to his Religion yet not long after they pronounced iudgment of death vpon him But King Francis fell extremely sicke and in his sicknesse made a solemne vow to all Saints in Pieardie that if it pleased them to help him he wold wholy purge his Realme of meaning Protestants all those heretikes And thus all Protestants were freed then from this designe the Saints of Piccardie belike were of your mind Protestants are no heretikes The second Instance of The moderate Answerer They raised such rebellions and civill warres against Charles the ninth wherein the King of Nauarre and Duke Nyuers with others were slaine The Reply I reade the storie in our foresaid Historicall collection of memorable accidents in France and others and I can find onely this thing memorable concerning this point that The King was then in his minoritie and the Queene Mother was regent who yeelded too much vnto the Guizes faction who persecuted the Prince of Condie and sought the destruction of all the bloud royall at length Duke Nyuers with King Nauarre in the warre against his brother at the siege of Roane are wounded and slaine See the cause of the Prince of Condie his defence In lan 1â— anno 1562 was made an Edict whereby permission was granted to them of the Religion to assemble without the townes and order was taken that either part Protestants and Catholikes might liue in quietnesse and peace with each other But a while after the Constable did deface all places of their assemblies and those of the Religion were cruelly handled This was the first beginning of the horrible troubles in France But were Protestants after this rebellious In those of Languidoch the King did pardon whatsoeuer they had done in their iust defence holding them for good subiects What was then the cause why the Prince of Condie and the Admirall did beare armes They vnderstanding that 6000. Switzers were now entred into France with intent to execute violence vpon them of the Religion they betake themselues vnto the King from whom they receiued no fauourable answer therefore they did flie for defence against those Switzers not suffering their throates to be cut by theeues After this was there concluded a peace the Prince of Condie doth lay downe his armes his aduersaries were contented onely to promise to do the like alledging that there is no faith to be held with heretikes Shewing themselues herein false and not onely faithlesse for you know Protestants are no heretikes The third Instance of The moderate Answerer The Duke of Guize was trecherously murdered by Pultrotus for that fact suborned by Beza and the Protestant Admirall The Reply The storie is that The Duke of Guize had appointed a day to take Orleance wherein he would not spare any man woman or child whomsoeuer and after he had kept his Shrouetide there he would spoile and destroy the towne Pultrot riding vpon a Spanish Ginnet shot the Duke with a Pistoll and slue him after was taken and tormented with hot tongs to make him confesse and then torne in peeces by force of horses Let vs leaue him if you will iustly executed by them come to the other vniustly slaundered by you for It was euidently knowne at his execution that Pultrot did it of his owne motion and particular intent thereby to free France and especially Orleance froÌ„ the violence of the Duke of Guize To this first Historian agreeth the second The King after he had examined the Admiral to â—ether with his Councel did acquit him of suspision and imposed perpetuall silence to all not to speake of it You therefore though no subiect might haue bene taught silence especially seeing that the confederates of the Religion among whom was Theodore Beza did condemne this fact of Pulirot as rash and directly contrary to the commaundement of God who will herein condemning all such desperate examples inspired onely with a diuellish motion that euery crime and offence shal receiue punishment according to the institution politike and forme of gouernment established in euery state at the discretion of the Magistrate The moderate Answerer Such were the miserable murders and calamities which they brought to that distressed kingdome that in the two first ciâ—… wars and rebellions aboue an hundred thousand were slaine as Gaspar Collen witnesseth The Reply It is not vnlikely but an hundred thousand were slaine but it is as probable that a thousand for an hundred of them were Protestants persecuted for their Religion who alwayes lay open to Popish trecheries as is plaine by the barbarous massacre wherein as testifieth your owne author there was slaine twentie thousand Protestants in lesse then one moneth by the furie of the Catholikes What could there be in the Protestant was it rebellion No but only constancy in Religion then persecuted by the malignant But what kind of motion might this be in those Catholikes which egged them on to this butcherie whether was it zeale or fury Christian iustice or Antichristian malice The Catholikes not content saith your Author to liue alwayes assured hauing the autoritie of the State for them aspired with a burning desire to bring to passe that which they had a long time plotted against their enemies But let vs leaue this Gâ—lgotha for so you made France by your monstrous massacres as then a place of dead mens sculs Whither shal your next voyage be CHAP. VII The Instances of the moderate Answerer in Heluetia The first The moderate Answerer LEt vs come to Heluetia and especially Geneua the Mother-Church of the Reformed M. Caluine the supreme head of thereformed there hath told vs before that Princes not agreeing with vs in Religion are to be spitted vpon rather then obeyed they are not to be numbred among men they are to be bereaued of all authoritie The Reply What absolutely depriued of all authoritie Proue this and I will as absolutely denie all his doctrinall authoritie whom by reading of your most learned Iesuites as Maldonate Ribera Pererius Salmeron Tollet and such others and conferring their expositions with Caluins I dare boldly affirme him to be of that excelleÌ„t iudgment that these your greatest Rabbies for their best expositions light their candles at Caluins to arch But to the point Caluin doth consider in the person of a wicked King two situations one as he sitteth vnder God the other when he exalteth himselfe to sit aboue God when he commandeth as a substitute and subordinate God hath commanded vs to obey man but when he commandeth contra Deum against God saith * Caluine he vsurpeth Gods throne and herein he looseth his royaltie which is to be obeyed A matter so reasonable that in the behalf of God the A postles in like case are content to appeale herein to the iudgement of his aduersary man Whether it be better to obey God or man iudge you To explane this by example If a Iustice of peace shall command
may content vs to know that euen such Kiâ—gs beare in their office the image of God in whom God hath stamped andingrauen an inuiolable Maiestie not to be contemned Thus farre Master Caluin neither doth he euer restrain the outward power of any King except in those States where there is customably ordained for that purpose the Magistracie of those who are called Ephori and Tribuni plebis But when when they shall commaund any thing against the lawe of God then Caluin embraceth the doctrine of Saint Peter Act. 15. 29. We rather obey God then man but how not to obey man as actiuely to resist that is to rebell against him God forbid but onely passiuely which is not to do that which shall be wickedly commaunded Perpeti potiùs quà m à veritate discedere auâ— Ã pietate deslectere Rather suffer saith he then to betray the truth of God or to accord to iniquitie But reade and examine all the lines which euer Caluin penned and you shall not find one syllable that can preiudice his loyaltie Wherof more hereafter The moderate Answerer Beza also and the rest of that holy Synod defend the same The Reply Belike then this rebellious doctrine will be proued a Synodicall Decree among Protestants but if you should vow faithfully not to eate till you proue this I could easily prognosticate what death you should die But Beza as he succeeded Caluine a Doctor so in doctrine likewise Heare Bezas owne confession and it will proue him innocent you a slaunderer and your Popes the capitall delinquents in this kind 1 His innocencie Priuate men among whom I account inferior Magistrates in respect of their King haue no other remedie against Tyrants to whom they be subiect then amendment of their liues prayers and teares which God in his good time will not despise They alwaies prouided not to do but onely to suffer euil as Christ by his owne example hath taught vs. And if it shall so happen that we cannot obey the commaund of the King but that we must offend God the King of Kings then must we rather obey God then man But how so as likewise to remember that it is one thing not to obey another thing to resist and betake our selues to armes This kind of violent disobedience we may not vse Can any moderate spirit call this doctrine rebellious Secondly Your slaunder What our opinion is concerning subiection vnto Magistrates saith Beza a man may better be instructed by our writings then by the slaunders of such as number vs among the companie of intoxicate Anabaptists who renounce the authoritie of Magistrates which doctrine how much we abhorre none can be ignorant which doth not obstinately refuse to see the light Of which kind you must needes be seeing you had rather beleeue any libels against Beza then see his owne writings Thirdly your Popes capitall Offendors The impudencie of our Accusers saith Beza herein is most notorious that they who contrarie to the word of God haue openly subiected Kings and Kingdomes to their authoritie being themselues the most rebellious Sect vnder heauen in contemning Magistrates dare notwithstanding obiect the guilt of that crime vnto vs which they thinke to be a vertue in themselues and wherein they glorie and vaunt Which is most true as we haue proued out of your Bellarmine and others glorying in the acts of such Popes who haue deposed Emperors CHAP. VI. The Practises of Caluin and other Protestants of France obiected by this Accuser in diuers particular instances The first instance The moderate Answerer THese were instruments of all Rebellions and oppressions in the Monarchie of France wherein they tooke all authoritie from the King and Magistrate against King Francis whom they rebelliously persecuted The Reply For your proofes against Protestants in this your Answer you produce Genebrard Claudius de Sanct. Petrus Frar Coclaeus and such like all professed Aduersaries to the Religion of Protestants How moderate dealing this may be accounted will appeare when I shall oppose your owne Historians to condemne you and acquit the Protestants Two witnesses shall suffice who how farre they were from fauouring the Protestants you may iudge by their complexions for the first greedily relateth a Discourse wherein he calleth our Religion new and a plaine imposture The second is dedicated to Charles the then French King and to the Queene mother in which Historie he calleth the doctrine of M. Luther A multitude of absurd heresies Therefore you may not think these men partiall in our behalfe Both prouing 1. The pronenesse of Papists to slaunder the Religion of Protestants 2. That this accusation is a slaunder which is now obiected For the 1. I will alledge of many but one story published by them both False witnesses were brought against Protestants them of the Religion affirming that in a place at Maubert at a Councellors house great numbers of them had eaten a pigge instead of a pascall Lambe before Easter and after the candles being put out euery man tooke his woman and had his pleasure of her The Cardinall vpon these informations moued the Court the Queene mother tooke occasion hereby to reuile some of her Gentlewomen who were of the Religion but they desired and obtained means that the principall witnesses might be examined it was done two young boyes come foorth and affirme that then and many other times they had had the vse of your Councellors daughters but in the end the witnesses began to stagger and couertly to denie it The Councellor sought after for his Religion vnderstanding this shameful slander went with his wife and his two daughters yeelding himselfe prisoner for his Religion desiring that the cause of his daughters might be examined They were diligently searched by Physitions and women and found to be virgins and the young men did thus iustifie themselues that they did it in deuotion being perswaded that such an accusation against such Heretikes was good whether it were true or false But the virgins were cleared and yet their father remained in prison and the witnesses were not punished The second Concerning the present Accusation thus it standeth The Guizes who were no naturall Frenchmen not able to accuse the Prince of Condie of Treason Daniels case called him in question to be condemned of heresie for his Religion But what was the right cause of tumults There was deliuered an exact declaration to proue that those of the Guizes had decreed to put all the Princes of the bloud Royall to death as soone as they had cut off them of the Religion and they were euidently proued to be guiltie of his treason And the King could not otherwise iudge but that great wrong was offered to his bloud Then not the Protestants but the Spanish faction of the Guizes were guiltie of those broyles in the daies of King Francis Notwithstanding Though the Prince of Condie did acquit himselfe of Treason and boldly stood
by your Highnesse in your admirable wisedome to be in Religion most sacrilegious and detestable in politike state most pernitious and intollerable in euery actor most banefull to the soule of man it may please your excellent Maiestie to prouide in this behalfe for your faithfull and religious Subiects that they neuer be so intoxicated with this Antichristian spirit as either to deceiue or be deceiued thereby First not to be deceiued but seeing that the authors of AequiuocatioÌ„ are by it as by a Gyges ring made in a sort inuisible vnto Protestants to plot and practise against them what when they wil and Vlysses-like make a verie Polyphemus of your most noble State that whensoeuer they be asked who is the Traitor licence themselues during life to answer till they be coÌ„uicted by that aequiuocating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that therfore against such as cannot hurt vs but by our credulitie there may be enacted the onely refuge of Tullie Lex non credendi a law of not beleeuing them CoÌ„cerning deceiuing by the same policie more subtle then anie Machiauellisme I would be a most humble suppliant to your gracious Highnesse not to permit anie of what condition soeuer in the cure of the diseased bodie politike as it were driuing out poyson with poyson in winding out these aequiuocators to aequinocate For this purpose the counsell of S. Augustine is most soueraigne Non minùs pernitiosè mentitur Catholicus vt haereticos capiat quà m mentitur haeretiens vt Catholicos lateat nec cuiquam persuaderi potest hominem non mentiri nè capiat qui mentitur vt capiat For it is certaine We to speake in the Apostles tenor haue not so learned Christ as the truth in Iesus by whom we are taught that the new man must crucisie the old man and therefore not to seeke by such diuellish exorcisme to driue out Satan by Satan but to mortifie ambition by humilitie intemperance by sobrietie in briefe to conquer all euill by goodnesse and therefore onely truth must catch and kill a lye Let not your Maiestie be offended with my boldnesse in exceeding the measure of an Epistle against my accustomed breuitie in all my labors it is Credidi that begetteth Ergolocutus sum Therfore speaking from the truth I could not but speake for truth and now in high detestation both of idolatrous superstition and hellish aequiuocation beseech the God of truth to make your name glorious in Christendome in the zealous defence both of the true faith of Christ and Christian faithfulnes establishing your Maiesties kingdome in peace your person in safetie your soule in grace your Queene in mutuall ioy your royall Succession in happie successe as long as the world endureth and in the end of mortalitie to crowne you all with endlesse blessednes The vnworthie Minister of Christ and your Maiesties most dutifull subiect Thomas Morton TO THE SEDVCED Brethren Grace and peace in Christ Iesus AFter that I had discouered vnto you my Brethren the hainous positions of your Priests there arose some one I thinke of that priesthood entituling himselfe A moderate answerer and me A slanderous and lying libeller And why Because the testimonies alledged saith he are falsly applied For proofe of this scarce examining one of twentie he commonly returneth this answer If this saith he be the opinion of these Authors or if these Authors write thus c. wilfully seating himselfe in the chaire of those Doctors whom the Apostle hath described They will be Doctors and yet vnderstand not what they say nor whereof they affirme To the manifold and manifest proofes I may now adde the Arguments of the same Priests for the defence of their discouered rebellious conclusions By what reason then can my Moderate Answerer charge me as slanderously misreporting that to be the doctrine of those Priests which the Priests themselues by Reasons labour to confirme Wherfore I perswade my self his intent in answering was not to answer that is to satisfie the iudicious but onely to be thought to haue answered that is to delude the too credulous like the answer which the priests of the Synagogue did prescribe for repressing the discouerie of the resurrection of Christ out of the sepulcher saying Whilest we slept his Disciples came and stole him away Common sense might haue replied How could you tell what was done when you were all asleepe But minds enthralled in the opinion of a neuer câ—â—ing Priesthood which confirmed that Answer could not possibly but erre with their Priests Such alas is the case of all them whom because they will not seeke or see the truth God in his iustce Deliueteth vp to beleeue lies as idle and fabulous as fancies and dreames of men asleepe Of which kind be many of your lying Reuelations as that of the Deliuerance of the soule of Traian out of the lowest hell Many lying priuiledges as that temporall Donation of Constantine and the other Ecclesiasticall forged Canon for Appeales to Rome Many lying Traditions as that Bodily assumption of the blessed Virgin into heauen Many lying Saints as that of Saint Christopher except in a picture neuer seene Many lying Sanctities as that of S. Francis in harboring of alouse Many lying Histories as the GoldeÌ„ Legend an abstract of a leaden braine Many lying reports as of the now Miracles among the Indians to omit many lying prophecies and reports with infinite such other which they call Piae fraudes that is godly cosinages inuented to keepe the people in deuotion and their priesthood in estimation But that which excelleth all the rest in falshood is their Aequiuocation as being not onely alying Art but also an Art of lying This is now practised as will be proued in most detestable periuries for couert of the horrible treasons of their priesthood teaching you to imitate the wisedome of the Ostrich which bird if she can but couer her head thinketh all her bodie safe Notwithstanding that Romish See like to the raging sea when none sought to discouer it fomed out her owne shame especially in these two mischiefes which are noted as indiuiduall companions in holy writ Speaker of lies and the bloud-thirstie man Lying tongues and hands that shedde bloud Hands defiled with bloud and tongues that speake lies Such are their hands of Treason and tongues of Aequiuocation But hearken a little In the last dayes saith the Apostle shall come perillous times when men shall be voide of naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers Traitors All which we proue to be the expresse characters of your Priests O but it may be thought that the Apostle doth not describe any that do such things with any religious intent but onely desperate and profane miscreants who make no conscience of sinne not so for in the next words the Apostle describeth the colour of their cloake Hauing saith he a shew of godlinesse but denie the power thereof A prophesie plainely verified by your Priests in their godlesse practises and godly pretences Wherefore you are exhorted
the Religion of Turkes and Paganes What is this else then to dissolue all communion with Protestants CHAP. VIII The Discouerie in the second part of the Minor 1. In Neigbors NEighbors if Heretikes may lawfully be spoiled of their goods by force though it be better to be taken from them by authority 2. In Parishioners Where the question is concerning paying of Tithes it is resolued Parishioners may lawfully defraud Protestant Ministers of their Tithes 3. In Debtors and whosoeuer haue any matter of trust committed vnto them Such are not bound to restore that which they haue receiued or to satisfie their Creditors who are Heretikes They are not bound thereunto This is an ancient Decree 4. In Seruants Also keepers of forts and all other vassals and slaues are freed from the oath of subiection to their Lords 5. In Wiues Wiues are not bound to render due beneuolence to their Husbands if Heretikes 6. In Parents The father must disinherite his sonne if he will be a Protestant 7. In Children A Priest returning into England if his father be a Protestant he may denie him to be his father meaning that he is not such an one as he ought to acknowledge his father For by the heresie of the father the child is freed from obedience 8. In all Kindred Heretikes may not be termed either Children or Kindred but according to the old law Thy hand must be against them to spill their bloud 9. In Natiues If any find his natiue Citie to be most part infected with heresie he may denie it to be his Countrey Finally by Pope Gregorie his Constitutions By heresie a man is depriued of all his iurisdiction whether naturall ciuill or politike So that the tenor of the oath of the Leaguers in Fraunce is this If euer I make mariage vse trafficke yeeld ayde hold friendship giue credence vnto Heretikes or once salute them then let God confound me Shall we call this Religion which dissolueth the dutie of Seruants Subiects Debitors and strangleth the vitall spirits of humane societie and by not acknowledgement of naturall duties of Wedlocke naturall Parents natural Children naturall Countrey doth bowell vp nature as it were and depriue men of humanitie it selfe O Babylon to proue this in all particulars were needlesse one kind may satisfie Practise The Papists in France did libell against Henry the third as hereticall a manslayer so likewise against this Henry the fourth callinghim a Kitchin-dogge long-bearded Iulian most heathenish Apostate and the very excrement of Satan No lesse was the rank or of our Cardinall Poole against his Soueraigne Desirous to diuert the Emperors forces from the Pagans and to inforce them vpon Henry the 8. as vpon an enemie more pernicious then the Turke The modest Answerer Those penalties this Author alledgeth as belonging to the Excommunicate and such Heretikes as spoiling them of their goods denying Tithes I answer that these Societies of neighbors wiues and such like are not to be denied to the Protestants in England because we do not esteeme them in the case of Heretikes againe we performe these communications and respects aswell to our Country Protestants as they themselues Lastly I answer that those penalties mentioned were not of purpose ordained against Protestants but Decrees against Heretikes of those times and not now in vse in France Heluetia Sweueland Denmarke and most part of Germanie And if the penall Constitutions of the Councell of Trent are not yet after 40. yeares continuance receiued into those recited Prouinces and Kingdomes there is not so great feare that those Papall paines will euer giue to this man so much cause of so outragious exclamations The Reply If all your Sect would allow your Answer we should need no clamor for first your answer de iure Protestants are not to be demed these duties secondly de facto that You do not deny them for confirmation of the right you inferre that These punishments were not ordained against Protestants and auouching the fact you instance in other countries where these penalties are not in vse Concerning the fact let vs admit that these are performed yet the Apostle distinguisheth of performance of dutie propter Iram propter Conscientiam one for feare of ciuill power the other for conscience sake Whether bond doth tye you to obedience the subsequents will manifest We do likewise acknowledge that some part of those penalties were more aunciently ordained against others and not against Protestants What then if they be now extended against Protestants For thus dealt the Iewes against our Lord Christ We haue a lawe and by that lawe he ought to die because he hath spoken blasphemie The law they had was Holy iust and good but the application was their owne vngodly furious and murderous we may herein compare Christs blasphemie and Protestants heresie And if your late penall Decrees of Trent be not of force in other countries you haue giuen vs a reason Quia vires desunt because they want outward force Otherwise I haue shewed that those penalties as non-payment of Tithes are by your Allane extended against Protestant Ministers of Debts by your Tolet against Protestant Creditors of due beneuolence by your Simancha against Protestant husbands of due reuerence and acknowledgement by your * Parsons against Protestant fathers of allegeance by your * Simancha against Protestant Kings and Magistrates And for further euidence CHAP. IX I adde a Supplement to your former Positions IT is cleare saith Allane that what people and person soeuer be declared to be opposite to Gods Church by what obligation soeuer either of kindred friendship loyaltie or subiection I be bound vnto them I may or rather must take armes against them and then must we take them for Heretikes when our lawfull Popes adiudge them so to be A litle after he striketh an Alarme Now therefore my Lords and deare Countrimen fight c. In the whole booke the English Clearke exhorteth now since the Councel of Trent the English gentrie to take armes against their English Soueraigne Say now moderate Answerer will your modestie giue your face leaue to blush at this doctrine of your Cardinall The like trumpet of rebellion against German Protestants after the Councell of Trent did Frier Alphonse sound alowd It is lawfull to ouercome Heretikes by force of armes As long then as we heare of such Proclamations sounding nothing but Arma virumque there may be reason giuen of our exclamations But you insist The moderate Answerer We haue not now another Queene Marie inheretrix to the Crowne to be ioyned in mariage with a potent Prince symbolizing with husband conformitie in countrie discipline to breed scruples in this behalfe The Reply This Answer giueth vs no more securitie then the Cat doth the Mouse when she seemeth but to play with it for though you haue not a Maria
he may iudge depose and kill Herein giuing vs a speciall argument of your singular modestie whereas being ashamed to giue the Pope Direct Soueraigntie ouer Kings haue closely conueyed vnto him the same power by the other tearme called Indirectly It were to be wished you would leaue that subtill modestie and learne honest simplicitie It may be we shall perceiue some dragme thereof in your fourth-ly The moderate Answerer Fourthly the maintainers of this doctrine do not vrge greater indignitie or defend any sentence more offensiue in equall iudgement to any Pralate sheepe or shepheard then to the chiefest Shepheard vnder Christ the Pope himselfe for they all with one consent affirme that in case of heresie now in question he is either actually and really deposed or to be deposed The Canonists do hold that he is ipso facto deposed if he fall into heresie with whom Turrecrem Castrâ— and others do consent The Reply Wherein I dare appeale to any equall or almost any vnequall iudgement of my greatest aduersaries to determine whether this your answer be not absurdly false in two degrees First Those you say who vrge this opinion of deposing Princes in case of heresie offer no more indignitie to any sheepe then to the chiefe shepheard vnder Christ the Pope and yet in the same Chapter I Answer say you if any man hold that opinion of such power ouer Princes in Popes yet they will pleade it more tolerable in the authoritie of one supreme Pastor in the Church whereof Princes be sheepe c. The argument then of these men as you confesse and is hereafter shewed is this As the shepheard to the sheepe so the Pope to Kings but shepheards haue power ouer sheepe and not sheepe ouer shepheards Ergo Popes may depose Princes and Princes may not remoue Popes This is your Popish and as it is after proued your sheepish conclusion wherein whether there be not offered greater indignitie to Princes then to Popes let the equall Reader iudge Secondly the Authors of the doctrine of deposing of Kings in case of heresie do professe concerning Popes That they cannot possibly be Heretikes as Popes and consequently cannot be deposed Not saith Bellarmine by any power whether Ecclesiasticall or temporall no not by all Bishops assembled in a Councell Not though saith Carerius he should do any thing preiudiciall to the vniuersall statâ— of the Church Not though saith Azorius he should neglect the Canons Ecclesiasticall or peruert the lawes of Kings Not though saith your Gratianus Glosse he should carrie infinite multitudes of soules headlong with him into hell And these forenamed Authors do auouch for the confirmation of this doctrine the vniuersall consent of Romish Diuines and Canonists for the space of an hundred yeares Whether therefore to affirme that Kings may be Heretikes and for that cause deposed and that Popes cannot be deposed because as Popes they cannot be Heretikes be equall indignitie to Popes and Kings let if you will your vnequall Reader iudge And now not to stand vpon other transparent absurdities of these Authors your modestie is to be put in mind not to appeale vnto equall iudgement in that wherein you manifest your totall eclypse of iudgement Hitherto haue we disputed of the power of people and of the Pope considered as it were intensiuely Now we approach to examine both of them in their extent and execution CHAP. XIII The Discouerie in the third Reason WHosoeuer vpon any pretended supremacie whether of Pope or people do denie the necessarie right of Election or of succession of Protestant Princes are to be holden amongst all Protestants seditious But all Popish Priests do vtterly abolish the title of Succession in all Protestant Princes by pretended prerogatiue of Pope and people Ergo The Minor proued by their Positions In Election 1. The Romish Cardinall There is no election whether of King or Emperor of any force if he that is elect such as they esteeme all Protestants be excommunicate In Succession Reinalds The right of Kings Christian must depend rather vpon their Religion then vpon order of Succession and therefore all Christians are bound to cut off all hope lest that any such speaking of Protestants may aspire to the throne Otherwise saith Stapleton what do people else but euen preferre man before God Hereupon doth Simancha conclude that The Kingdome of an Heretike departed doth lineally descend vpon his sonne but if the sonne in the race Royall be hereticall the Catholike Common-weale may chuse him a Prince but if also the Kingdome be hereticall then the choice of the King belongeth to the Pope and so the Kingdome may be taken by Catholikes And lest peraduenture any should consent to the lawfull Succession father Parsons doth pronounce sentence Whosoeuer shall consent to the succession of a Protestant is a most grieâ—ous and damnable sinner Thus farre of the Position Now behold their Practise 1. In France Reinalds doth forewarne the French Will you proclaime Nauarre a Caluinist King of Fraunce What is this else then to aduance a dogge to be Soueraigne ouer men Shall Catholikes pray God saue that King whom they may not admit into their houses For suppose saith Father Creswell that he professe to bring in a more sound Religion what is this to the purpose he is bound to defend the Romish faith From France we will returne home where father Parsons busieth himselfe to disable the title of Succession of our most dread Soueraigne King Iames with intent to aduance the Infanta of Spaine thereunto Thus much of Successors now of Possessors The moderate Answerer Let all be true which he citeth and that they so teach yet if fiue particular men could make a generall Councell and their sentence be tearmed a publike Position yet they speake onely of a Prince excommunicate before his Election which case is not now in rerum natura much lesse in England as this vniust Accuser would proue The Reply Vniust not so your selfe will acquit me I haue instanced in sixe of your Priests and Iesuites whereof foure be our owne countrimen and therefore by your owne iudgement Best able to iudge of our country cause And you answer Let all be true which he citeth when you could not answer that one testimonie was vntrue Secondly you start backe If say you fiue particular men could make a Councell or their sentences be tearmed a publike Position as if we may not rather vnderstand your publike Positions by these fiue your best learned Clearkes then by onely you who by that your Yet if would onely seeme to take exception vnto fiue and bring instance to the contrarie from none In all which you testifie that I am not an vniust Accuser but that you are now an idle Disputer But if these fiue should be thought priuate whose bookes are priuiledged with the most publike and ordinarie approbation of your Church I could
is this There is a Canon contrarie to them that shall say Priests may take armes Ergo Priests haue no Positions contrarie to the Canon or else is not your Order freed from all iealousie in this point It will be therefore first materiall to shew the doctrine of your Priests concerning this militarie discipline of Priests Was not the Iesuite and Author of the Booke De iusta Abdicat a Priest and yet he admonisheth Priests to be the first of them that forsake the Oppressor of Religion imitating Elias zeale when he killed the false Prophets Was not your Reinolds a Priest and yet he would perswade That holymen euen Priests may resist by force Kings oppressing Religion whensoeuer oportunitie will serue and that dying in such a quarrell they are not to be accompted Traitors but Martyrs not deseruing punishment of God herein but as the souldiers of Christ an eternall reward in heauen Adding further As the Priests of Greece resisting their Emperours * A presumption absolutely false by force of armes thought it not a sinne of treason but rather iudged it an hainous crime not to resist Your Cardinall Allane was a Priest and yet he wickedly and falsely defendeth that The auncient Bishops might haue excommunicated Arian Emperours and haue defended themselues against them by force but they did not saith he by reason of the greater forces of the Persecutors This Answer he calleth A true and modest defence of English Cathotholikes which in his Admonitionâ—e â—e indeuoureth to proue from the example of Gods Priest Against Athalia And againe in behalfe of the Pope whome you esteeme as High Priest he saith In truth if it be lawfull for the Pope to occupie his forces which God hath giuen him against the Heathen much more may he employ them against those whom he accompteth Rebels against the Catholike Church which be properly vnder his correction Yet all this is nothing to the resolution of your Sanders a Priest also It belongeth vnto Bishops saith he both to pronounce the King an Heretike and the Subiects freed from their obedience ought to indeuour to place another instantly in his throne but if the Subiects shall faile in this their dutie then it is the office of Pastors Priests to prouide Kings must looke to the Priests mixed Chalices perfumed gloues priuie sheaths by what means soeuer that such a King raigne not in the Church of God Againe who was it that would haue killed the now King of Fraunce with a knife was he not a Nouice deuoted to be a Priest And he that killed your last King Henry the third I meane your Monke Clemens had he no affinitie with a Priest Such an one was that Monke who poisoned Iohn King of England And who I pray you did commend and magnifie that your Clemens his desperate exploite You know who Pope Xistus Quintus your high Priest A fact also highly commended by your French Iesuite sure one of your Priesthood saying That he is worthie to bee esteemed another Ahod who killed Aeglon the Moabite yea more forcible then Ahod for he the Monke stabbed the King through the guttes so that we need not now to wonder at former histories where we reade how Iudith killed Holofernes Dauid Goliah Samson a thousand men with the iawbone of an Asse this act is farre more maruellous These be thy Priests O Babylon who boasting falsely of a real vnbloudie sacrifice of Christ to be offered to God Now in later times by rebellions haue offered sacrifice to their Moloch the man of Rome in bloud Secondly to this your consequent Therefore all of this Order are absolutely freed from iealousie of Rebellion As though in warre onely the fighâ—ing souldiers were enemies doth not Reason in the Apologue teach you the contrarie For there The Trumpeter that gaue the Alarme to excite men to warre was taken of his enemies and to free himselfe O good Sirs saith he kill not me for I would neuer haue slaine any of you alas you see I haue no weapon the onely instrument I possesse is this trumpet to whome they answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore thou shalt rather die because when thou canst not fight thy selfe yet doest thou incite and encourage others to fight Your Order will make the morall for in Fraunce your Reinolds did sound his trumpet for the battell thus All that we haue spoken are to this end to perswade Generals Captaines and all Ecclesiasticall men who follow the battell that these are the warres of the Lord. Hearken another trumpet sounding so loude that it is heard from Rome into Ireland the Pope a Priest Promising his blessing to Tyrone and all his adherents who should fight for the Catholike cause against their Queene And another in the same Ireland of the Colledge of Priests in Salamane resounding Benediction of the same Pope to encourage the Oâ—eale in the same warres Listen yet againe and you shall heare another terrible sound in England for the ioyning with the Spanish Armado in that their expected inuasion Anno 1588. Cardinall Allane a Priest Now therefore Lords Nobles and deare Countrimen for the honor of Knighthood fight And lest we should be too deafe in sense not to heare or dull in heart not to beleeue that Priests secular were interested in these affaires Parsons a Priest doth proclaime against the Seculars who would seeme herein to be onely excusable saying Was not Doctor Storie Doctor Lewis secular Doctors who are knowne principally to haue furthered the action of Sir Thomas Stukeslâ—y for Ireland were not Ballard Gifford and Gartly secular Priests And of all Priests in generall This holy sedition if you call it so which is to send warre into the world I confesse our Priests do and will teach These are the phrases of Baals Priests except it be that those launced themselues these let others bloud These are their alarmes against Protestants neither can we reade of any one of note among them who by publike writing did euer sound a retraite A question materiall for if Popes were not pleased with all these abouenamed Positions and practises shew vs where euer he did condemne seditious Priests Can you then apply the sentence of holy Ambrose to this order Is this to pray for vs and not to prey altogether vpon vs Wherein also I cannot but maruell at your modestie who bring in an old Canon teaching not to fight to the end you may cloake their shame who openly professe they must fight which is to couer a bald head with a Chrystall glasse There is yet another point you would satisfie The moderate Answerer Lastly he addeth the late vnhappie Stratageme and conspiracie against the house of Parliament but I trust that all Priests will be innocent in so vile a practise against our present Soueraigne The Reply If as S. Gregorie calling the first transgression of mankind foelix facinus an happy
detestable lying vnder the shadow of Equiuocation is authorized for truth where desperate Rebellion is aduanced in the pretence of Religion where most barbarous massacres of Christian people and monstrous murthers of Kings and Princes are magnified as glorious Stratagemes be preindiciall to the holinesse of any cause I dare call heauen earth yea and hell also to witnesse between vs. Thus I leaue you as persons conuicted of high Treason God grant you grace of repentance and now I proceed to pleade the cause of Protestants generally impeached by you as persons guiltie of the same crime The second Part containing a Iustification of Protestants against slaunderous imputations obiected vnto them by this Answerer in two points Doctrine of Rebellion And sacrilegious Aequiuocation CHAP. I. THE second kind of answer in this our moderate Answerer is by Recrimination to make Protestants as much or rather more guiltie of crimes Rebellious and Aequiuocations then the Romish sect First is the case of Rebellion 1. generally 2. more particularly 1. In generall The moderate Answerer Let the Discouerer battle himselfe against his Protestant brethren which of all the people in the world that euer were or will be are most guiltie in these proceedings All iumping together in this conclusion that Kings differing in Religion from them are not worthy to be accounted either Princes or men but must be deposed We haue read and seene many conspiracies and rebellions proceeding from the dogmaticall men of this profession and their Rebels sâ—aine in their actuall rebellions and approued of them and canonized for holy Martyrs The Reply Lowd clamour and lewd Which your generall accusation must haue a general satisfaction to shew that it is childish extrauagant and slaunderous As childish as your boy-trick when about to be conuicted for a truant you accused some other for fellowship Admit then this to be a true recrimination yet as S. Augustine reasoneth of two kind of theeues so may I of diuers kinds of rebels This theefe saith he is not therefore good because the other is worse Can the one of these be saued by the other mans halter 2. Extrauagant wandring out of the circuit of the question thus The question was whether Romish Priests can be true subiects vnto our Protestant King you would satisfie by examples of Protestants disloyaltie to Romish Gouernors Suppose it be so although we condemne all such Protestants yet here is your iniquitie those Protestants in the Romish regiments you call Rebellious traitors and yet you Romish in Protestants kingdomes will be called dutifull and faithful subiects contrary to the naturall law of all equitie Feras legem quam fers To be iudged by your owne law and acknowledge your like case with such Protestants if yet there haue bin any such worthy of the like condemnation 3. Slanderous for those whom you in this place accuse rebellious in another place by consequent you acquit as innocent Protestants you say alledge this Scripture Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers c. to proue Princes supremacie By the which also Protestants proue That the Pope of Rome saith Bellarmine ought not to ouer-rule Princes or depriue them of their regiments although otherwise they deserued to be depriued of this opinion be all Protestants Now I would demaund of any indifferent Reader whether they do suffer any to resist who chaleÌ„ge euery one â—o acknowledge obedience We may deuine now what moderation you will keepe in the rest of your accusations who haue thus plainely confuted your selfe in this first CHAP. II. The particular Recriminations are fetched from diuers Kingdomes First to begin at home England The moderate Answerer The Discouerer hath made a fond argument against the Protestant ministers in England conuinced of sedition for taking armes against their Soueraigne The Reply I would this your obiection were such whereby we might onely charge you of foâ—dnesse and not of falshood also and malice For of the Church of England your Iesuite hath giuen a contrary verdit The English Protestants saith he do acknowledge their Christian Prince supreme euen in causes Ecclesiasticall Which is true in his lawfull sence But here againe we behold the spirits of giddinesse you defame the English Christians as denying due subiection to their Soueraigne your Iesuite accuseth the same English for yeelding more then due But I leaue you both to battle together you to accuse him of impudencie and he you of stupiditie This hath bin of English onely yet in generall Next you CHAP. III. Descend vnto Indiuiduals in our English nation The moderate Answerer I must put the Discouerer in mind that he hath beheld his visage too much in the glasse of Cranmer Ridley Latimer Sands Rogers and all Protestants of all places What haue these men done It was the consent of these and the chiefest Protestant Bishops and Diuines that Queene Marie might be deposed and not onely she but her sister Queene Elizabeth a Protestant which was put in practise both with wit and weapons to the vttermost of the Protestants power by the Duke of Northumberland and Suffolke and many others of great estate and not this only against the expresse statutes of the kingdome but their owne oath to the Lady Marie in her fathers life Thus did these wth their Protestant Preachers and forces against the succession of Queene Elizabeth For England I haue spoken already more then I desire had not such wicked accusations against vs vrged me to the breach of silence Now I will onely say that the publike and dogmaticall positions and practises of rebellions by the greatest Protestant subiects of this kingdome the Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolke and so many Nobles to be passed with oblinion with the whole Cleargie against not onely God and their Queene but oathes of fidelitie to King Henrie the eight that I am bold to affirme c. The Reply No maruell though you be bold to affirme thus much concerning the knowledge of these things seeing you verifying the vulgar article are herin blind Seeke therfore into historie the light of veritie and life of antiquitie and you will easily see how much you haue bin ouerseene First your boldnesse touching historie hath presumed to affirme that K. Henrie the eight did illegitimate his two daughters M. and E. and after declared the contrary making them legitimate by statute I haue inquired into the Acts which are extant and I find three Acts whereby the aforesaid daughters were disabled as namely in annis 25. 28. 33. of King Henrie his raigne But for establishing of them in the right of succession I think you cannot shew it except it be in anno nunquam canone nusquam The case is more manifested by the answer of the whole Councell to the letters of Queene Marie wherein she now after the death of King Edward made chalenge to the right of the
Crowne The Councels answer is thus framed This is a-against the sundry Acts of Parliament remaining yet in force confirmed by the King of famous memory Henrie the eight against the letters patents of our late Soueraigne King Edward the sixt and his great seale against the consent of the most part of the noble Vniuersities of Christendome c. Wherefore you that tell vs of a statute of Legitimation as a matter euident in modestie shold not haue concealed your euidence Otherwise you know in a proposition copulatiue if but one point be true the whole is a lie Say then whereof can you accuse Cranmer Ridley and all Protestants wherein you will not make King Henrie the eight King Edward the sixt and many Parliaments guiltie I did neuer heare the whole state of any kingdome termed Traitors but by your boldnesse If you had strooke at the head of that opposition you should not haue needed to haue lopped the branches for if King Henry might haue spoken from the dead in the day of the succession of Queene Mary he would haue pleaded the cause of the opposites as Dauid did in the behalfe of his people Oues hae c. It is I these other what haue they done Notwithstanding we acknowledge her successiō iust and after the proclamation of her title shew vs what Protestant euer resisted what Minister of the Gospel in all that fierie trial did kindle the least sparke of sedition among her people Was it because they wanted hope of succession Behold there was the hand-maide of God Elizabeth their hopefull successor to the Crowne Was it for want of power why death is rightly described to be a Giant hauing a thousand hands able to giue any liuing creature his mortall wound But I abhorre to discourse of these rebellious conceits Lastly of all Protestants which were burned in Queene Maries dayes for Religion name but one that was accused of treason I require instance but in one an apparant demonstration that their Religion taught them loyall subiection The second Instance for England The moderate Answerer Sir Thomas Wyat warranted by Protestants Cleargie with diuers others in the short regiment of Queene Marie may be giuen for instance The Reply The Historie relateth the pretence of Wyat thus A Proclamation against the Queenes marriage desiring all English men to ioyne for defence of the Realme in danger to be brought into thraldome to strangers who be Spaniards The like was the Proclamation of the Duke of Suffolke Against the marriage with the Prince of Spaine Where auouching his loyaltie to the person of the Queene layed his hand on his sword saying Hee that would her any hurt I would this sword were at his heart Againe there is recorded the Oration of Queene Marie against Wyat where there is not to be found any scruple concerning the subiect of our question cause of Religion neither was there to make it more apparant any Minister of the Gospell brought in question as a commotioner in that cause Though therefore it is requisite that that which is lawfull be performed by lawfull proceedings yet if intent the subiect of this dispute might answer for Protestants accused in that name then is it plaine that it was not Religion if for Wyat and his fellowes it is as plaine it was not against the Queene or State but for both that the whole land might continue in their former subiection and that by Spanish insolencie her Highnesse preheminence and soueraignetie might not be impared Let vs heare The third Instance for England The moderate Answerer Goodman published a booke concluding it lawfull to kill Kings transgressing Gods lawes themselues and commaunding others to do the like The Reply If I should iustifie this Goodman though your examples might excuse him yet my heart shall condemne my selfe But what doe you professe to prooue All Protetestants teach Positions rebellious Prooue it Here is one Goodman who in his publike booke doeth mainetaine them I haue no other meanes to auoyde these straites which you obiect by the example of one to conclude All Protestants in England rebellious then by the example of * All the rest to answer there is but one And now let me be beholden to your moderation to remember multitudes of your Priests Iesuites Cardinals and Popes in their publike authorized bookes Bulles Decrees and now you requite mee with one But shall one dramme of drosse prooue the whole masse no golde Let vs therefore leaue this Goodman as a man who by his vnauthorized wicked and false positions hath falsified his name You proceed The fift Instance against English Protestants The moderate Answerer The English Protestants notes vpon the Bible as his Maiestie is witnesse do not disallow the killing of Princes in such case as is shewed by the booke of Conference pag. 47. The Reply It will be requisite without preiudice to the most learned and religious iudgement of his Maiestie to satisfie for two places related from that conference The first place touching the act of the midwiues of Egypt who mercifully spared the liues of the infants of the Hebrewes notwithstanding the commaundement of the King The note Their disobedience herein was lawfull but their dissembling was euill And was not this disobedience lawfull Let vs consult with the holy Ghost Heb. 11. 23. where it is written By faith Moses when he was borne was hid three moneths of his parents neither feared they the Kings commaundement The same is the case of the midwiues disobeying the commaundement of the King Now that which is noted by the Spirit of God as commendable in the parents of Moses may it be condemnable in these mercifull midwiues of the Egyptians Nay for it is also written The midwiues of Aegypt feared God and did not as the King commanded them but preserued aliue the male children and therefore God prospered them But we must discerne in this act two colours white and blacke which S. Augustine distinguisheth They did a worke of mercie in preseruing the liues of the yong babes but they did lie vnto the King for safeguard of their owne liues The first deserued prayse the other needed a Pardon Therefore this their lawfull and mercifull disobedience for preuenting the bloudie Massacre of Infants can be no president for your practises intended in malice to end in the bloud of Protestants of all sorts The other point of the note against Dissimulation doth indeed crosse your equiuocating profession but you are not to be offended with vs if we condemne that as sinfull which as S. Augustine saith needed a pardon The second place 2. Chron. 15. 16. the Text King Asa deposed Maachah his mother from her estate because she had made an Idole in a groue The note Mother or Grandmother yet herein the King shewed that he lacked zeale for she ought to haue bene burnt by the Couenant as vers 13. And by the law of God Deut. 13. but he gaue place to foolish
pittie and would also seâ—me after a sort to satisfie the lawe The truth then of this exposition as al Orthodoxal Comentaries shew is grounded vpon the direct Scripture the Oracle of truth for in the law Deut. 13. 6. 9. If thy brother c. the summe whereof is repeated in the Text in question vers 13. Whosoeuer will not seeke the Lord God of Israel shall be slaine whether he were small or great man or woman What shall we say then is the Soueraignty of Kings disabled God forbid but it is rather established hereby for the King is made the Deposer yea euen of whosoeuer Now that Commentarie doth not defend deposing a King neither possibly can it be defended by any ordinarie commaund of God in all Scripture which is proued Wherefore supposing that the Relation of the Conference be direct yet may you not thinke that his Maiestie whose iudgement is so diuinely illuminated by the light of the word of God that he neuer refused Conference with the greatest Iesuite or Doctor Romish could take exception to the note as from an offence thereby giuen but onely in suspition an offence taken by weake ones prepossessed with your Romish maladie whereof you haue giuen vs experience in your many controuersies For wheresoeuer in all Scripture almost you feele but any sent of fire O behold this doth Proue Purgatorie fire after death Whereas indeed the context is plaine there is onely signified * Afflictions of this life Where you reade promised Reward for goodworkes there you presently conclude Amerit of Condignitie when as all is the onely iustice of Gods promise and the consequent of the onely grace and mercie of God who giueth to will to worke to perfect and crowneth his gift of grace with the grace of the gift of glorie I may not digresse Here doubtlesse his Maiestie doubted lest some impotent Reader not ignorant of your suggestions vnderstanding a Prince deposed by the King might iustifie your proceedings where so many popishly inspired haue assumed the office of Kings to depose a Prince But know you there is not in any part of our Commentarie vpon the Bible any one sparke whereat any Guido may light his match to giue fire to his powder The last instance for England The moderate Answerer If I had trauelled no further into that doctrine then to the late printed booke by your Maiesties Printer of the late intended Conspiracie I might easily performe a iust defence for the Protestant Author giueth it out as a generall rule and vndoubted Maxime to all Professors of worship to take armes if their Religion be in hazard and that no priuate man should thinke his life more happie then to fight pro Aris. Which is greater libertie then our Aduersarie can find in Catholike Writers so of him attached of Treason and Rebellion The Reply This shoot is but twelue score wide of the marke you ayme at your bent is to defend them who professe it lawfull for Catholikes in the maintenance of Religion to murther Kings and harrow Kingdomes in their opinion hereticall This Author teacheth vs to Fight his owne words pro Aris pro focis pro Patre patriae his Reason Because the indangering of one of these would at once stirre the whole bodie of a Commonwealth not any more as diuided members but as a solid and indiuiduall lumpe What is then the difference he in the whole Treatise teacheth euery priuate man to arme himselfe by all possible meanes but first armed with authoritie of the King and State You teach to fight for Religion violating the obedience of God against your King and kingdome to destroy them The difference may be illustrated by the like A priuate man if without authoritie temporall he kill a murtherer he is a murtherer but authorized by the publike lawe he is now no more priuate but an Officer but the lawles homicide doth best pattern your lawlesse parricide So that there is no more oddes betweene our and your Authors opinion then cum Rege contra Regem to fight with and against the King You can find no more exception in England whither will you now it is but a step to Scotland what see you there CHAP. IIII. The Obiection of the moderate Answerer against the Church of Scotland KNox and Buchanan defended the power of people ouer their King The Reply You might haue added that there was in Scotland an Act of Parliament to call in that Chronicle of Buchanan censuring all such contempts and innouations but it stood your modestie in hand to conceale this lest we might reply vpon your moderation thus That is not to be called the doctrine of Scotland which the general currant of that Church and State in publike Parliament doth condemne such is this seditious doctrine of resisting and deposing Kings a learning substantially popish your Popes being Authors thereof your other Priests of Rome suggestors publikely authorized herein and your traiterous Actors canonized for Saints in the conceit of all Romish And now you may bid great Britaine adiew you may make a short cut into France CHAP V. The Obiections of the moderate Answerer against the Protestants in France both in their Positions and Practises LEt vs come into France The Reply But vpon condition that you will not returne Yet what of Fraunce The moderate Answerer Caluin and Beza and the rest of that holy Synode say that the Kings and Queenes their children posteritie and all Magistrates must be put to death and so euery Protestant must be more then a Pope The Reply Nay God forbid that any should be so great a man in Rebellion as your Popes who haue bene the heads of the greatest tumults in Christendome Caluin and Beza whom you traduce if your moderation will suffer that which iustice doth exact must answer for themselues Caluins iudgement in this case In his booke of Institutions which he framed for instruction of all the Church of Christ touching the case now controuerted he beginneth to consult with God saying The word of God teacheth vs to obey all Princes who are established in their thrones be it by what meanes soeuer yea and though they shall do nothing lesse then the Offices of Kings yet must they be obayed though the King be neuer so wicked and indeed vnworthie of the name of a King yet must subiects acknowledge the image of diuine power in his publike authoritie and therefore must in all temporall duties reuerence and obey him as well as if he were the godliest King in the world To contract his other sentences into a briefe We are instructed saith Caluin by many documents of holy writ neuer to suffer these seditioâ—s coÌ„ceits to possesse our minds as to thinke an euill King must be so dealt withall as he deserueth but we are directly charged to obey the King though he be a sauage Tyrant and neuer so wicked which I therefore often vrge that in such a case it
VIII Instance in Burgundie The moderate Answerer IN Burgundie a like assembly and conuentiâ—le was kept at Cabillion therein was decreed that three worâ—… to be taken out of the world first the Church of Rome secondly â—…le â—…es of auncient houses and thirdly all ciuill policie and gouernment The Reply Were euer any Protestants so fantasticall who were the authors of that decree nay who was your author witnessing that there was any such decree You expresse neither We may not maruell if through the wearinesse of your so long trauell into many countries you fell at length a sleepe and dreamed this idle dreame of three wormes so I had rather thinke then that you dreamed it waking for then should you find a fourth worme worse then all those three euen the worme of conscience which gnaweth euery lying soule The like may I answer for your imagined rebellions In Denmark but that you haue for your witnesse your owne Peter Frarer you might say Frater for who so shall reade his idle pamphlet shall easily perceiue that his inke wherewith he writ was of that coâ—…ound which the Iewes offered our Sauiour vineger and gall There is an established Church of Protestants in Sueueland doe you see no beakons of â—iâ—e there which might portend rebellions CHAP. IX Sweueland obiected by The moderate Answerer FOr Sueueland the Protestants themselues giâ—e also testimonie that the Catholike King thereof was enforced by his rebellious Gospellers to make himselfe a subiect vnto their designements and condescend that no Catholike should beare office in that Kingdome as is witnessed by Cytraeus Chron. Anno 1593. 1594. The Reply The Storie is long but the summe is short that the whole State of Sueueland required that according to the former Parliament of their Kingdome the King should sweare to defend them in their former liberties and especially the fruition of the Religion then professed Doth your Protestant witnesse call them Rebellious Gospellers It was the demaund of an whole State for defence of their countrie priuiledge can any Papist call this rebellious You will be as loth to confesse this as you are prone to forge the other Let vs trauell homeward againe and end there where you began CHAP. X. In the Imperiall State of Germanie particularly obiecting Luther Muntzer The moderate Answerer his first instance against Luther MArtin Luther the prime Protestant of that time said he cared not for Kings so careles he is in this case that he telleth that it is the nature of the Gospel to raise wars seditions that among Christians there is no Magistrate no Superior that it is a thing to be obtained by prayers that countrimen obey not their Princes No lawe or syllable of lawe can be imposed vpon Christians neither by men or Angels there is no hope of remedie except all humane lawes be taken away The Reply Here is your common Linsi-woolsie mixture of truth and falshood but as you would haue vs to confesse a truth so be you willing to acknowledge your Error The truth Luther professed that he did not care for Kings true but in that comparatiue sence which he had learned of our Lord Christ You shall be called before Kings and Rulers for my name sake but feare not man who can kill the bodie but feare God who is able after the bodie is dead to take the soule and cast it into hell fire I say feare him Secondly Luther telleth that it is the nature of the Gospell to raise warres and seditions And doth not the Gospell it selfe tell vs the same likewise Behold I came not to send peace into the world for I will set the father against the sonne and the daughter against the mother c. You cannot be ignorant of the difference of a cause and an occasion a thing considered properly in his owne nature and vnproperly by externall accident Do I shutting the doore breake it because the theefe would not haue broken it except it had bene shut saith Saint Augustine So Luther Because the Gospell is preached the professors thereof are persecuted with the sword is therefore the innocent professor cause of the persecution no but onely an occasion Christ who is in his owne nature * Petra salutis a rocke of saluation to the elect to the reprobate is called a Stone of offence because the godly are by faith edified to life and the wicked by the malice of their hart do spurne against Christ stumble and perish through vnbeleefe The Gospell likewise hath a double sauor vitall and mortall being The sauor of life vnto life to the sanctified by Gods spirit and the sauor of death vnto death to the irrepentant and vnregenerate So then the Gospell is no otherwise seditious then the sweet flower is venimous froÌ„ this the Spider sucketh sweetnesse but through the fierie malignitie changeth it to peyson so that obstinate hearing of grace peace and saluation by his naturall malice resisteth grace with contempt peace with warre and eternall saluation by working bodily destruction The falshood to affirme that Luther did abandon all Magistracie and abhorre all humane lawes is first false for then I should maruell in what commonwealth the doctrine of Luther couldâ—… long breath Secondly false for Luther defendeth Magistracie in his publike bookes Thirdly thrice false for Luther also condemneth the Romish for their contempt of Magistrates His doctrine Though some thinke gouernement of man ouer man to be a tyrannous vsurpation because all men are naturally of like condition yet we that haue the word of God must oppose to this delusion the commandement and ordinance of God who hath put a sword into the hand of the Magistrate whome therefore the Apostle calleth Gods Minister His taxation of the Romish I grieue and blush and grone roses how scornefully our Emperors and Princes of Germanie are abused whom the Pope leadeth and handleth like brute beasts both for spotle and slaughter at his pleasure This Poperie is liuely described by Saint Peter saying that in the latter times Some should despise Rulers by Rulers signifying secular Princes Now the Popish Clergie by their owne authoritie haue exempted themselues from performance of tributes to Princes And the Pope is so farre from acknowledging the Soueraigntie of Princes ouer him that he will scarce admit them sauing your presence to kisse his shâ—oe How like you this doctrine of Luther If well then must you free him from rebellious conceit for he defendeth subiection to Princes if ill then you condemne your self for he renounceth Popish Hierarchie as a rebellious tyrannie The moderate Answerer His second instance against Luther He censured King Henry the eight of England the Princes of the Imperiall Orders the Princes of Germanie to be vnworthie either of obedience from Subiects or life in themselues and giuing the same doome of his naturall Soueraigne George of Saxonie nameth him the Calamitie of his countrie and Tyrant so he
doe not resist although our number be great S. Nazianzene Not though the people be prone to resist you S. Ambrose Not when the people are present and offer a defence S. Augustine yeelding the cause Because Christian subiection is to be performed in loue and not in feare or by constraint A doctrine for those times namely the first 600. yeares in generall vse saith your Bellarmine And continued after Christ the space of 1000 yeares saith your Beâ—â—laâ—â—s neuer changed till the yeare 1060. saith your Tolossanus Friburgens Espencaeus and others And shall we dare to remooue The ancient Land-markes of our forefathers CHAP. XVII Other Proofs of Protestants from Antiquity in two most Christian and potent Nations England and France THat this soueraignity of his Maiesty whereunto notwithstanding all Papall iurisdiction we doe willingly subscribe may be knowen to be as anciently as earnestly challenged I will only point at some few heads of examples of our ancient Christian Kings which Sir Edward Cooke his Maiesties Attorney generall in his alwaies reportable and memorable Reports hath lately published In the raigne of K. Edward the first a Subiect brought in a Bull of excommunication against another Subiect of this realme and published it But it was answered that this was then according to the ancient lawes of England Treason against the King the Offendor had beene drawen and hanged but that by the mercy of the Prince he was only abiured the Realme Compare this Bull which did only push at a Subiect against his benefice with that Bull which more mankeen goareth Kings to giue them their mortall wound At the same time The Pope by his Bull had by way of prouision bestowed a benefice vpon one within the prouince of Yorke the King presented another the Arch-bishop refuseth the Kings presentation and yeelded to the Popes prouision This Arch-bishop then by the common law of the land was depriued of the lands of his whole Bishoprick during life In the raigne of King Edward the third the King presented to a Benefice and his Presentee was disturbed by one who had obtained Buls from Rome for the which cause he was condemned to perpetuall imprisonment Compare this Bull of disturbing onely the Present of Kings with that which doth ordinarily violate the Kings person In the raigne of Richard the second it was declared in the Parliament R. 2. cap. 2. that England had alwaies beene fâ—ce and in subiection to no Realme but immediatly subiect to God and to none other and that the same ought not in any thing touching the regality of the crowne to be submitted to the Bishop of Rome nor the lawes of their Realme by him frustrated at his pleasure Compare this English King immediately not subiect to the Pope and the aboue mentioned Iesuâ—ticall principle All Kings are indirectly subiect to Popes In the raigne of King Henry the fourth it was confirmed that Excommunication made by the Pope is of no force in England Compare this Of no force in England with those excommunications which in these later times haue been made against England In the raigne of King Edward the fourth the opinion of the Kings bench was that whatsoeuer spirituall man should sue another spirituall man in the Court of Rome for a matter spirituall where hee might haue remedy before his Ordinary within the Realme did incurre the danger of premunire being an hainous offence against the honour of the King his crowne and dignity Compare this with their Acts who haue made no other sute at Rome but meanes to dispossesse English Kings of their crowne and dignity Many other examples of like nature I pretermit and remit the Reader desirous to be further satisfied to the booke of Reports Habet enim ille quod det dat nemo largius The conclusion is that that challenge of Soueraigntie which was in opposition to the Popes Buls ancient right and iustice in Kings which were predecessours be not traduced now as an irreligious impiety in the successors The like might be spoken of France but I hasten to the last Argument presuming that my studious Reader perusing the French stories will ease me of that trauell CHAP. XVIII The last Argument of Protestants from Reason IT will be sufficient onely summarily to recapitulate the Arguments dispersed in this former Treatise The first Reason was long since Christened for The Apostles saith your Sanders did chuse rather to suffer euill than to reuenge wherein they were seconded by other heroicall Martyrs of Christ Who thought saith your Tolossanus their faith glorified in this that being persecuted yet they performed obedience Questionlesse they had some reason heereof One is specified by S. Cyprian Christians must be Preachers of the supernaturall vertue patience and not of vengeance Another by S. Augustine that Induring the misery of this life they may auouch their hope of a life eternall And lastly by Arnobius Heereby to make distinction of Christian obedience from that other of Pagans that whereas these yeeld onelie obedience proceeding from feare of man ours should appeare to be from Conscience towards God The second Reason is politicke which is that of your Victoria that the Clergy be members of the common-wealth Ergo they ought to be subiect vnto the state temporall I will adde another of this kind which wee borrowed from your Acosta shewing that licence of deposing Kings is an occasion of much spoiles and bloudshed The third Reason is violent inforcing you by your owne confessions to grant our conclusion your confessions be of two kinds first The Pope hath not temporall Soueraignty ouer Kings directly but onely indirectly in ordine ad bonum spirituale that is as the temporall doth necessarily helpe or aduance the spirituall good of the Church But So you may as well say saith your Carerius that a King hath not iurisdiction temporall but only indirectly because his authority doth intend a spirituall good aâ— namely preseruation of iustice in a common-wealth And he saith truely as may be confirmed by Saint Augustine A king as a man saith he doth serue God by his owne good life as a King by gouerning other mens liues to see that they doe that which is good It is his office not only to ordaine lawes for the preseruation of the politicke peace but also to establish true religion From hence I conclude that if this your distinction be good The Pope hath temporall iurisdiction ouer Kings to depose them indirectly that is as far foorth as may be behooffull for Religion then must you grant that Kings haue iurisdiction temporall onely indirectly because their Office also is ordained of God in ordine ad Deum as a minister of God for defence of his Church If your position be false then hath not your Pope that power ouer Princes no not indirectly The second Confession I take from