first before she him the Basiliske dyeth the man is preserued Thus such prodigious Comets may spend their malignant matter and bee frustrate of their force and influence where wise men make right vse of them Sapiens dominabitur astris for as the learned Zanchy obserueth well Comets cannot cause but may occasion onely State-ruines and changes as when they inflame the ayre the ayre mens bodies the bodies distempered worke vpon the minde and all this taking impression in the most delicate and tender bodies of Princes working vpon their spirits causeth oftentimes such combustions as hasten some fatall periods while in the meane time sage and moderate Princes can easily preuent such importent operations such and no other is the malignant influence of Papall Breeues which cannot possesse generous Princes with an imbellious feare of such bruta fulmina which cannot scare nor scratch any but Brutes The sword of good Lawes drawne forth well burnished and brandished to the cutting off but the maine pipes by which these poysoned waters of Marah of working dissention betweene the head and the members Prince and subiects are deriued from the Papall spring to his Cotholique sons will through Gods grace giue a speciall defeate to whatsoeuer Papall designe this Breeue clossely intendeth As followeth To his beloued Sonnes the Catholiques of England HAuing spoken of the father Papa now to his sons a father and sonne are of neerest relation and this relation a strong combiner of affections and ingager of mutuall offices Sonnes are either by naturall generation or by legall adoption or by common appellation or by spirituall generation such here in a spirituall meaning As for the Popes naturall sonnes those he calles his Nephewes Euphoniae gratiâ as it were a degree once remoued His spirituall sons we shall better discerne of their kinde not onely by their father but by their mother of whom they are begotten namely the Church of Rome which if it bee that great Whore described in the Reuelation as what more euident he that runnes may reade hence it appeareth how legitimate they be So that in a spirituall and mysticall sence he may as well call these also his Nephewes as his sons But in naming them sons it imposeth on them that filiall or rather baby blinde obedience which none but such a father as the Pope can or will exact of his children This father if they obey not aboue contrary to God they are none of the Popes true bred sons But to sweeten their rigid obedience he styleth them his beloued sonnes Yet rather louing then beloued for in naturall affection loue rather descends then ascend in this contrary therefore vnnaturall I dare sweare such babes more dote vpon their father in their blind affection then he vpon them all the world seeth what be the grounds and ends of the Popes loue to his sonnes But to passe by that he calles them the Catholiques of England all the rest then are Heretiques But Catholiques they are not simply but in the compound Romane-Catholiques a right Babylonish word And such are no true Catholiques as the learned Bishop hath proued in his Tortura for he is a true Catholique that holds the Catholique faith professed in all ages according to the Scriptures not hee that holds faith none otherwise but with limitation to the priuate sense and meaning of the Church of Rome such is a Romane-Catholique no true Catholike But to proceed Beloued Sonnes greeting and Apostolique benediction A Forme of salutation farre vnlike that of the Apostles farre from Apostolique The Apostles as Peter and Paul in all their Epistles write to Gods elect to his Saints by calling recommending vnto them grace and peace in Iesus Christ that is a right Apostolique salutation But in the Popes salutation nothing sounding to that of the Apostles but the bare word Apostolique which putteth the greater difference for Paul and Peter came in Christs name the Pope in his owne name they salute the Saints with the the Grace and Peace of Christ he with his owne Apostolique benediction An other note of Antichrist that commeth in his owne name As Christ said to the rebellious Iewes If another come in his owne name him will ye receiue Now he comes in his owne name that comes in his owne vsurped authority as here the Pope doth with his Apostolique benediction Yea although the Pope pretend and claime neuer so much to be Christ Vicar and so may seeme to come not in his owne but Christs name yet vsurping that power which Christ neuer vsed as contrary to the dispensation of his ministery The Popes power being to erect and support an earthly Monarchy whereof he may say as that proud King Is not this great Babylon which I haue built for the honour of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Maiestie he therefore commeth in his owne name So here His benediction is of himselfe who in this Breeue cals himselfe that Apostolique one such is his Apostolique benediction to wit Antichrists benediction Thus in stead of Christs grace he hath Apostolique greeting in stead of Christs peace Apostolique benediction and to whom not to the elect Saints in Christ Iesus but to the Popes sonnes not to the faithfull in Christ but to the Popes Catholiques in England such as his father-hood goes about to strip of all the cognizances of Christs faithfull ones who as they are truely faithfull towards God so they expresse the same towards man and as to Christ in the first place so in the next to the Lords annoynted their Leige Lord immediately vnder Christ It followeth Terrene felicity is not alwaies the benefit of heauen and the patrimony of piety for the Church seeing the peace of sinners hath often found by proofe that the power of mortals is the stipend of impiety Wherefore we preferre the chaines of Martyrs before the spoyles of the triumphant and the King eternall promiseth heauenly principalities not to them that trample the lawes vnder their prood foote but to those that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Answer NOt to insist vpon euery particular but noting by the way throughout the Popes egregious hypocrisie and prophanesse in peruerting and abusing the Scriptures and the sacred name of God wee will touch onely vpon the principals Onely by the way how doth the Pope come to put a difference betweene terrene felicity and the benefit of heauen seeing that all the benefit hee either hath or can hope for of heauen is his terrene felicity This is the Popes heauen vpon earth this is his Peters patrimonie which in his owne papall sense is farre from the patrimonie of piety Or what hath the Church of Rome to doe with peace what peace shee seeâ—h the peace of sinners A phrase borrowed from Ezechiel 13. 16. And it agrees well with the Pope For as those false Prophets saw visions of peace where there was none so the Pope Is he about to stirre vp
the sacred Scripture If an Angell from heauen teach you otherwise let him be anathema This was the Apostles speech to the Galathians rightly applyed The Pope vsurpes the same words but to his most wicked purpose Herein also hee shewes himselfe that great Antichrist who was of old noted to be an egregious falsifier and peruerter of the Scriptures Take one example Origen saith Omnis sermo qui profitetur c. Euery speech that professeth the expositions of the Scriptures and the faith of them and hath not the truth is iustly to be vnderstood to be Antichrist comming in Christs name and saying I am Christ lying and not able to shew the forme of truth in himselfe How truly this is verified of the Pope among infinite other instances of his audacious peruerting of Scripture this one here taken from the Apostle may sufficiently euince But the Oath is preiudiciall to the Catholike faith to what Catholike faith you must vnderstand there is a twofold Catholike faith the one that of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New of Christ and the Apostles and Prophets of the whole Church of God in all ages in all places of the world which is therefore called the Catholike faith because it is vniuersall and this is the onely true and proper Catholike faith There is another faith that hath the name of Catholike but with an addition either expressed or implied to wit the Romane Catholike faith and because Romane Catholike therefore indeede not Catholike no true but a bastard Catholike faith The obiect of this Romane Catholike faith is together with the History of the Scriptures for the mysterie of the Gospell contained therein to euery true beleeuers saluation they exclude from being so much as a partiall obiect of this their faith but in generall onely as an History the Apocryphall Bookes Which Saint Ierome saith are for instruction of manners not for instruction of faith all their Traditions which they call Apostolicall all their Decretales and Extrauagants and aboue all that which is the summe of all the rest the Oracle of the Popes owne breast inerrable and so whatsoeuer his Holinesse either hath taught or shall hereafter teach as he seeth to be most commodious for the present state of the Church all these are the adequate obiect of this Roman-Catholike faith Among which Doctrines Apostolike this is one to denie fidelitie to Kings and Princes when the Pope commandeth This is an Article of the Romane Catholike faith not to be violated vpon paine of damnation So that to take the oath of Allegiance and keepe it as it cannot stand with the safetie of Romane Catholike faith so neither of their owne saluation Why so By the irrefragible decree of Pope Boniface 8. Porrò subesse Romano Pontifici c. Finally to be subiect to the Pontifie or Pope of Rome we declare determine define and pronounce that euery humane creature is bound vpon necessitie of saluation But by what authoritie The glosse giues the reason from the very first word Porrò Porrò id est Certè quia sic est Truely because it is so A most Papall reason for as the Glosse saith sententiam c. that which is no sentence he maketh a sentence iniustice he can make to be iustice yea of nothing something quia in his qua vult et est pro ratione voluntas In those things which he will his will is for a reason Nor ought any to aske him a reason of his doings sic volo sic iubeo is sufficient quia plenitudinem obtinet potestatis because he possesseth plenitude of power nor is he pure homo and if hee shall carrie with himselfe millions of soules into hell there to be punished cum prime Mancipio with the great Diuell of bell yet let none presume to blame or iudge him for it So that though he should deceiue many here in England perswading them that disloyaltie to their Prince that rebellion and treason are Apostolike doctrines and so leade them with himselfe into hell they haue their amends in their owne hands as the Pope hath the Law in his It followeth We in the meane time will entreat the father of lights that hee suffer not the heart of the English King to bee blinded who shall certainly learne how great credit is to be giuen to Catholike subiects in those things which you may promise who lest they should make themselues lyable to periurie they had rather breath out their spirit then their voice Answer How after all these blasphemies against God and his word dare the Pope intreat the Father of lights vpon what confidence vpon what hope to be heard Will the Father of lights heare the prayer of the man of Sinne of the Sonne of Perdition of the great Antichrist the Beast full of blasphemies yea rather as Christ forbad the diuell to confesse him to vsurpe his name to preach of Iesus so we intreat the Pope not to intreat for our King the Lords Annointed hee needeth none of such prayers Hee hath daily thousands of good Christians of his louing and faithfull subiects to entreat the Father of lights for him for his life Crowne Kingdome happinesse which prayers no doubt will preuaile with God to defeat all Romes prayers and plots and practises against our noble King Church and State We know the Popes prayers to be meerely pharisaicall in stead of praying to prey vpon vs vnder the colour of many Pater nosters to deuoure our habitations Against the Popes prayers here our most humble and harty prayers and shall be to the Father of lights in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ that hee will not suffer the heart of our dread Soueraigne to be blinded with Popish bandishments and faire promses that so he may not too dearely buy the certaine knowledge how great credit is to be giuen to Romane-Catholikes in those things which they may promise For note how his holinesse in the very next words bewrayeth how little confidence is to bee giuen to such promises as his Catholike Sonnes may make for saith he least they should make themseles liable to periurie But it is something that the Pope had rather his Catholike Sonnes should by making faire promises hazzard their fidelitie therein then by taking the Oath incurre the danger of periurie Although a good Christian makes conscience as much of his solemne promise as of an oath But it seemeth if his Catholike Sonnes should take the oath the Pope puts them in minde they should thereby expose themselues to periurie so that if they doe but promise fidelitie he teacheth them the very ready way to perfidiousnesse and breach of promise for if an oath cannot preserue them from periurie how shall a promise from breach thereof seeing both periurie and perfidiousnesse grow from the same root of Iesuiticall doctrine Nulla fides seruanda cum hereticis no faith to be kept with heretickes Herein therefore the Pope is to be commended that seeing he
Reliques or peeces of Christs Crosse the rest But neither is Apostlicke Tradition enough to make vp the other moity of the partiall rule parallell to Scripture by Pontifician confession for neither will those serue the Popes turne What then How shall the rule of Faith bee eeked out to the intire perfection to please the Pope in case his Holinesse would come within the compasse of any rule Yes there is forsooth the liuely Oracle or voyce of the Church which being of an vnlimited latitude doth consummate the rule of Faith and the Popes brest is the fountaine whence these waters of Romes sanctuary flow But the truth is if there were any truth in it this rule is such as will not indure copartnership with Scriptures and Traditions for all they be Apostolicke but is the sole and supreme Rule whereby those must be squared whereto they must be conformed Nor is this Rule of the Popes brest certaine but sometimes it giues one sence of Scripture sometimes another according as the changeable various condition of the Church requiteth This is a Mystery which perhaps many of you the Popes Catholicke sonnes will hardly belieue specially such as are indued with any iudgement enjoy the priuiledge to haue the free vse of your reason without papall restraint but if any doubt of it we haue sufficient authentick records for it the best that Rome can afford But come doe but straine courtesie a little with your Ghostly Father and let vs enter in a little priuate sad conference and let right reason be the Moderatour Tell me as Paul asked Agrippa Belieuest thou the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles I know you belieue Surely if yee doe you may answere with Agrippa Almost thou perswadest mee to become an Orthodoxe Christian and true Catholicke And rest but vpon the Scriptures and I will say Thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God But to rest vpon the voyce of the Pope and not vpon the expresse words of Scripture what is it but to suffer him to plucke out both your eyes that so he may the more easily lead you blindfold into hell Or what were this but to make the Pope your God aboue God and Christ and so to adore him who thus aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God Fye for shame as God hath giuen you reason vnderstanding and iudgement so in the name of God vse it to his glory that gaue it and suffer no man to cheate you of it least you proue more sottish then those heathen who worshipped the creature in stead of the Creator who is blessed for euer But you are perswaded of the Popes inerrability as being Christs Vicar Peters successor as hauing continued in the See of Rome euer since the Apostles times so as not any Bishops See in the world hath done the like What then all Bishops and Ministers of the Word may be said to be Christs Vicars and Successors of the Apostles while they execute their Ministry as Christ and the Apostles did But neuer any man was Christs sole Vicar ouer his Church This prerogatiue is peculiar to the Holy Ghost that Other Comforter who onely cannot erre leading Gods people into all truth As for Peters Vicarship he had it but in common with his fellowe Disciples Wee passe by those places of Scripture which Pontificians haue miserably peruerted to this purpose Doe but looke in my answer to this Bull or Brieue And for lineall vniterrupted succession of the Bp. of Rome from the Apostles times what is this to the purpose to proue the Popes Vicarship or his Successors-ship Certainely it makes wondrous much to fulfill all those Prophecies in Scripture concerning Antichrst whose Seat is Rome For may not the same Church of Rome specially if we measure it by the place where it is fixed in so long a tract of time come exceedingly to differ from that it was once in the more pure and primitue age of it Doth not experience teach you that the soundest and solidest Oake in time growes rotten hollow a nest for Owles and such like night-birds vnusefull for building and at last good for nothing but the fire And yet the while it is called by the name of such an Oake still The Church of Rome at first was sound and Apostolicall while it kept the Apostolicke Faith but might not time make it rotten and yet be called Apostolicke still Bethel as much as the house of God so called at first by Iacob who erected there an Altar for Gods pure worship yet retained that name still in Ieroboams time euen when it was wholly polluted with the Idolatry of one of his golden Calues erected there Ancient goodly Chanels haue beene in time so choaked vp with mud and grauell that the maine streame hath beene diuerted and driuen another way and yet haue retained the name of the old chanell still Yea that goodly Cittie Ierusalem in Christs time when it crucified Christ was called the Holy Cittie and for all that God hath made that now a cursed heap and the Country about it a desolation neuer to be repaired yet your Pontificians especially call it the Holy Land still which notwithstanding is neuer a whit the holyer though by the Popes subtile instigation so many thousands of soules haue perished about the pretended quarrell out of a blind zeale of recoucring it againe which whither regained or no the Pope was sure not to loose by the bargain for if he had regained it it might haue brought the greater income to his coffers by the trade of superstitious Pilgrims at least althoug hee hath some footing there with the Turke but he was sure during the quarrell to inlarge his Papall Dominions at home in Christendome which he did but this by the way You see then that continuance of antiquity in name and title may notwithstanding stand with altering the propertie and true nature of the thing Did not the Prophet say of Ierusalem How is the faithfull Cittie become an harlot It was full of iudgement righteousnesse lodged in it but now murtherers c. And may it not proue so with Rome for all you still call it the Apostolicall See And what will you say then What if Apostolicall in title bee turned into Apostaticall in truth What if Tues Petrus c. and tibi dabo claues c. and Orani pro te Petre c. and Omnis mihi potestas data c. Ecce duo gladij hîc satest all proue by the Popes peruertings to make vp the Mystery of iniquity and by fastening all to Rome proue her the Mistres and Mother of whooredomes For let me tell you you cannot finde me out the exact and true naturall Mystery of iniquity indeed but vnder the vaile of such titles borrowed from Scripture None can be Antichrist but he must call himselfe the Vicar of Christ the Successor of Peter the onely one vpon earth that cannot erre and the like translating the whole power of
clowd breake forth into a tempest vpon our heades Wee as silly birds like the Done without heart sit and looke on till the fowler spread his net ouer vs or like the foolish fish which beaking her selfe neere the banke suffereth the fisher to tickle and handle her lightly till at length hee gripes her fast and flings her on the Land shall wee thus suffer Romes Fishers to play and dally with vs till by their smooth flatteries they haue with a suddaine vnexpected jerke cast vs out of our fresh pleasant riuers that they may presently vnbowell vs and put vs into their hotte boyling panne and so deuour vs shall thus the theife bee so vigilant rising by night to kill men and shall not honest men awake to preserue themselues Hell no doubt enlargeth her mouth as waiting for the euent of her Sonnes deepe designes and machinations that shee may deuoure such a precious morsell as England is This Hell is Rome or rather the Popes Pallace there from whence through the Gate-Portusa a faire way leadeth downe to a place called the valley of Hell It is a pregnant embleme of the Papall state But the Pope here by his very mentioning of Hells mouth enlarging it selfe doth from hence fetch fire to enflame his sonnes with a more violent ardour of hostilitye telling them that they ought therefore to bee armed with the inuincible Buckler of a good resolution But that he should withall impute vnto vs mortall crueltie thirsting after the blood of Martyrs we cannot choose but take it for a fine frumpe or rather for the Sardenian laughter a most bitter taunt Wee cruell vnlesse by shewing mercy to the Popes white sonnes wee are therein most cruell to our owne selues and so may prooue our selues to bee the Martyrs whose blood that purple whore so thirsteth after Or doe we thirst after the blood of Martyrs doth the Pope imagine so because England neuer since Queene Maries dayes so much as tasted any such like drinke that now after so long abstinence it should bee so thirsty but what Martyrs if he meane Romish rebels traitors murtherers factious seducers and the like cannot our just lawes which at first by such villanies were forced to bee made and now by the like your Romish attempts are a fresh justly enough prouoked to bee executed punish such miscreants but you must charge vs with mortall cruelty as thirsting after the blood of Martyrs such Martyrs of yours as justly suffered death for their many treacheries and treasons in that good Queene ELIZABETHS raigne against her Royall person Crowne and Realme farre vnlike those Martyrs of Christ which suffered fire and faggot in Queene MARIES dayes for the Gospells sake Or your late Martyrs Garnet Catesby Piercy Digby Tressam the two Winters the two Wrighâ—â—â— Rookwoad Grant Koyes and Faux those hellish Conspiratours in the Gunpowder-treason These be your Martyrs yet call yee vs cruell for executing but justice vpon such malefactors Wee know you pretend you exclaime you suffer for religion and therefore Martyrs So did the Donatists in Saint augustines time who beeing justly punished by Imperiall Lawes for maintaining their schismaticall factions and se ducements complayned they suffered Martyrdome whom Saint Augustine reproueth Hoc putant esse signum c. The Donatists account this to be the marke of a true Christian if hee doe not practise but suffer persecution But let them saith hee aske of the Apostle what Church Sara figured when she persecuted her bondmaid Surely in Sara the Apostle saith that the heauenly Ierusalem to witt the true Church of God was figured which afflicted the handmaid Si autem melius discutiamus c. And if wee better discusse the matter the handmaid did more persecute Sara by her insulting then Sarab her by hampering for Hagar did iniurie her Mistresse Sara disciplined her for her pride A pregnant parallell to this purpose Hee that is a Seruant that ought to bee a dutifull and peaceable subject playeth the insolent rebell denyeth obedience and subjection to his rightfull Soueraigne the Soueraigne by just Lawes chastiseth such a rebell whether of these is the Persecutor whether of these is the Martyr for nor paena sed causa facit Martyrem not the punishment but the cause maketh the Martyr But Pontificians suffer for Religion for what Religion not that of Christ but for that which is flat rebellion against Christ and his Word which streightly commandeth loyalty and subjection to Princes and Magistrates In that sense Popish Traytors may be said to suffer for Religion such a Religion which is so combined with rebellion that they can neither bee diuided nor yet distinguished so that not vnfitly in this place so much doth the Pope recommend and mention his Martyrs in this Breeus may wee rancke them with those Heretiques called Martyriam whom Saint Augustine joyneth with the Satamani in his 57. cap. de Haeres These Martyriani were so called for honouring one of their sect put to death by Luppieianus a Generall as a Martyr of God and Christian faith with these consented the Satanici or Satiniant who worshipped Satan as the Moderator of all their actions whose manners Saint Iude describeth These also were consociated with the Euchitae who despising labour were all for praying from whom the whole rabble of Monkes deriue their Order But how farre the Pontificians symbolize with these let their owne doctrines and practises witnesse But howsoeuer the great Vulcan of Rome heere plyeth his Forge hee beates while the Iron is hotte to frame a compleate Armour for his Sonnes and an inuincible buckler of a good resolution concluding this clause with a rhetoricall gradation that neither the prison the racke nor death it selfe should daunt them But when you Pontificians beginne to call to arme against vs your pretended enemies is it not high time for vs to leaue our dallying and in good earnest to buckle on our armour against your intended mischeifes It followeth Among the brittish rockes of their shipwracke religion Christs crosse hath beene a planke which hath brought you into the Hauen of your desire This Crosse you must embrace by the vertue whereof the bitternesse of punnishments is sweetned Answer IF the Pope heere did rightly apply Christs Crosse in that sense whereof the Scriptures spake namely as it is taken for the conformable sufferings of Christs members then might wee of the Church of England take vp this speach and say that by the Crosse of persecution in Queene MARIES dayes wee did swimme from the shipwrake to the shoare in Queene ELIZABETHS time the blood of Martyrs in that time being the seede whereof this our Church by the gracious dew of heauen and plentifull showers of preaching is sprung vp and increased to a most fruitfull harvest and other shipwrake religion wee knowe none but your Pontifician Religion which is a totall apostacie from the faith of Christ wherein you haue too many confederates euery where Your owne Apostate Marcus
Antonius de Dominis Arch-Bishop of Spalatum whose Italian spirit being mixed with your Romane would not suffer him long to abide in the truth which for a time he embraced among vs he can tell you of Romish Rockes of Christian shipwrake from which in the name of the true Church of Christ hee admonished all good Christians to keepe aloofe hee nameth 12. in number as the most perillous wherein to make shipwrake of faith as 1. the Papacy which is that great Idol-rocke 2. Temporall power 3. infolded faith 4. Excommunication 5. the Commandements of the Church 6. false vnion 7. the Masse 8. Auricular confession 9. Purgatory together with satisfactions Indulgences 10. Inuocation of Saints 11. Images and Reliques 12. Merits Against all these hee hath so learnedly written that you haue no other confutation of his booke but your vsuall argument the fire But we will not herein too much presse his authority as hauing madly made shipwrake on those very rockes againe after he had once swumme from them vpon the plancke of such a repentance as issued from the light of his conscience though not of a sound and sauing faith Hee came vnto vs and hee went out from vs because hee was not of vs for had hee beene of vs hee would no doubt haue continued with vs. But wee haue better testimonie then that of Marcus Antonius de Dominis to proue yours to be the shipwracke Religion the most cleare and authentique Scriptures of the Lord himselfe Vpon these Scriptures as vpon a most impregnable Rocke our Church and the doctrine thereof are built our religion and faith is a sound ship in Gods harbour which might there ride safe and secure enough but that your pyraticall sonnes seeke to rend it a sunder tearing out the planckes that hauing made shipwrake of the faith of Christ they might swimme to Antichrist But it seemeth you hope for some shipwracke to bee made in this our Church by some rent in the shippe through factious schismes that so the brackish water of your Romish Sea may enter in the leake and so cause our wracke But as long as we keepe our shippe tite in the vnitie of faith safe and sound wee feare not the force of all your Croyzadoes And if our English Crosses of Iustice were a little better put in vre against your ouerdaring sonnes according to their demerits your Crosse you speake of would proue but a poore planke to bring them to the hauen of her desires Neither is this your Crosses Christs Crosse but Antichrists Crosse an Idol of your owne making your owne words proue it Ye say by the vertue thereof the bitternesse of punishment is sweetened so that you ascribe a diuine vertue to your Crosse Nor are wee ignorant of your familiar blasphemies in this kind in your frequent Orizons and prayers made to this Idol your Idol I call it for you giue the same worship of Latria to it which you say is proper to God alone It is your God therefore And saith your Thomas Aquinas whatsoeuer matter the Crosse is made off wood stone siluer gold wee so worshippe the Crosse saith he as the Image of Christ which wee worshippe with the adoration of Latria And this he will proue by force of argument saying wee giue to that the worshippe of Latria wherein wee put our hope of saluation but in the Crosse of Christ we put our hope of saluation for the Church singeth ô Crux aue spes vnica c. O Crosse haile thou our onely hope therefore Christs Crosse is to be adored with the adoration of Latria And as it is in the Romane Breuiary Per fignum Crucis de inimicis no stris libera nos Deius noster by the signe of the Crosse deliuer vs O Lord from all our enemies And againe Lignum Crucis defendat me ab omnibus malis let the wood of the Crosse defend mee from all euill yea and in the Romane Pontificall the Bishop in the benediction of the new Crosse saith Quasumus c. wee pray thee ô Csrist to receiue this crosse as thou didst that which thou embracedst with thy hands and as by that the world was redeemed from guilt so the most deuout soules of thy seruants here offering may by the merrit of this Crosse bee freed from all the sinnes they have committed This is that standard vnder which as the God of your hosts ye march you sing ecce signum Crucis fugite partes aduersa behold the ensigne of the Crosse fly ye adn erse parties To the vertue of this Crosse you ascribe all your bloody Massacres as when Henry Spencer Bishop of Norwich at the becke of Pope Vrban 6. carrying hence an Armie into France where winning a Towne and putting all to the sword man woman and child it was sayd sicque Crucis beneficio factum vt Crucis hostes it a deberentur quod vnus ex eis non remansit such courage did the Popes absolution of all these his so signed Souldiers put into them Yet not to make you too proud of this your God you may remember how often it hath failed you To giue you but one instance how sped your Holinesse when against the Popes Leige Lord the Emperour Fredericke the 2. hee sent his crossed Armie which the Emperour for all their Crosses discomfited and as many as hee tooke aliue ript off their crosses as taking first away their charme and then hanged them vp Yea as Abbas Vrspergensis recordeth or rather in his Paraleipomera Fredericke marked them with crossed wounds cutting some of their heads acrosse and the like see Albert Crantzius lib. 8. cap. 9. which example with many more of the same nature considered might somewhat dampe and disharten your Catholique sonnes thus to embrace your crosse and take it vp in such a disloyall quarrell against their rightfull Soueraigne whose just cause the Omnipotent God aboue will euer defend maugre all such your superstitious Idols wherein you trust yea though attended with all your falsehoods and forces And no lesse vaine is the necessary you impose vpon your sonnes to imbrace this Crosse as if by the vertue thereof the bitternesse of their just punishments should be sweetned Alas poore soules what blame of Gilead can heale those gasping wounds or asswage those griping torments of a guilty conscience wounded with the ruefull remorse of disloyaltie rebellion treason euen Iezabell may teach you Had Zimri peace that slew his Master yea what Traitour euer found peace of conscience by any such meanes But wee hope your sons at least those of the Laity whom your more sprightfull sonnes haue notwithstanding too much abused in their ouer-credulous simplicity as by avowing their fidelity to their Prince and not intermedling with but rather seeking by all meanes to frustrate and put by all such wicked designes against their King and Countrey not onely themselues may preuent those fatall punishments which treasonable practises necessarily pull vpon the actors thereof but may
with their Prince and common brethren enioy those blessings and comforts which are the inseperable rewards of vnity and peace It followeth Consider Beloued sonnes in what station yee stand and to whose eyes you are made a spectacle the Angelicall Legiens doe flutter about you which receiue in their golden viols the desires of the faithfull and present them at the sanctuary of the mercy of the Omnipotent heaven gates being set open Christ not onely a beholder but a rewarder sheweth you the sacred tryumphs of your Citizens whom purpled in their owne blood England hath brought into the heavenly assemblies Answer THe Pope goes on in his martiall style and his Antichristian blasphemies that so throughout this whole Bull hee might shew himselfe that blasphemous Beast in the Reuelation from horne to hoofe Loe here his sent are in their seuerall stations marshelled by their Generalls and Captaines ready for the fight to which they are provoked by the consideration of those eyes that behold them Who are they the Angelicall Legions what are those good or bad Angells if any they should be rather the good Angells for he attributeth vnto them the office of presenting the prayers of the faithfull in their golden violls at the mercy seat As if that were the office of the heauenly Angells which the Pope here seemeth absurdly to gather from that scripture Reu. 8. which is plainely spoken of the Angells Gods Ministers being the mouth of Gods people to offer the incense of prayer and praise and thankesgiuing vnto Christ in that place for opening the Booke of the Gospell to his Church which had bin closed vp by the Church of Rome Though here his Holines would insinuate vnto his sons his Roman-Catholique practise and doctrine of praying to Angells that which the Holy Ghost sets downe expressely as a brand of Apostacy from Christ Col. 2. 18. 19. So that this Angel worship is an other marke of the Beast onely hee is a little shy of speaking broadly in a matter so grosse especially to his sonnes in England where the light of the Gospell doth easily detect and vnmaske such Popish trumperie and as the Father here dealeth tenderly in such tickle points so his Priestly sons obserue the same rule here in England among their disciples with whom they must deale very cautelously smoothing over their rougher doctrines and qualifying them with sugar lest they should proue too tart to those palates which might happily haue had some tast of sundry doctrines in this Church But after that their Roman-Catholique disciples are once hardened and their stomackes strong enough to digest then they dare loade them with stronger meates and reueale vnto them the more hydden mysteries of their Romish religion This is obserued vnto vs by one who once had beene too well acquainted with such proceedings when he was a Popish Priest till it pleased God by the light of his truth to bring him home vnto vs and make him a worthy member of our Church and a pregnant instrument to detect Antichrist with his delusions But whereas your father-hood tells your sonnes of the Legions of Angells fluttering about them if you speake of the good Angells herein we poore of the Church of England comfort our selues against these your vaine boastings and lying confidence For wee are sure those legions are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them which shall be heires of saluation those Angells haue a charge over Gods seruants to keepe them in all their wayes they pitch their tents round about them that feare God and deliuer them They are as an army of fierie chariots ready to defend one of Gods Prophets against a whole band of enemies Therefore in these heauenly Legions your Sonnes can haue no confidence at all for protection For how can your sonnes be the heires of saluation to whom you vtterly deny the meanes of saluation as is sauing faith in Christ what charge can they haue to protect your sonnes whom you cause to goe out of their waies by rebelling against God and their King yea rather you and your sonnes may justly feare that those Angells shall stand with their swords drawne to stoppe your course and to cut you off as that Angell did to Balaam because your waies are peruerse before God And know that if you persist in seeking the ruine of our Ierusalem one of those Angells is sufficient to smite and slay a million of you in one night when you dreame of no such thing But if by those Legions fluttering about your Sonnes you meane the Legions of Diuells these indeed no lesse delight in rebellions treasons and massacres then your Holinesse doth and when you haue done your worke will be as ready to pay your wages But for Christ in heauen although you most impiously blaspheme in making him an approuer of your damnable practises and plots yet rightly vnderstood true it is hee sits in heauen hee beholds all your machinations and will most certainly bee a seuere rewarder of all Popish impieties against God and his Lieutenants here on earth hee sits and sees he will laugh and deride you he will speake vnto you in his wrath and vexe you in his sore displeasure For the purpled Martyrs whom England hath sent into the heauenly assemblies true it is being vnderstood of the true Martyrs of Christ whom in the dayes of Queene MARY the Antichristian crueltie of Rome rather then England sent be purpled in their owne innocent blood into those heauenly assemblies of their fellow Martyrs and Saints But those you here call Martyrs who in England haue suffered just punishments for their fowle crimes and abominable treasons those without repentance dying embrued in their owne blood were no doubt sent thither where not all your purgatory flames though neuer so hotte can purge away the least slaine of such hellish guilt So that betweene these Romish Martyrs and those our English there is so great a gulph set that there is an impossibilitie of the least communion of societie But wee deny not wee enuy not but pitie rather that all such your Romish Martyrs goe all to one place who as they are confederates in the same crimes so it is just that they should bee associates in the same place and state of condemnation It followeth The anxious prayers of the mournefull Church desire of God for you the spirit of Charity and Fortitude The counsels of the Apostolique senate and the prayers of Christendome take care of your safety in so large a theater of heaven and earth what rigour of year constancy what sublimitie of a tryumphant mind becomes it you to haue in you The counsels of your predecessors haue beene in the like ieopardy the lights of the holy Ghost and the armour of light bee your wise oracles and your actions the examples of fortitude Answer IN the former clause the Pope animates his sonnes as being a spectacle of Christ and Angels here he sets them in the large theater
Ecclesiasticall are subordinated to God almighties Lieutenants here on earth as all supreame Magistrates so that in this regard those that are Christs Vicegerents in common as all faithfull Ministers of the Gospell who are Christs Legats or Ambassadors 2. Cor. 5. 28. are for their persons and outward estate subiect to God almighties Lieutenants set ouer them So that if you will confine your selfe to the title of Christs Vicar first as no man is capable of that title as you challenge it so neither can you by vertue thereof shew you haue any such power deriued vpon you from Christ for Christ left or bequeathed no other kinde of power to his Church but such as himselfe as he was the Minister of the Gospell exercised in his Ministers here on earth Now Christ in that dispensation of his exercised no such power or iurisdiction ouer Kings and Princes yea he practised the contrary he submitted himselfe to pay tribute to Caesar yea to be iudged at Caesars barre from which the Pope hath exempted himselfe and Clergie by his papall decrees And was it because Christ wanted power to vindicate and defend himselfe from Caesars power No surely With the breath of his mouth his apprehenders fell backward to the ground Hee had twelue legions of Angels in readinesse to defend him Object But had not Christ as being God soueraigne power ouer Kings and Princes to dispose of their kingdomes and the like if it had pleased him Answ Christ the Mediatour the office whereof he came to execute is to be considered not simply as God but as hee was God-man In that regard the power of his dispensation was limited by his Father that sent and appointed him So that Christ said I came to doe not mine owne will but the will of him that sent me Not that Christs will was contrary to his fathers but subordinate onely as Mediatour to doe that which the father appointed him and no more Christ would not must not goe beyond his Commission receiued of the father Now the Father gaue him no such commission of a temporall iurisdiction no not so much as in small causes When those two brethren came to him intreating him to diuide their inheritance betweene them hee refused saying Who made me a Iudge or a diuider ouer you Hee had no commission in such things from the Father And if not in smaller matters as that was how much lesse ouer Emperours and Kings Obiect But although Christs power was limited during his abode on earth in the state of his humiliation yet after his resurrection hee receiued an absolute and vnlimited power as he saith All power is giuen mee in heauen and earth from this power doth the Pope as Christs Vicar challenge a Supremacie ouer Kings and States to depose dispose c. Answ When Saint Iohn in that vision saw the great where that Beast full of the names of blasphemie hee wondred with great admiration But when wee see this blasphemous Beast not in a vision but with open eyes how can we choose but greatly wonder for this very speech of Christ the Pope assumes as spoken of himselfe and that in as full yea more ample māner then Christ applied it to himselfe For although by this speech Christ declared himselfe to his Disciples and so to his Church to be the Sonne of God consecrated for euer Lord ouer all to the great comfort of his drooping Disciples now at his departure yet herein doth not Christ show any alteration in the dispensation of his Ministery deputed to his Disciples Hee doth not hereby inuest his Ministers with a larger power and commission then himselfe executed in his owne person while hee was with them for what followeth All power is giuen me in heauen and earth go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them c. Hee saith not Goe yee therefore and exercise this power of mine ouer the Kings of the earth and if they will not obey your Ministerie depose them or absolue their people from their allegiance and dispose you of their Kingdomes to whom you will Much lesse said he any such thing to Peter alone Goe Thou therefore and haue thou all power in heauen and earth for thee and for thy successour in the See of Rome No such thing All the power that Christ delegates to his Disciples and that in common men is for their Ministeriall function to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments Herein Peter had but his share with the rest of his fellowes They were ioyned in equall Commission none aboue another much lesse aboue others in any Temporall Iurisdiction To this their function Christ to animate and arme them against all difficulties and discouragements either in regard of their owne infirmities and naturall disabilities or of the worlds malice and might in opposing them hee tels them All power is giuen me in heauen and earth Goe yee therefore c. Feare nothing for I who haue all power giuen me in heauen and earth am with you and will be with you to the end of the world And it is worth the noting that this last charge which Christ now leauing the world and so his Disciples as concerning his bodily presence gaue vnto them hee gaue it in common to them all without putting difference which plainly sheweth that Christ left no Supremacie to Peter ouer the rest of his fellowes as the Pope vsurpeth which otherwise no doubt hee would haue expressed if it had bene such an Article of faith whereupon depended the necessitie of saluation as Pontificians teach Yet for all this the Pope will needes as Christs Vicar challenge these words to himselfe and be an equall sharet with him in them All power is giuen mee in heauen and earth For they say Christ and the Pope haue but one Consistorie and saith Bellarmine Nomina omnia quae in scripture is tribuuntur Christo vnde constat cum esse supra Ecclesiam eadem omnia tribuuntur Pontifici All names which are giuen to Christ in the Scriptures whereby he is declared to bee ouer the Church all those same are attributed to the Pope Thus in the Councell of Latera they called Pope Leo 10. the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah and many other names of Blasphemie which are spoken personally of Christ yea the Pope himselfe saith Boniface 8 That Christ Peter and his Successour are all one head of the same Church And Pope Nicolas 3. goes a little higher Christ saith he hath placed the mysterie of the Apostolike function principally in blessed Peter the chiefe of all the Apostles that from him as from a certaine head he might diffuse his gifts as it were into all the body for taking him into the fellowship of the indiuiduall vnitie the Lord would haue him named that which he himselfe was saying Tues Petrus super hanc Petram c. In a word the Popes triple crowne is to signifie his triple Dominion and iurisdiction in heauen earth and
if his Master had conquered England in 88. the English should haue had the fauour to be transported to digge in his Indian Mines and by the way sâ—w you vp close in the old Romaine Culleus a leather sack the ancient reward of 〈◊〉 casting you into the Sea as vnworthy to touch any Element that would vnnaturally betray that sweet Country wherein you first receiued your Being and breath The Spaniard 〈◊〉 his lesson ad vnguem Amo proditionem odi Proditorem I loue the Treason but hate the Traytor Or say that necessity may inforce him for the present to allow you to breath still in England to be his Drudges and Vassals as it was with 〈◊〉 at the Captiuity in Babilon to till the ground for him to carry him in prouision for the warres in his conquest of the rest of Christendome and to feed his hungry pround Spaniards sucking the sweet of your swâ—â—t continually yet 〈◊〉 whither you will account this a condign recompense for such a foule treason yea consider also what yee haue now purchased in comparison of that which yee were before when yee liued like free English men euery man vnder his owne Vine and vnder his owne Figtree But why do I so much as suppose or imagine the least probabilitie of the comming to passe of any such prodigious 〈◊〉 God forbid I assure my selfe none of you will euer 〈◊〉 such vnnatural Miscreants to betray your natiue Country to the Spaniard neither if any would be so mad will our good God ever forsake this his inheritance wherein he hath so many thousands of his faithfull and vowed seruants who haue not bowed the knee to Bâ—â—l or kissed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And you cannot but know so much as little acquaintance as is allowed 〈◊〉 to haue with the Scriptures that so long as but one 〈◊〉 was in wicked Sodome euen the power of the Omnipotent himselfe was suspended from taking reuenge vpon it till Lot was safely provided fir and if but one righteous had beene found in the Citie God had spared it for their sakes Therefore neuer let any Romish or Spanish hopes feed themselues with such a vaine conceit of Englands Conquest vnlesse the conniuence at your innumerable 〈◊〉 Idols may indanger 〈…〉 place your chiefe confidence 〈…〉 more zealous then wise and 〈…〉 alleadge the Catholicke cause and the libertie of conscience as preponderating all other mischiefes the freedome of Religion and of the soule being to be preferred before the thraldome of the body yea and the betraying of your earthly Country not to be forborne for the meriting of an heauenly this indeed may seeme a waighty point and therefore not vnworthy altogether in this place of our deepest considerations for the discussing of such a difficulty To begin then at the head-spring of this our discourse it is no newes vnto you that the Pope of late hath sent his Bull or Brieue into England recommended to all his Catholicke sonnes of England wherein he chargeth you by no meanes to take the Oath of Allegeance or fidelity to your King but rather that you should account him for your Enemy the summe is that you should bee armed with the spirit of rebellion against your King and Country when occasion of the Catholicks cause should serue to show your valour in the open field as ye may all more plainely see in this briefâ— vnfolding of the Brieue How to charge subiects to disauow their fidelity to their Prince by what authority who hath such power ouer men to dispense to dissolue to absolue from the bonds of duty and obedience which naturall subiects owe to their King By what lawe or example God in his word hath taught the contrary But Christ Vicar hath this power but Christ practised the contrary But the Apostolicke successour of Peter may doe it but Peter Paul both preached practised the contrary so all the Patriarckes and Prophets Yet Christs Vicar Peters successor are titles not lightly to be regarded to which is added also Head of the Church Oracle of the world to whom is committed all power in heauen and earth who cannot erre to whom all must be subiect vnder paine of damnation and much more then I can tell Huge titles enough to intoxicate and infatuate silly and simple soules yea and to dazzle the eyes euen of the acutest wits with their glorious luster where they are attended or entertained but with credulity But if there be any truth at all in these things concerning the Pope whence in the name of God hath he these titles From what ground of truth He dare plead from Scripture From Scripture Hold you there we desire no better euidence or vmpire in this cause you will graunt then that the Scripture is of authority in it selfe to challenge our faith to rest vpon it as a most sure rule Yes but with condition as you are taught if it haue authority from the Church From what Church What Church Of Rome From whose mouth who must pronounce the verdict The Pope forsooth if so then the Popes power is not built primarily vpon the Scriptures but vpon himselfe and so he is Iudge in his owne cause The Pope belike lendeth authority to the Scriptures and they againe repay him with his owne minted coyne by confirming his supremacy This is pretty Iust as Boniface confirmed Phocas in his vsurped Empire and Phocas reciprocally settled him in his Papall supremacy Or as the Pope makes Saints who by that meanes receiuing a power and merit are by their Canonization qualified to become intercessors for their Canonizer his Holinesse What a coniuration-circle is here but pitch we vpon the center If the Pope giue the authority to the Scriptures prescribing and limiting them their sence whence then hath the Pope this authority From Christ as his Vicar How proues he that From Scripture But what authority hath the Scripture for this till first it receiue it from the Popes brest Come come let such popish jugglings impose vpon fooles and such turn-sicke windings cause the braines of young children to runne round and to conceit that the whole earth runnes round when it standeth still vnmoued But let men be guided by reason vnderstanding iudgement He that denyeth principles is to be detested not disputed with It is a Principle in Divinity that the Scripture is and euer hath beene the rule of Faith Yes say your Pontificians a Partiall rule but not Totall the vnwritten word is to be added What is that Apostolicke traditions Apostolicke That sounds well Well let not Apostolicke Traditions crosse Apostolicke writings and haue with you But otherwise looke not that your penny of Traditions should passe for current siluer with vs for waight and purenesse as the Scriptures in point of rule of Faith for all the Pope stampeth them with the Image and Superscription of Apostolicke Abrahams wells are now digged so deepe so large as not all your Philistian rubbidge can stop them vp not Apostolicke not all Romes holy
purgatorie and those subterrestiall or infernall kingdomes according to that Phil. 2. v. 10. Psal 8. 7. v. 8. which places they familiarly apply to the Popes vnlimited power in these places vnderstanding by the Beasts men on earth by the Fishes soules in hell and purgatorie and by the Fowles the winged Angels ouer all which the Pope saith he hath dominion Thus all power is giuen him in heauen and earth Thus hee runnes away with Christs power but leaues the charge of Christ to his Disciples to preach the word and administer the Sacraments But in the meane time all this arrogant and blasphemous vsurpation of the Pope what doth it but most clearely conclude him to be that Great Antichrist described in the Scripture This is hee that exalis himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped This is hee that sits in or vpon the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God to wit inuested in all the power of God and of Christ in heauen and earth as the Vicar of God almightie Herein hee is not Christs Vicar who would not meddle in matters of the world but indeede his Vicar that said to Christ All this power will I giue thee and the glory of them for that is deliuered vnto me and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it The Dragon spake this and of Antichrist it is said that he hath two hornes like a Lambe but speakes like the Dragon The Pope speakes iust like the Dragon here See this verified in the Pope to an haire to a very letter Pope Hadrian saith Vnde habet Imperator Imperium nisi à nobis c. From whence hath the Emperour his Empire but from vs that which the Emperour hath he hath it all of vs c. Loe it is in our power to giue it to whomsoeuer we will Therefore wee are appointed of God ouer Nations and Kingdomes that wee should destroy and plucke vp See how like the Sonnes voice is to the Syres Hee speakes iust like the Dragon onely in a more loftie stile wee for I. Also Pius 5. in his Bull against Queene Elizabeth of happy memorie vsed the like speech in Ier. 1. v. 10. So that the Pope and his clients conclude that all Emperours and Kings hold their Empires and Kingdomes but in fee of the Pope Thus Henry 1. King of England was glad with much paying and praying to obtaine of Pope Alexander the 3. that he and his successours should haue the title of the King of England This held till King Iohns time when the Pâ—pe againe resumed the kingdome of England into his own power but was content at length to let King Iohn haue it to farme So Pope Celestine 3. crowned Henry 6. Emperour and his Empresse with his holinesse feet and when he had done so strucke it off againe with his foot to signifie it was in the power of the fame foot to take away his crowne that had put it on Thus we see Antichrist exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God and that in the highest degree So that it may be admired that any man hauing but his eyes open to compare the Pope with his owne picture can doubt that he is that Antichrist vnlesse such men be giuen vp to a strong delusion because they receiued not the loue of the truth But it is lamentable to see learned men so blind-folded as not to see this Mysterie of iniquitie But more pernicious that not seeing it themselues they would perswade the world also that the Pope is not Antichrist Is it time now to make Apologies for the Pope not to be Antichrist when he so egregiously plaies the Antichrist euen vnder our noses when hee goes about to seduce and withdraw the hearts of subiects from the King from our gracious Soueraigne It was Tortus his speech noted by the learned Bishop in his Tortura to be Romes Doctrine that at the hissing of a slye which is in Babylon namely at Rome the subiects would reuolt from the obedience of their Prince and so by the window treason immediately entreth The Pope is the flye of Babylon who can make of the Prince no Prince of the subiect no subiect and the no subiect against the no Prince what may he not attempt But this is in case the Prince bee an Hereticke or Schismaticke And what is it for the Prince to be an Herticke forsooth if hee doe not yeeld himselfe the Popes Vassall which saith the Bishop is else to deny one of the prime Articles of the Christian faith It was the case of Philip le Bell. Thus the Bishop To proceede the Pope mentioneth a graue Decree of his Predecessor Paul 5. no doubt he meaneth that Bull sent hither into England inhibiting his sonnes the oath of allegiance The Pope calleth it a Decree of truth which must be diligently obserued For a taste I will insert one sentence of it cited by the learned Bishop Vobis ex verbis ipsis Iuramenti perspicuum esse debet quod huiusmodi iuramentum saluâ fide Catholica salute animarum vestrarum prestari non potest From the very words of the oath it ought to bee cleare vnto you that saith an oath cannot be vndertaken with the safetie of the Catholike faith and the saluation of your soules If so good reason their tongues should rather cleaue to their gums then they take it great reason that neither threats nor flatteries extort it from them rather part with life then faith yea this they must bee so vndoubtedly resolued of that If an Angell from heauen teach otherwise then this Apostolike truth let him be accursed Here at last breakes forth the thunderbolt it selfe which were enough to blast the very Angels of heauen if for subiects to denie due obedience to their lawfull Princes were an Apostolike truth But can a Christian eare heare such blasphemie without horror with any patience This an Apostolike doctrine an Apostolike truth Papall it is Diabolicall it is raked out of the pit of hell Apostolike it is not neither from Paul nor Peter from Paul 5. but not from Paul the Apostle Paul teacheth the contrary Rom. 13. Peter the contrary 1. Pet. 2. 13. how durst you you blessed Apostles preach such a doctrine as is contrary to the Apostolike truth of Rome either you must recant your doctrine or loe a smoaking Anathema is breathed out against you But lest those holy Apostles lest God himselfe lest Iesus Christ lest the holy Ghost lest the whole sacred word of God should come within the danger of the Popes curse and all for the mistaking of one word Apostolike for Apostaticke We are rather to thinke that as Manicheus writing himselfe Apostle hence hee would conclude his damnable doctrines to be Apostolike so the Pope calling himselfe that Apostolike one therefore all his lying Oracles must be taken for Apostolike truths And see here also how impiously the Pope goes on to peruert and prophane