somersetshire being his natiue countrey Haue a care also to suppresse the building of Cottages vpon Commons which are as bad as Alehouses and the dwellers in them doe commonly steale Deere Conies sheepe oxen horses breake houses and doe all maner of villanies It is trew some ill Iustices make gaine of these base things take an accompt of the Iustices of Peace that they may know they doe these things against the will of the King I am likewise to commend vnto you a thing very necessarie High-wayes and Bridges because no Common-weale can bee without passage I protest that as my heart doeth ioy in the erection of Schooles and Hospitals which haue beene more in my time then in many aages of my predecessours so it grieues mee and it is wonderfull to see the decay of charitie in this how scant men are in contributing towards the amendment of High-wayes and Bridges Therefore take a care of this for that is done to day with a penie that will not bee done hereafter with an hundred pounds and that will be mended now in a day which hereafter will not be mended in a yeere and that in a yeere which will not bee done in our time as we may see by Pauls Steeple Another thing to be cared for is the new Buildings here about the Citie of London concerning which my Proclamations haue gone foorth and by the chiefe Iustice here and his Predecessor Popham it hath bene resolued to be a generall nusans to the whole Kingdome And this is that which is like the Spleene in the body which in measure as it ouergrowes the body wastes For is it possible but the Countrey must diminish if London doe so increase and all sorts of people doe come to London and where doeth this increase appeare not in the heart of the Citie but in the suburbes not giuing wealth or profit to the Citie but bringing miserie and surcharge both to Citie and Court causing dearth and scarsitie through the great prouision of
first part vpon that subiect should haue ditted the mouth of the most enuious Momus that euer hell did hatch from barking at any other part of my booke vpon that ground except they would alledge me to be contrarie to my selfe which in so small a volume would smell of too great weakenesse and sliprinesse of memory And the second part of my booke teaches my Sonne how to vse his Office in the administration of Iustice and Politicke Gouernment The third onely containing a Kings outward behauiour in indifferent things what agreeance and conformitie hee ought to keepe betwixt his outward behauiour in these things and the vertuous qualities of his minde and how they should serue for trunsh-men to interprete the inward disposition of the minde to the eyes of them that cannot see farther within him and therefore must onely iudge of him by the outward appearance So as if there were no more to be looked into but the very methode and order of the booke it will sufficiently cleare me of that first and grieuousest imputation in the point of Religion since in the first part where Religion is onely treated of I speake so plainely And what in other parts I speake of Puritanes it is onely of their morall faults in that part where I speake of Policie declaring when they contemne the Law and souereigne authoritie what exemplare punishment they deserue for the same And now as to the matter it selfe whereupon this scandall is taken that I may sufficiently satisfie all honest men and by a iust Apologie raise vp a brasen wall or bulwarke against all the darts of the enuious I will the more narrowly rip vp the words whereat they seeme to be somewhat stomacked First then as to the name of Puritanes I am not ignorant that the style thereof doeth properly belong onely to that vile sect amongst the Anabaptists called the Family of loue because they thinke themselues onely pure and in a maner without sinne the onely trwe Church and onely worthy to be participant of the Sacraments and all the rest of the world to be but abomination in the sight of God Of this speciall sect I principally meane when I speake of Puritans diuers of them as Browne Penry and others hauing at sundrie times come into Scotland to sow their popple amongst vs and from my heart I wish that they had left no schollers behinde them who by their fruits will in the owne time be manifested and partly indeede I giue this style to such brain-sicke and headie Preachers their disciples and followers as refusing to be called of that sect yet participate too much with their humours in maintaining the aboue mentioned errours not onely agreeing with the generall rule of all Anabaptists in the contempt of the ciuill Magistrate and in leaning to their owne dreams and reuelations but particularly with this sect in accounting all men profane that sweare not to all their fantasies in making for euery particular question of the policie of the Church as great commotion as if the article of the Trinitie were called in controuersie in making the scriptures to be ruled by their conscience and not their conscience by the Scripture and he that denies the least iote of their grounds sit tibi tanquam ethnicus publicanus not worthy to enioy the benefite of breathing much lesse to participate with them of the Sacraments and before that any of their grounds be impugned let King people Law and all be trode vnder foote Such holy warres are to be preferred to an vngodly peace no in such cases Christian Princes are not onely to be resisted vnto but not to be prayed for for prayer must come of Faith and it is reuealed to their consciences that GOD will heare no prayer for such a Prince Iudge then Christian Reader if I wrong this sort of people in giuing them the stile of that sect whose errours they imitate and since they are contented to weare their liuerie let them not be ashamed to borrow also their name It is onely of this kinde of men that in this booke I write so sharply and whom I wish my Sonne to punish in-case they refuse to obey the Law and will not cease to sturre vp a rebellion Whom against I haue written the more bitterly in respect of diuers famous libels and iniurious speaches spred by some of them not onely dishonourably inuectiue against all Christian Princes but euen reprochfull to our profession and Religion in respect they are come out vnder coulour thereof and yet were neuer answered but by Papists who generally medle aswell against them as the religion it selfe whereby the skandale was rather doubled then taken away But on the other part I protest vpon mine honour I meane it not generally of all Preachers or others that like better of the single forme of policie in our Church then of the many Ceremonies in the Church of England that are perswaded that their Bishops smell of a Papall supremacie that the Surplise the cornerd cap and such like are the outward badges of Popish errours No I am so farre from being contentious in these things which for my owne part I euer esteemed as indifferent as I doe equally loue and honour the learned and graue men of either of these opinions It can no wayes become me to pronounce so lightly a sentence in so old a controuersie Wee all God be praised doe agree in the grounds and the bitternesse of men vpon such questions doeth but trouble the peace of the Church and giues aduantage and entry to the Papists by our diuision But towards them I onely vse this prouision that where the Law is otherwayes they may content themselues soberly and quietly with their owne opinions not resisting to the authoritie nor breaking the Law of the Countrey neither aboue all sturring any rebellion or schisme but possessing their soules in peace let them preasse by patience and well grounded reasons either to perswade all the rest to like of their iudgements or where they see better grounds on the other part not to bee ashamed peaceably to incline thereunto laying aside all praeoccupied opinions And that this is the onely meaning of my Booke and not any coldnesse or cracke in Religion that place doeth plainely witnesse where after I haue spoken of the faults in our Ecclesiasticall estate I exhort my sonne to be beneficiall vnto the good-men of the Ministrie praising God there that there is presently a sufficient number of good men of them in this kingdome and yet are they all knowne to be against the forme of the English Church Yea so farre I am in that place from admitting corruption in Religion as I wish him in promoouing them to vse such caution as may preserue their estate from creeping to corruption euer vsing that forme through the whole Booke where euer I speake of bad Preachers terming them some of the Ministers and not Ministers or Ministrie in generall And to conclude this point of Religion
likewise you cannot without most euident and grieuous wronging of Gods Honour bind your selues by the Oath which in like maner we haue heard with very great griefe of our heart is administred vnto you of the tenor vnder-written viz. I A. B. doe trewly and sincerely acknowledge The Oath professe testifie and declare in my conscience before God and the world That our Soueraigne Lord King IAMES is lawfull King of this Realme and of all other his Maiesties Dominions and Countreyes And that the Pope neither of himselfe nor by any authority of the Church or Sea of Rome or by any other meanes with any other hath any power or authoritie to depose the King or to dispose of any of his Maiesties Kingdomes or Dominions or to authorize any forreigne Prince to inuade or annoy him or his Countreys or to discharge any of his Subiects of their Allegiance and obedience to his Maiestie or to giue Licence or leaue to any of them to beare Armes raise tumults or to offer any violence or hurt to his Maiesties Royall Person State or Gouernment or to any of his Maiesties subiects within his Maiesties Dominions Also I doe sweare from my heart that notwithstanding any declaration or sentence of Excommunication or depriuation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his successors or by any Authoritie deriued or pretended to be deriued from him or his Sea against the said King his heires or successors or any absolution of the said subiects from their obedience I will beare faith and trew Allegiance to his Maiestie his heires and successors and him and them will defend to the vttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoeuer which shal be made against his or their Persons their Crowne and dignitie by reason or colour of any such sentence or declaration or otherwise and will doe my best endeuour to disclose and make knowne vnto his Maiestie his heires and successors all Treasons and traiterous conspiracies which I shall know or heare of to be against him or any of them And I doe further sweare That I doe from my heart abhorre detest and abiure as impious and Hereticall this damnable doctrine and position That Princes which be excommunicated or depriued by the Pope may be deposed or murthered by their Subiects or any other whatsoeuer And I doe beleeue and in conscience am resolued that neither the Pope nor any person whatsoeuer hath power to absolue me of this Oath or any part therof which I acknowledge by good and full authoritie to bee lawfully ministred vnto mee and doe renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrarie And all these things I doe plainely and sincerely acknowledge and sweare according to these expresse words by mee spoken and according to the plaine and common sense and vnderstanding of the same words without any Equiuocation or mentall euasion or secret reseruation whatsoeuer And I do make this Recognition and acknowledgment heartily willingly and trewly vpon the trew faith of a Christian So helpe me GOD. Which things since they are thus it must euidently appeare vnto you by the words themselues That such an Oath cannot be taken without hurting of the Catholike Faith and the saluation of your soules seeing it conteines many things which are flat contrary to Faith and saluation Wherefore wee doe admonish you that you doe vtterly abstaine from taking this and the like Oathes which thing wee doe the more earnestly require of you because wee haue experience of the constancie of your faith which is tried like gold in the fire of perpetuall tribulation Wee doe well know that you will cheerefully vnder-goe all kinde of cruell torments whatsoeuer yea and constantly endure death it selfe rather then you will in any thing offend the Maiestie of GOD. And this our confidence is confirmed by those things which are dayly reported vnto vs of the singular vertue valour and fortitude which in these last times doeth no lesse shine in your Martyrs then it did in the first beginning of the Church Stand therefore your loynes being girt about with veritie and hauing on the brest-plate of righteousnesse taking the shield of Faith be ye strong in the Lord and in the power of his might And let nothing hinder you Hee which will crowne you and doeth in Heauen behold your conflicts will finish the good worke which hee hath begun in you You know how hee hath promised his disciples that hee will neuer leaue them Orphanes for hee is faithfull which hath promised Hold fast therefore his correction that is being rooted and grounded in Charitie whatsoeuer ye doe whatsoeuer ye indeuour doe it with one accord in simplicitie of heart in meekenesse of Spirit without murmuring or doubting For by this doe all men know that we are the disciples of CHRIST if we haue loue one to another Which charitie as it is very greatly to be desired of all faithfull Christians So certainely is it altogether necessary for you most blessed sonnes For by this your charitie the power of the diuel is weakened who doeth so much assaile you since that power of his is especially vpheld by the contentions and disagreement of our sonnes Wee exhort you therefore by the bowels of our Lord IESVS CHRIST by whose loue we are taken out of the iawes of eternall death That aboue all things you would haue mutuall charitie among you Surely Pope Clement the eight of happy memory hath giuen you most profitable precepts of practising brotherly charitie one to another in his Letters in forme of a Breue to our welbeloued sonne M. George Arch priest of the Kingdome of England dated the 5. day of the moneth of October 1602. Put them therefore diligently in practise and be not hindered by any difficultie or doubtfulnesse We command you that ye doe exactly obserue the words of those letters and that yee take and vnderstand them simply as they sound and as they lie all power to interpret them otherwise being taken away In the meane while we will neuer cease to pray to the Father of Mercies that he would with pitie behold your afflictions and your paines And that he would keepe and defend you with his continuall protection whom wee doe gently greet with our Apostolicall Benediction Dated at Rome at S. Marke vnder the Signet of the Fisherman the tenth of the Calends of October 1606. the second yeere of our Popedome THE ANSWERE TO THE FIRST BREVE FIrst the Pope expresseth herein his sorrow for that persecution which the Catholiques sustaine for the faiths sake Wherein besides the maine vntrewth whereby I am so iniuriously vsed I must euer auow and maintaine as the trewth is according to mine owne knowledge that the late Queene of famous memory neuer punished any Papist for Religion but that their owne punishment was euer extorted out of her hands against her will by their owne misbehauiour which both the time and circumstances of her actions will manifestly make proofe of
For before Pius Quintus his excommunication giuing her ouer for a prey and setting her Subiects at libertie to rebell it is well knowne she neuer medled with the blood or hard punishment of any Catholique nor made any rigorous Lawes against them And since that time who list to compare with an indifferent eye the manifold intended inuasions against her whole Kingdome the forreine practises the internall publike rebellions the priuate plots and machinations poysonings murthers and all sorts of deuises quid non daily set abroach and all these wares continually fostered and fomented from Rome together with the continuall corrupting of her Subiects as well by temporall bribes as by faire and specious promises of eternall felicitie and nothing but booke vpon booke publikely set foorth by her fugitiues for approbation of so holy designes who list I say with an indifferent eye to looke on the one part vpon those infinite and intollerable temptations and on the other part vpon the iust yet moderate punishment of a part of these hainous offendors shall easily see that that blessed defunct LADIE was as free from persecution as they shall free these hellish Instruments from the honour of martyrdome 5. But now hauing sacrificed if I may so say to the Manes of my late Predecessour I may next with Saint PAVL iustly vindicate mine owne fame from those innumerable calumnies spread against me in testifying the trewth of my behauiour toward the Papists wherein I may trewly affirme That whatsoeuer was her iust and mercifull Gouernement ouer the Papists in her time my Gouernement ouer them since hath so farre exceeded hers in Mercie and Clemencie as not onely the Papists themselues grewe to that height of pride in confidence of my mildnesse as they did directly expect and assuredly promise to themselues libertie of Conscience and equalitie with other of my Subiects in all things but euen a number of the best and faithfulliest of my sayde Subiects were cast in great feare and amazement of my course and proceedings euer prognosticating and iustly suspecting that sowre fruite to come of it which shewed it selfe clearely in the Powder-Treason How many did I honour with Knighthood of knowen and open Recusants How indifferently did I giue audience and accesse to both sides bestowing equally all fauours and honours on both professions How free and continuall accesse had all rankes and degrees of Papists in my Court and company And aboue all how frankely and freely did I free Recusants of their ordinarie paiments Besides it is cuident what strait order was giuen out of my owne mouth to the Iudges to spare the execution of all Priests notwithstanding their conuiction ioyning thereunto a gracious Proclamation whereby all Priests that were at libertie and not taken might goe out of the countrey by such a day my generall Pardon hauing beene extended to all conuicted Priestes in prison whereupon they were set at libertie as good Subiects and all Priests that were taken after sent ouer and set at libertie there But time and paper will faile me to make enumeration of all the benefits and fauours that I bestowed in generall and particular vpon Papists in recounting whereof euery scrape of my penne would serue but for a blot of the Popes ingratitude and iniustice in meating me with so hard a measure for the same So as I thinke I haue sufficiently or at least with good reason wiped the * Magno cum anims moerore c. teares from the Popes eyes for complaining vpon such persecution who if hee had beene but politickely wise although hee had had no respect to Iustice and Veritie would haue in this complaint of his made a difference betweene my present time and the time of the late Queene And so by his commending of my moderation in regard of former times might haue had hope to haue mooued me to haue continued in the same clement course For it is a trew saying that alledged kindnesse vpon noble mindes doeth euer worke much And for the maine vntrewth of any persecution in my time it can neuer bee prooued that any were or are put to death since I came to the Crowne for cause of Conscience except that now this discharge giuen by the Pope to all Catholiques to take their Oath of Allegiance to me be the cause of the due punishment of many which if it fall out to be let the blood light vpon the Popes head who is the onely cause thereof As for the next point contained in his Breue concerning his discharge of all Papists to come to our Church or frequent our rites and ceremonies I am not to meddle at this time with that matter because my errand now onely is to publish to the world the Iniurie and Iniustice done vnto me in discharging my subiects to make profession of their obedience vnto mee The intendement of this discourse Now as to the point where the Oath is quarrelled it is set downe in fewe but very weighty wordes to wit That it ought to be cleare vnto all Catholiques that this Oath cannot bee taken with safetie of the Catholique Faith and of their soules health since it containeth many things that are plainely and directly contrarie to their faith and saluation To this the old saying fathered vpon the Philosopher may very fitly bee applied Multa dicit sed pauca probat nay indeed Nihil omnino probat For how the profession of the naturall Allegiance of Subiects to their Prince can be directly opposite to the faith and saluation of soules is so farre beyond my simple reading in Diuinitie as I must thinke it a strange and new Assertion to proceede out of the mouth of that pretended generall Pastor of all Christian soules I reade indeede and not in one or two or three places of Scripture that Subiects are bound to obey their Princes for conscience sake whether they were good or wicked Princes So said the people to 1 Iosh 1.17 Ioshua As wee obeyed Moses in all things so will wee obey thee So the 2 Iere. 27.12 Prophet commanded the people to obey the King of Babel saying Put your neckes vnder the yoke of the King of Babel and serue him and his people that yee may liue So were the children of Israel vnto 3 Exod. 5.1 Pharaoh desiring him to let them goe so to 4 Ezra 1.3 Cyrus obtaining leaue of him to returne to build the Temple and in a word the Apostle willed all men 5 Rom. 13 5. to bee subiect to the higher powers for conscience sake Agreeable to the Scriptures did the Fathers teach 6 August in Psalm 124. Augustine speaking of Iulian saith Iulian was an vnbeleeuing Emperour was hee not an Apostata an Oppressour and an Idolater Christian Souldiers serued that vnbeleeuing Emperour when they came to the cause of CHRIST they would acknowledge no Lord but him that is in heauen When hee would haue them to worship Idoles and to sacrifice they preferred GOD before
sacred Name of God nor should hee haue marshalled the passage of a Royall Poet after the example of an heathen Oratour Neither will J giue any touch to his conceit of the Romane conquests 2 Pag. 4. which the L. Cardinall bestoweth in the list of Gods graces and temporall blessings as a recompence of their zeale to the seruice and worship of Idols As if God were a recompencer of wickednes or as if the forcible eiecting of Tenants out of their farmes and other possessions might be reckoned among the blessings of God Nor to that of the MilesianVirgins Pag. 7. 8. dragged stark-naked after they were dead which the L. Cardinall drawes into his discourse for an example of the eternall torments denounced by the Lawes Ecclesiasticall to be inflicted after this life Nor to his exposition of the word Problematicall Pag. 13. where he giueth to vnderstand that by Problematicall hee meaneth such things as are of no necessitie to matter of faith and in case men shall beleeue the contradictory of the said points they are not bound for such beleefe to vndergoe the solemne curse of the Church and the losse of communion Whereas Aristotle Aristet 1. top cap. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound both one thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouided the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or vtrùm do stand before as Vtrum homo sit animal of whom all Schooles haue borrowed their tearmes hath taught vs that euery proposition is called a Probleme when it is propounded in a formall doubt though in it proper nature it containes a necessary trewth concerning the matter therof As for example to say in forme of question Whether is there but one God or Whether is man a creature indued with reason By which examples it is plaine that propositions in problematicall forme doe not forgoe the necessitie of their nature and that many times the contradictory binds the beleeuers thereof to Anathema and losse of communion There is a confused heape or bundle of other like toyes which my purpose is to passe ouer in silence that J may now come to cast anchor as it were in the very bottome and substance of the cause A REMONSTRANCE FOR THE RIGHT OF KINGS AND THE INDEPENDANCE OF THEIR CROVVNES Against an Oration of the most Illustrious Cardinall of PERRON pronounced in the Chamber of the third Estate The 15. of Ianuar. 1615. THE L. Cardinall euen in the first passage of his Oration hath laid a firme foundation That Ecclesiastics in France are more deepely obliged to the King then the Nobilitie and third Estate His reason Because the Clergie doe sweetly enioy their dignities and promotions with all their infinite wealth of the Kings meere grace without all danger and with faire immunities whereas the other two Orders hold their offices by a chargeable and burdensome title or tenure euen to the great expence of their blood and of their substance But see now how loose and weake a frame he hath erected and pinned together vpon his firme and solide foundation Ergo the third Estate is to lay all care to prouide remedies against apposted cut-throats vpon the Clergy and the said remedies as he boldly affirms must be deriued from the laws of conscience which may carry an effectuall acting or operatiue efficacie vpon the soule and not from ciuil or temporall punishments Now this consequence limpeth like a lame creple after the premises For it is no vsuall and common matter to see men that are deepest in obligation performe their duties and couenants with most fidelity Againe were it graunted the Clergie had well hitherto demonstrated their carefull watching ouer the life and honour of their Prince yet is it not for spirituall punishments thundred by Ecclesiastics to bind the hands of the ciuill Magistrate nor to stop the current of temporall punishments which ordinarily doe carrie a greater force and vertue to the bridling of the wicked then the apprehension of Gods iudgement The third Estate therefore by whom all the officers of France are properly represented as to whom the administration of iustice and protection of the Kings rights and Honour doth appertaine can deserue no blame in carrying so watchfull an eye by their wholesome remedie to prouide for the safetie of the King and for the dignitie of his Crowne For if the Clergie shall not stand to their tackle but shrinke when it commeth to the push of their duetie who shall charge themselues with carefull foresight and preuention of mischiefes Shall not the people Now haue not all the calamities which the third Estate haue sought prouidently to preuent haue they not all sprung from the Clergie as from their proper and naturall fountaine From whence did the last ciuill warres wherein a world of blood was not more profusely then prodigiously and vnnaturally spilt and wherein the parricide of King Henrie III. was impiously and abominably committed from whence did those bloodie warres proceed but from the deposing of the said King by the Head of the Church Were they not Prelats Curats and Confessours were they not Ecclesiastics who partly by seditious preachments and partly by secret confessions powred many a iarre of oyle vpon this flame Was not he that killed the forenamed King was not he one of the Clergie Was not Guignard a Iesuite Was not Iohn Chastel brought vp in the same schoole Did not Rauaillac that monster of men vpon interrogatories made at his examination among the rest by whom he had beene so diabolically tempted and stirred vp to his most execrable attempt and act of extreme horror did not he referre his examiners to the Sermons made the Lent next before where they might be satisfied concerning the causes of his abominable vndertaking and execution Are not Bellarmine Eudaemonoiohannes Suarez Becanus Mariana with such other monsters who teach the doctrine of parricides vphold the craft of Ianus-like Equiuocations in Courts of Iustice and in secret confessions are they not all Clerics are not all their bookes approoued and allowed as it were by a corporation or grosse companie of Doctors with their signes manuel to the said bookes What were the heads the chiefe promoters the complices of the powder-conspiracie in my Kingdome were they not Ecclesiastics Hath not Faux by name a confederate of the same damned crew hath not he stoutly stood to the gunners part which then he was to act in that most dolefull Tragedie with asseueration of a conscience well assured and setled touching the lawfulnesse of his enterprise Did he not yeild this reason to wit because he had bin armed with instruction of musket proofe in the case before he made passage ouer from the Low Countries Is it not also the generall beleefe of that Order that Clerics are exempted from the condition of Subiects to the King Nay Pag. 7. is it not confessed by the L. Cardinall himselfe that King-killers haue ingaged themselues to vndertake the detestable act of parricide vnder a false credence of
because he imbraced false religion and worshipped false gods False too like the former King Achab lost his crowne and his life both together The Scripture that speaketh not according to mans fancie but according to the trewth doeth extend and number the yeeres of Achabs raigne to the time of his death Predictions of a Kings ruine are no sentences of deposition Elias neuer gaue the subiects of Achab absolution from their oath of obedience neuer gaue them the least inckling of any such absolution neuer set vp or placed any other King in Achabs throne That of the L. Cardinall a little after Pag. 68. is no lesse vntrew That King Vzziah was driuen from the conuersation of the people by Azarias the Priest and thereby the administration of his Kingdome was left no longer in his power Nor so For when God had smitten Vzziah with leprosie in his forehead 2. Chro. 26. he withdrew himselfe or went out into an house apart for feare of infecting such as were whole by his contagious disease The high Priest smote him not with any sentence of deposition or denounced him suspended from the administration of his Kingdome No the dayes of his raigne are numbred in Scripture to the day of his death And whereas the Priest according to the Law in the 13. of Leuit. iudged the King to be vncleane he gaue sentence against him not as against a criminall person and thereby within the compasse of deposition but as against a diseased body For the Law inflicteth punishments not vpon diseases but vpon crimes Hereupon whereas it is recorded by Iosephus in his Antiquities Antiq. l. 9. cap. 11. that Vzziah led a priuate and in a maner a solitarie life the said author doeth not meane that Vzziah was deposed but onely that he disburdened himselfe of care to mannage the publique affaires The example of Mattathias Pag. 69. by whom the Iewes were stirred vp to rebel against Antiochus is no better worth For in that example we finde no sentence of deposition but onely an heartning and commotion of a people then grieuously afflicted and oppressed He that makes himselfe the ringleader of conspiracie against a King doeth not foorthwith assume the person or take vp the office and charge of a Iudge in forme of Law and iuridically to depriue a King of his Regall rights and Royall prerogatiues Mattathias was chiefe of that conspiracie not in qualitie of Priest but of cheiftaine or leader in warre and a man the best qualified of all the people Things acted by the suddaine violence of the base vulgar must not stand for Lawes nor yet for proofes and arguments of ordinarie power such as the Pope challengeth to himselfe and appropriateth to his triple-Crowne These be our solide answeres Page 67. we disclaime the light armour which the L. Cardinall is pleased to furnish vs withall forsooth to recreate himselfe in rebating the points of such weapons as hee hath vouchsafed to put into our hands Now it wil be worth our labour to beate by his thrusts fetcht from the ordinary mission of the New Testament from leprosie stones and locks of wooll A leach no doubt of admirable skill one that for subiecting the Crownes of Kings vnto the Pope is able to extract arguments out of stones yea out of the leprosie and the drie scab onely forsooth because heresie is a kind of leprosie and an heretike hath some affinitie with aleper But may not his Quoniam Page 66. bee as fitly applyed to any contagious and inueterate vice of the minde beside heresie His warning-piece therefore is discharged to purpose whereby hee notifies that hee pretendeth to handle nothing with resolution For indeed vpon so weake arguments a resolution is but ill-fauouredly and weakely grounded His bulwarkes thus beaten downe Page 69. let vs now view the strength of our owne First he makes vs to fortifie on this maner They that are for the negatiue doe alleadge the authoritie of S. Paul Let euery soule bee subiect vnto the higher powers For whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God And likewise that of S. Peter Submit your selues whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superiour or vnto gouernours c. Vpon these passages and the like they inferre that obedience is due to Kings by the Law of God and not dispensable by any Spirituall or Temporall authoritie Thus he brings vs in with our first weapon But here the very chiefe sinew and strength of our argument hee doeth wittingly balke and of purpose conceale To wit That all the Emperors of whom the said holy Apostles haue made any mention in their diuine Epistles were professed enemies to CHRIST Pagans Infidels fearefull and bloody Tyrants to whom notwithstanding euery soule and therefore the Bishop of Rome for one is commanded to submit himselfe and to professe subiection Thus much Chrysostome hath expresly taught in his Hom. 23. vpon the Epistle to the Romanes The Apostle giues this commandement vnto all euen to Priests also and cloistered Monkes not onely to Secular be thou an Apostle an Euangelist a Prophet c. Besides it is here worthy to be noted that howsoeuer the Apostles rule is generall and therefore bindeth all the faithfull in equall bands yet is it particularly directly and of purpose addressed to the Church of Rome by S. Paul as by one who in the spirit of an Apostle did foresee that rebellion against Princes was to rise and spring from the citie of Rome Now in case the Head of that Church by warrant of any priuiledge contained in the most holy Register of Gods holy word is exempted from the binding power of this generall precept or rule did it not become his Lordship to shew by the booke that it is a booke case and to lay it foorth before that honourable assembly who no doubt expected and waited to heare when it might fall from his learned lips But in stead of any such authenticall and canonicall confirmation he flieth to a sleight shift and with a cauill is bold to affirme the foundation laid by those of our side doeth no way touch the knot of the controuersie Let vs heare him speake It is not in controuersie whether obedience be due to kings by Gods Law so long as they are kings or acknowledged for Kings but our point controuerted is whether by Gods Law it be required that hee who hath bene once recognised and receiued for King by the body of Estates can at any time be taken and reputed as no King that is to say can doe no maner of acte whereby hee may loose his right and so cease to be saluted King This answere of the L. Cardinall is the rare deuise euasion and starting hole of the Iesuites In whose eares of delicate and tender touch King-killing soundeth very harsh but forsooth to vn-king a King first and then to giue him the stab that is a point of iust and trew descant For to kill a King once
what purpose Onely to die vpon the points of the Saracens pikes or by the edge of their barbarous courtelasses battle-axes fauchions and other weapons without any benefit and aduantage to themselues or others Then the Nobles were driuen to sell their goodly Mannors and auncient demaines to the Church-men at vnder prises and low rates the very roote from which a great part of the Church and Church-mens reuenewes hath sprung and growne to so great height Then to be short See the Bull of Innoc. 3. at the end of the Lat. ter Conc. his most bountifull Holinesse gaue to any of the riffe-raffe-ranke that would vndertake this expedition into the Holy land a free and full pardon for all his sinnes besides a degree of glory aboue the vulgar in the Celestiall Paradise Military vertue I confesse is commendable and honourable prouided it bee employed for iustice and that generous noblenesse of valiant spirits bee not vnder a colour and shadow of piety fetcht ouer with some casts or deuises of Italian cunning Now let vs obserue the wisedome of the Lord Cardinall through this whole discourse His Lordship is pleased in his Oration to cite certaine few passages of Scripture culls and picks them out for the most gracefull in shewe leaues out of his list whole troupes of honourable witnesses vpon whose testimonie the Popes themselues and their principall adherents doe build his power to depose Kings and to giue order for all Temporall causes Take a sight of their best and most honourable witnesses Peter said to Christ See here two swords and Christ answered It is sufficient Christ said to Peter Put vp thy sword in to thy sheath God said to Ieremie Ier. 1. I haue established thee ouer Nations and Kingdomes 1. Cor. 2. Paul said to the Corinthians The spirituall man discerneth all things Christ said to his Apostles Whatsoeuer yee shall loose vpon earth by which words the Pope hath power forsooth to loose the oath of allegiance Moses said In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Vpon these passages Pope Boniface 8. Extrauag Vnam Sanctam grapling and tugging with Philip the Faire doth build his Temporall power Other Popes and Papists auouch the like authorities Christ said of himselfe All things are giuen to me of my Father and all power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth The Deuils said If thou cast vs out send vs into this herd of swine Christ said to his Disciples Yee shall finde the colt of an asse bound loose it and bring it vnto me By these places the aduersaries prooue that Christ disposed of Temporall matters and inferre thereupon why not Christs Vicar as well as Christ himselfe The places and testimonies now following are very expresse Psal 45. In stead of thy fathers shall be thy children thou shalt make them Princes through all the earth Item Iesus Christ not onely commaunded Peter to feed his lambs but said also to Peter Arise kill and eat the pleasant glosse the rare inuention of the L. Ioh. 12. Cardinall Baronius Christ said to the people If I were lift vp from the earth I will draw all things vnto me who lets what hinders this place from fitting the Pope Paul said to the Corinthians Know ye not that we shall iudge the Angels how much more then the things that pertaine vnto this life A little after Haue not we power to eate These are the chiefe passages on which as vpon maine arches the roofe of Papall Monarchie concerning Temporall causes hath rested for three or foure aages past And yet his Lordship durst not repose any confidence in their firme standing to beare vp the said roofe of Temporall Monarchie for feare of making his auditors to burst with laughter A wise part without question if his Lordship had not defiled his lips before with a more ridiculous argument drawne from the leprosie and drie scab Let vs now by way of comparison behold Iesus Christ paying tribute vnto Caesar and the Pope making Caesar to pay him tribute Iesus Christ perswading the Iewes to pay tribute vnto an heathen Emperour and the Pope dispensing with subiects for their obedience to Christian Emperours Iesus Christrefusing to arbitrate a controuersie of inheritance partable betweene two priuate parties and the Pope thrusting in himselfe without warrant or Commission to bee absolute Iudge in the deposing of Kings Iesus Christ professing that his Kingdome is not of this world and the Pope establishing himselfe in a terrene Empire In like manner the Apostles forsaking all their goods to followe Christ and the Pope robbing Christians of their goods the Apostles persecuted by Pagan Emperours and the Pope now setting his foote on the very throate of Christian Emperours then proudly treading Imperiall Crownes vnder his feete By this comparison the L. Cardinals allegation of Scripture in fauour of his Master the Pope is but a kind of puppet-play to make Iesus Christ a mocking stocke rather then to satisfie his auditors with any sound precepts and wholefome instructions Hereof he seemeth to giue some inckling himselfe For after he hath beene plentifull in citing authorities of Scripture and of newe Doctors which make for the Popes power to depose Kings at last he comes in with a faire and open confession Pag. 85. that neither by diuine Oracles nor by honourable antiquitie this controuersie hath beene yet determined and so pulls downe in a word with one hand the frame of worke that he had built and set vp before with an other discouering withall the reluctation and priuie checkes of his owne conscience There yet remaineth one obiection the knot whereof the L. Cardinall in a maner sweateth to vntie His words be these Page 84. The champions for the negatiue flie to the analogie of other proceedings and practises in the Church They affirme that priuate persons masters or owners of goods and possessions among the common people are not depriued of their goods for Heresie and consequently that Princes much more should not for the same crime bee depriued of their estates For answere to this reason he brings in the defendants of deposition speaking after this maner In the Kingdome of France the strict execution of lawes decreed in Court against Heretikes is fauourably suspended and stopped for the preseruation of peace and publike tranquilitie He saith elsewhere Conniuence is vsed towards these Heretikes inregard of their multitude because a notable part of the French Nation and State is made all of Heretikes I suppose that out of speciall charitie he would haue those Heretikes of his owne making forewarned what courteous vse and entreaty they are to expect when he affirmeth that execution of the lawes is but suspended For indeed suspensions hold but for a time But in a cause of that nature and importance I dare promise my selfe that my most honoured brother the King of France will make vse of other counsell will rather seeke the amitie of his neighbour Princes and
you had For I hope there are no good Subiects either within or out of the Parliament House that would not be content for setting streight once and setling the Honourable State of their King to spare so much euery one of them out of their purses which peraduenture they would in one night throw away at Dice or Cards or bestow vpon a horse for their fancies that might breake his necke or his legge the next morning Nay I am sure euery good Subiect would rather chuse to liue more sparingly vpon his owne then that his Kings State should be in want For conclusion then of this purpose I wish you now to put a speedie end to your businesse Freenesse in giuing graceth the gift Bis dat qui citò dat The longer I want helpe the greater will my debt still rise and so must I looke for the greater helpes And now I would pray you to turne your eyes with mee from home and looke vpon forreine States Consider that the eyes of all forreine States are vpon this affaire and in expectation what the successe thereof will be And what can they thinke if ye depart without relieuing mee in that proportion that may make me able to maintaine my State but that either ye are vnwilling to helpe mee thinking me vnworthy thereof or at least that my State is so desperate as it cannot be repaired and so that the Parliament parts in disgrace with the King and the King in distaste with the Parliament which cannot but weaken my reputation both at home and abroad For of this you may be assured that forreine Princes care the more one for an other if they may haue reason to expect that they may bee able to doe them good or harme in Retribution And ye know that if a King fall to be contemned with his neighbours that cannot but bring an oppression and warre by them vpon him and then will it be too late to support the King when the cure is almost desperate Things foreseene and preuented are euer easliest remedied And therefore I would aduise you now so to settle your businesse as ye may not take in hand so many things at once as may both crosse my errand and euery one of them crosse another Yee remember the French Prouerbe Qui trop embrasse rien estreint We are not in this Parliament to make our Testament as if wee should neuer meete againe and that all things that were to be done in any Parliament were to be done at this time and yet for filling vp of your vacant houres I will recommend to your consideration such nature of things as are to bee specially thought vpon in these times First I will beginne at GOD for the beginning with him makes all other actions to bee blessed And this I meane by the cause of Religion Next I will speake of some things that concerne the Common-wealth And thirdly matters of Pleasure and ornament to the Kingdome As for Religion we haue all great cause to take heed vnto it Papists are waxed as proud at this time as euer they were which makes many to think they haue some new plotin hand And although the poorest sort of them bee God be thanked much decreased yet doeth the greater sort of them dayly increase especially among the foeminine Sexe nay they are waxed so proud that some say no man dare present them nor Iudges meddle with them they are so backed and vpholden by diuers great Courtiers It is a surer and better way to remooue the materials of fire before they bee kindled then to quench the fire when once it is kindled Nam leuius laedit quicquid praeuidimus antè I doe not meane by this to mooue you to make stronger Lawes then are already made but see those Lawes may bee well executed that are in force otherwise they cannot but fall into contempt and become rustie I neuer found that blood and too much seueritie did good in matters of Religion for besides that it is a sure rule in Diuinitie that God neuer loues to plant his Church by violence and bloodshed naturall reason may euen perswade vs and dayly experience prooues it trew That when men are seuerely persecuted for Religion the gallantnesse of many mens spirits and the wilfulnes of their humors rather then the iustnesse of the cause makes them to take a pride boldy to endure any torments or death it selfe to gaine thereby the reputatiom of Martyrdome though but in a false shadow Some doubts haue beene conceiued anent the vsing of the Oath of Allegiance and that part of the Acte which ordaines the taking thereof is thought so obscure that no man can tell who ought to bee pressed therewith For I my selfe when vpon a time I called the Iudges before mee at their going to their Circuits I mooued this question vnto them wherein as I thought they could not resolutely answere me And therefore if there bee any scruple touching the ministring of it I would wish it now to bee cleared And since I haue with my owne pen brought the Popes quarell vpon mee and proclaimed publique defiance to Babylon in maintaining it should it now sleepe and should I seeme as it were to steale from it againe As for Recusants let them bee all duely presented without exception for in times past there hath beene too great a conniuence and forbearing of them especially of great mens wiues and their kinne and followers None ought to be spared from being brought vnder the danger of Law and then it is my part to vse mercie as I thinke conuenient To winke at faults and not to suffer them to bee discouered is no Honour nor Mercy in a King neither is he euer thanked for it It onely argues his dulnesse But to forgiue faults after they are confessed or tried is Mercie And now I must turne me in this case to you my Lords the Bishops and euen exhort you earnestly to be more carefull then you haue bene that your Officers may more duely present Recusants then heretofore they haue done without exception of persons That althought it must be the worke of GOD that must make their mindes to bee altered yet at least by this course they may be stayed from increasing or insulting vpon vs. And that yee all may know the trewth of my heart in this case I diuide all my Subiects that are Papists into two rankes either olde Papists that were so brought vp in times of Poperie like old Queene Mary Priests and those that though they bee younger in yeeres yet haue neuer drunke in other milke but beene still nusled in that blindnesse Or else such as doe become Apostats hauing once beene of our Profession and haue forsaken the trewth either vpon discontent or practise or else vpon a light vaine humour of Noueltie making no more scruple to seeke out new formes of Religion then if it were but a new forme of Garment or a new cut or courtsey after the French fashion For the former sort I
pitie them but if they bee good and quiet Subiects I hate not their persons and if I were a priuate man I could well keepe a ciuill friendship and conuersation with some of them But as for those Apostates who I know must be greatest haters of their owne Sect I confesse I can neuer shew any fauourable countenance toward them and they may all of them be sure without exception that they shall neuer finde any more fauour of mee further then I must needs in Iustice afford them And these would I haue the Law to strike seuereliest vpon and you carefullest to discouer Yee know there hath beene great stirre kept for begging Concealements these yeeres past and I pray you let mee begge this concealement both of the Bishops and Iudges That Papists be no longer concealed Next as concerning the Common wealth I doe specially recommend vnto you the framing of some new Statute for preseruation of woods In the end of the last Session of Parliament ye had a Bill amongst you of that subiect but because you found some faults therein you cast out the whole Bil But I could haue rather wished that yee had either mended it or made a new one For to cast out the whole Bill because of some faults was euen as if a man that had a new garment brought him would chuse rather to go naked then haue his garment made fit for him But on my coscience I cannot imagine why you should so lightly haue esteemed a thing so necessary for the Common wealth if it were not out of a litle frowardnesse amongst you at that time that what I then recommended earnestly vnto you it was the worse liked of The maintenance of woods is a thing so necessary for this Kingdome as it cannot stand nor be a Kingdome without it For it concernes you both in your Esse Bene esse and in pleasures Your Esse for without it you want the vse of one of the most necessarie Elements which is Fire and fewell to dresse your meate with for neither can the people liue in these colde Countries if they want fire altogether nor yet can you dresse your meate without it and I thinke you will ill liue like the Cannibals vpon raw flesh for the education of this people is farre from that As to your bene esse The decay of woods will necessarily bring the decay of Shipping which both is the security of this Kingdome since God hath by nature made the Sea to bee the wall of this Iland and the rather now since God hath vnited it all in my Person and Crowne As also by the decay of Shipping will you loose both all your forraine commodities that are fit for this countrey and the venting of our owne which is the losse of Trade that is a maine pillar of this kingdome And as for Pleasure yee know my delight in Hunting and Hawking and many of your selues are of the same minde and all this must needes decay by the decay of Woods Ye haue reason therefore to prouide a good Law vpon this Subiect Now as to the last point concerning matters of Pleasure it consists in the preseruing of Game which is now almost vtterly destroyed through all the Kingdome And if you offer not now a better Law for this then was made in the last Session of Parliament I will neuer thanke you for it For as for your Law anent Partridge and Phesant you haue giuen leaue to euery man how poore a Farmour that euer hee bee to take and destroy them in his owne ground how he list But I pray you how can the Game bee maintained if Gentlemen that haue great Lordships shall breed and preserue them there and so soone as euer they shall but flie ouer the hedge and light in a poore fellowes Close they shall all be destroyed Surely I know no remedie for preseruing the Game that breedes in my grounds except I cast a roofe ouer all the ground or else put veruels to the Partridges feet with my Armes vpon them as my Hawkes haue otherwise I know not how they shall bee knowen to be the Kings Partridges when they light in a Farmours Close And by your Lawe against stealing of Deere or Conies after a long discourse and prohibition of stealing them you conclude in the end with a restriction that all this punishment shall bee vnderstood to bee vsed against them that steale the Game in the night Which hath much encouraged all the looser sort of people that it is no fault to steale Deere so they doe it not like theeues in the night As was that Law of the Lacedemonians against theft that did not forbid theft but onely taught them to doe it cunningly and without discouerie Whereupon a foolish boy suffered a Foxe to gnaw his heart through his breast And this doctrine is like that Lesson of the Cannon Law Si non castè tamen cautè I knowe you thinke that I speake partially in this case like a Hunter But there is neuer a one of you that heares mee that cares the least for the sport for preseruation of the Game but he would be as glad to haue a pastie of Venison if you might get it as the best Hunter would And if the Game be not preserued you can eate no Venison As for Partridge and Phesant I doe not denie that Gentlemen should haue their sport and specially vpon their owne ground But first I doe not thinke such Game and pleasures should be free to base people And next I would euen wish that Gentlemen should vse it in a Gentlemanlike fashion and not with Nets or Gunnes or such other vngentlemanlike fashions that serue but for vtter destruction of all Game nor yet to kill them at vnseasonable times as to kill the Phesant and Partridges when they are no bigger then Mice when as for euery one their Hawkes kill ten will be destroyed with their Dogs and Horse feet besides the great and intolerable harme they doe to Corne in that season And now in the end of all this faschious Speach I must conclude like a Grey Frier in speaking for my selfe at last At the beginning of this Session of Parliament when the Treasourer opened my necessities vnto you then my Purse onely laboured But now that word is spread both at home and abroad of the demaunds I haue made vnto you my Reputation laboureth aswellas my Purse For if you part without the repairing of my State in some reasonable sort what can the world thinke but that the euill will my Subiects beare vnto mee hath bred a refuse And yee can neuer part so without apprehending that I am distasted with your behauiour and yet to be in feare of my displeasure But I assure and promise my selfe farre otherwise THus haue I now performed my promise in presenting vnto you the Christall of your Kings heart Yee know that principally by three wayes yee may wrong a Mirrour Frst I pray you looke not vpon my Mirrour