teares and sobbes besought them to make intercession vnto God for him And after that religiously exhorted the Synod to be myndfull of the Fathers Decrees for confirmation of Ecclesiasticall rytes c. Wherupon after seauenty and three Decrees made about Ecclesiasticall matters which whosoeuer will read shall fynd them wholy against the Protestants as setting downe describing the whole vse of the Catholicke Church then in Spayne which concurred with our first Primitiue Church of England conforme to that which now also is seene there they in the last Canon which was the 74. turned themselues to treat in like manner of matters of the Common wealth appoynting the order how their Kings for the tyme to come should be established Defuncto in pace Principe Primates Gen. is cum Sacerdotibus successorem Regni consilio communi constituant The Prince being dead in peace let the Nobility of the Nation togeather with the Priests by common counsell appoynt a successour in the kingdome c. XV. And then next to this they do excommunicate all those that shall attempt the destruction of the present King or shall breake their Oath of Fidelity made vnto him Aut si quis praesumptione Tyrannica Regni â—asâ—i ium vsurpauerit or if any shall by Tyrann cal presumption vsurpe the dignity of the Crowne aut Sacramentum fidei suae quod pro Patriae Gentisque Gothorum staâ—u vel conseruatione Regiae salutis pollicitus est violauerit aut Regem neci attrectauerit If any man shall violate the Oath of his fidelitie which he hath promised for the state or conseruation of his Countrey and Gothish Nation and of the Kings safety or shall attempt the Kings death c. Lett him be accursed say they in the sight of God the Father and of his Angels and cast out from the Catholicke Church which by his periury he hath profaned and let him be separated from all Society of Christians togeather with all his associates in such atteÌ„ptes And this curse they do renew and repeat diuers tymes in that Canon Vt haec tremenda toties iterata sententia nullum ex nobis praesenti atque aeterno condemnet iudicio that this dreadfull and often iterated sentence of excommunication do not condemne any of vs with iudgement present and euerlasting also if we incurre the same XVI This then was the great care which those ancient Fathers wherof the holy and learned man S. Isidorus Archbishop of Siuill was the first that subscribed had of the dutifull obedience fidelity of subiects towards their Princes vnto whome they had once sworne the same But as for any particuler forme of Oath there prescribed wherby this new Oath now required of AllegiaÌ„ce may be framed that hath so many clauses therin of scruple of coÌ„science to the receauer I fynd none at all And no doubt but if this King Sisenandus should haue exacted of any of these Bishops or other his subiects such an Oath of Allegiance as should haue beene mixed with any clauses preiudiciall to any of those points of Ecclesiasticall affaires which are handled and decreed by them in the said 73. precedent Canons of this CouÌ„cell or others contrary to their Conscience or iudgment in Religion they would haue beene so farre of from yielding therunto as they would rather haue giuen their liues then their consents to such an Oath XVII But to go forward and speake a word or two more of this Councell of Toledo After those 70. Fathers had taken this order for the temporall safetie of their Prince and Gothish Nation for that was a principall point that none should be admitted to the Crowne but of that race they turne their speach to the present King Sisenandus and to his successours making this exhortation vnto him Te quoquè praesentem Regem ac â—uturos aetatum sequentium Principes humilitate qua debemus deposcimus vt moderati mites erga subiecâ—os existentes c. We with due humility do require at your haÌ„ds also that are our present King and at the hands of those that shall ensue in future tymes that yow be moderate and myld towards your subiects and do rule your people committed vnto yow by God in iustice and piety and do yield to Christ the giuer of all your power good correspondence by raigning ouer them in humility of harte and indeauour of good workes c. And we do promulgate here against all Kings to come this sentence Vt si quis ex eis contra reuerentiam legum superba dominatione fastu Regio in flagitiis crudelissimam potestatem in populis exercuerit Anathematis sententia à Christo Domino condemnetur c. That if any of them shall against the reuerence of the lawes by proud domination and Kingly haughtines exercise wickednes and cruell power vpon the people committed to their charge let him be condemned of Christ by the sentence of curse and let him haue his separation and iudgment from God himselfe XVIII After this for better establishment of the said present King Sisenandus they do confirme the deposition and expulsion from the Crowne of the foresaid King Suintila which by error of the print is called in the Booke of Councells Semithilana pronouncing both him his wife and their brother to be iustly expulsed for their wickednes though the foresaid S. Isidorus then liuing and writing the History of Spayne dedicated to this King Sisenandus doth speake much good of the former parte of the other King his life and raigne And fynally some fyue yeares after this agayne in the sixt Councell of Toledo being gathered togeather in the same Church of S. Leocadia the said Bishops togeather with the Nobility did make this law and prescribed this forme of Oath to all Kings of that nation Vt quisquis succedentium temporum Regni sortitus suerit apicem non anteà conscendat Regiam Sedem quà m inter reliquas conditiones Sacramento pollicitus fuerit hanc se Catholicam non permissurum eos violare fidem That whatsoeuer future King shall obtayne the height of this Kingdome he shall not be permitted to ascend to the Royall seate therof vntill he haue sworne among other conditions that he will neuer suffer his subiects to violate this Catholicke faith Marke that he saith this which was the Catholicke faith then held in Spayne and explicated in those Councels of Toledo the particulers wherof do easely shew that they were as opposite to the Protestant faith as we are now XIX So as all this is against the Apologer for that in these Councells no particuler forme of any Oath was set downe or exhibited at all to Subiects that we can read of but only in generall it is commanded That all do keepe their Oath of Allegiance sworne to their Princes at their first entrance or afterward Which thing no Pope did euer forbid and all English Catholicks at this day do offer willingly to performe the same to
THE IVDGMENT OF A CATHOLICKE ENGLISH-MAN LIVING IN BANISHMENT FOR HIS RELIGION VVritten to his priuate friend in England Concerninge A late BOOKE set forth and entituled Triplici nodo triplex cuneus Or An Apologie for the Oath of Allegiance Against two BREVES of Pope PAVLVS V. to the Catholickes of England a Letter of Cardinall BELLARMINE to M. GEORGE BLACKWELL Arch-priest VVherin the said Oath is shewed to be vnlawfull vnto a Catholicke Conscience for so much as it conteyneth sundry clauses repugnant to his Religion S. Hieron Comment in Cap. 4. Hierem. Let an Oath haue these companions Truth Iudgment and Iustice for if these be wanting it shall not be an Oath but Periury ¶ Permissu Superiorum ANNO 1608. THE GENERALL Contentes of this ensuing Letter diuided into three Paragraphes 1. THE first paragraph handleth matters concerning the substance of the Oath which in the Apologie are spoken by way as it were of Preface before the setting downe of the Popes Breues 2. THE second considereth the said two Breues impugnation therof by the Apologer and how sufficiently or insufficiently the same is performed by him 3. THE third discusseth the Answere made to Cardinall Bellarmynes Letter diuers poyntes of moment therin conteyned but weakly impugned by the Apologer as the Authour of this Letter iudgeth To the Reader THIS Letter comming to my hands gentle Reader some dayes past from my learned friend beyond the seas and hauing imparted the same priuately vnto sundry of myne acquaintance who desyred to read somewhat concerning the Argument in haÌ„d they were very earnest with me to yield to the printing therof for eschewing so great labour tyme and expences as would be necessary for the copying it out to so many as desyred the view therof which I intreate thee to take in good part and vse it to thy benefit And so to CHRIST IESVS I committ thee with wish of all felicitie both in this lyfe and the next PARTICVLER chiefe poyntes handled in this Letter In the first Paragraph 1. WHo is thought to be the true Authour of this Triplex cuneus or Apology and vpon what reasons arguments Num. 2. 3. 4. c. 2. The contentes of the Oath and how the lawfulnes of taking it was consulted with learned men both at home and abroad num 14. 15. c. 3. VVhether this Oath do conteyne matters of only meere Ciuill and Temporall Obedience and not any of Religion as is pâ—â—â—â—â—ded num 20. 21. c. 4. VVhat full and perfect Obedience and dutifull Allegiancâ— Catholicke Subiects do acknowledge themselues to owe and offer vnto his Ma. tie in all Temporall affayres as much as euer any English Subiects from the beginning vntill K. Henry the eight his time and as any forrayne Subiect doth to any Catholicke Emperour King or Prince at this day num 25. 26. c. 5. How contradictory it is in it self That Catholicks must sweare to take the Oath freely without coaction notwithstanding the penalty of Premunire if they refuse it num 29. c. 6. Concerning a petition to his Ma. tie for exposition of the said Oath for auoyding of needles vexations num 32. 33. c. 7. That nothing is gayned but much lost to his Ma. tie by ouer-much vrging the said Oath num 34. 35. c. In the Second Paragraph THe summe of the two Breues of Paulus V. and whether1 he had reason to complayne of Catholicks sufferance or no num 1. 2. 3. c. VVhether Q. Elizabeth did persecute Catholicks,2 and whether she were so happie in her life and gouernment as some do make her num 5. 6. 7. c. That it is not height of pryde in Catholicks to desyre lyberty of3 Conscience as the Apologer sayth num 25. 26. 27. c. That clemency is no cause of desperate attempts as this Apologer4 insinuateth but rather the contrary to wit cruelty num 32. 33. c. In what poyntes and why this Oath is held to be vnlawfull for5 Catholicke men to take with the examination of Scriptures Fathers and Councels about the same num 41. 42. c. How the Apologer wittingly mistaking the State of the Question,6 goeth forward impugning only his owne deuises num 61. 62. In the third Paragraph CArdinall Bellarmyne is wrongfully charged to mistake1 the State of the Controuersy and to impugne the Oath of Supremacy insteed of the Oath of Allegiance num 4. 5. c. VVhy the Apologer changeth the old Tytle of Supreme Head2 of the Church established by Statute vnder K. Henry the 8. and K. Edward the 6. vnto Supreme Gouernour num 6. 7. c. 3. The ancient Councels of Toledo how vntruly they are alledged for prescribing this forme of Oath now exacted num 11. 12. 13. c. 4. Clauses of beliefe or not beliefe proued to be in this Oath contrary to the Apologers assertion num 26. 27. c. 5. An eleuen Contradictions obiected out of Cardinall Bellarmynes workes but no one can be verified num 35. 36. 37. c. 6. The Authorityes of sundry Fathers examined whether they make to the purpose for which Bellarmyne doth alledge them in his Epistle num 58. 59. 7. Great variety of calumâ—â—ious dealing against the Cardinall for disgracing him num 74. 75. c. 8. How Kings and Princes are truly seruants of their Subiects and how their Authority is mediatly and not immediatly from God num 78. 79. 83. c. THE IVDGMENT OF A CATHOLICKE MAN TO HIS FRIEND in England Concerning the Apology for the new Oath of Allegiance Paragr I. I CANNOT but yeild yow harty thankes my louing friend for the new Booke yow sent me ouer by Gunâ—ar at his last passage For albeit I haue determyned with my selfe in this my banishment to spend my tyme in other studyes more profitable then in contention about Controuersyes yet must I needs accept kyndly of your good will in making me partaker of your newes there And more gladde should I haue beene if yow had aduertised me what your and other mens opinion was of the Booke in your parts then that yow request me to write our mens Iudgement from hence And yet for so much as yow requâ—â—â—t so earnestly at my handes and that the party is to returne presently I shall say somewhat with the greatest breuity that I can Albeit I do not doubt but that the partyes that are principally interessed therin will answere the same much more largely II. First then for the Authour for so much as he setteth not downe his Name it seemeth not so easy to ghâ—sse yet the more generall opinion in these partes is that as that odious Discouery of Roman Doctryne and practises which of late yow haue seene answered was cast forth against the Catholickes vnder the cyrred name of T. M. with direction as he said from Superiours the Authour being in deed but an inferiour Minister so dyuers thinke it to be probable that this other Booke also commeth
this Apologer passeth on to bestow some of his adulation and oleum peccatoris vpon his Ma. tie in like manner that now raigneth telling vs That his kyndnes and benefits bestowed vpon that sort of people haue bene farre greater then those of Q. Elizabeth which may easily be as by that which hath bene touched may appeare Yet do we verily perswade our selues that if his Highnes had byn left to himselfe and to his owne Royall nature and noble disposition in this poynt as Q. Elizabeth was wont to say of her disposition in religion we had tasted indeed much of this his great humanity and so we began for some tyme but being preuented and diuerted by the subtile workings of this and other such Ministers as desyred to draw bloud and to incite his Maiestie against vs we hauing no place to speake for our selues no admittance to be heard no effectuall intercessour to interpose his mediation for vs no maruaile though wee were cast of and do indure the smart XVIII And I do name this Minister T. M. the yonger in the first place among the rest for that it is commonly said that his whole exercise is Sycophancy and calumniation against men of our profession be they strangers or domesticall and that among other deuises he hath this That euery tyme his Ma. tie is to take his repast he is ready eyther with some tale iest scoffe or other bitter lance to wound vs absent and that he hath euer lightly some booke and page therof ready to read to his Highnes somewhat framed by his art to incense or auert his Ma. tie more eyther in iudgement or affection or both and therby to draw from him some hard speaches which being published afterward by himselfe and others do serue to no other end but to gaâ—l and alienate myndes and to afflict them that are not suffered to giue reason for themselues And that is the seruice he doth his Ma. tie in this exercise XIX And as for the places themselues which he vseth to bring forth with his wet finger as is said we are to imagine that they are no better nor more fitly applyed then such as he hath sett forth against vs in this booke perhaps somewhat worse for that he might probably thinke that this booke would be examined comming forth with so great pretence of authority as it doth And therfore if heere yow fynd him to vse calumniation most impertinent citation of Authours and Authorityes eyther wholy making against himselfe or nothing for his purpose or against vs then may yow thinke what liberty he will take to himselfe there in speach where no man is like to contradict him but all applause is expected from the standers by XX. Let vs heare if yow please one exaggeration of his concerning his Ma. ties myldnes vnto vs and our ingratitude in abusing the same to pryde His Ma. ties gouernment saith he ouer them hath so far exceeded that of Q. Elizabeth in mercy and clemency as the Papists themselues grew to that height of pryde in confidence to his myldnes as they did directly expect and assuredly promise to themselues liberty of Conscience and equality with vs in all things that are his best and faithfull Subiects c. Do you see what a height of pride this was And what an abuse of his Maiesties mercie and clemencie to expect libertie of Conscience Why had he not obiected in like manner that they expected the libertie of breathing and vsing the common ayre as well as Protestants For that neither breathing nor the vse of coÌ„mon ayre is more due vnto them or common to all then ought to be libertie of Conscience to Christian men wherby ech one liueth to God and to himselfe and without which he strugleth with the torment of a continuall lingring death XXI And surely I cannot but wonder that this Minister was not ashamed to call this the height of pride which is generally found in all Protestants neuer so humble yea the more humble and vnderlings they are the more earnest are they both in bookes speaches and preachings to proue that liberty of Conscience is most conforme to Gods law and that wresting or forcing of Consciences is the highest Tyranny that can be exercised vpon man And this we may see first in all M. Fox his History especially during the time of the three King Henries 4. 5. and 6. and afterward when those that were called Lollards and VVickcliffians who as M. Fox saith were indeed good Protestants being pressed somewhat about their Religion did continually beate vpon this argumeÌ„t of libertie of Conscience and when they obteyned it not they set vp publicke schedles vpon the Church dores of London and made those famous conspiracyes of killing K. Henry the 5. and all his family which are recounted by VValsingham Stow Fox and other English Historiographers XXII In this our age also the first oppositioÌ„ of Protestant Princes in Germanie against their Emperour Charles the 5. both at Smalcald Austburgh and other meetings as afterwards also the fierce and perillous warrs by the Duke of Saxony Marques of Brandeburge and other Protestant Princes and their people against the same Emperour begunne in the very same yeare that our K. Henry dyed Were they not all for lyberty of Conscience so pretended so printed so published so diuulged to the world The first Supplications Memorialls and declarations in like manner which the Protestants of France set forth in print as also they of Holland Zeland in tyme of the gouernments as well of the Duchesse of Parma Duke of Alua Commendador Mayor and other Gouernours did they not all expresly professe that their principall griefes were about liberty of Conscience restrayned And did not they cyte many places of Scriptures to proue the equity necessity therof And do not all Protestants the like at this day in all places where they are both in Polonia Austria Hungaria Bohemia Styria and els where And how theÌ„ is Iordanis conuersus retrorsum with this Minister How is his voyce contrary to the voyce sense of all the rest How with what reason may he call it the height of pryde in English Catholicks to haue but hope therof which is so ordinary a doctrine practice of all his brethren in forraine nations to witt for vs to expect liberty of Conscience at the first entrance of our new King of so noble and royall a mynd before that tyme as he was neuer knowne to be giuen to cruelty or persecutioÌ„ in his former raigne The Sonne of such a Mother as held her selfe much beholden to English Catholicks And himselfe in his litle Golden Booke to his Sonne the Prince had confessed that he had euer found the Catholicke party most trusty vnto him and therupon had done sundry fauours to diuers of them and gyuen no small hope of greater vnto others XXIII From this King I say whom they so much loued
and honoured receyued so gladly and with vniuersall ioy meant to serue faithfully trusted that as he had vnited the two Kingdomes in one Obedience by his Succession so would he by his liberality vnite and conioyne the harts of all his Subiects in bearing a sweete and equall hand towards them all From such a King I saâ— or vs to expect liberty of ConscieÌ„ce and equality with other Subiects in this poynt at least of freedome of soule what height of pryde may it be called May it not rather seeme height of pryde in this Minister his â—ellowes that hauing bynâ— oâ—d enemyes and alwayes borne a hard hate uâ—â—hand and tongue against his Ma. tie both in their Sermons Bookes Speaches all the tyme of the late Queenes raigne now vpon the suddayne sine vllis meri is praecedeâ—â—ious will needs be so priuiledged assume vnto themselues such a confident presumption of his Ma. ties speciall fauour as to suffer no man to stand by them but to hold it for height of pryde in vs to hope â—or any freedome and liberty oâ— our Conscience at alâ— What is height of pryde and soâ—lâ— iâ— this be not XXIV But his Ma. tie is wise will as we hope according to his prudence in tyme looke into this sort oâ—men and manner of proceeding And to returne to the Apologer he reckoneth vp therby to exaggerate the more our ingratitude the particuler fauours his Ma. tie did vnto vs at his first entrance as That he did honour diuers Catholicks with Knighthood being open Recusants That he gaue audiece indifferently to both sydes bestowed equally fauours and honours vpon both professions gaue free conâ—inuall accesse to all rankes and degrees of Papists in his Court and company freeing Recusantes from their ordinarie payments gaue order to his Iudges with his owne mouth to spare execution of all Priests though they were conuicted gaue libertie by his gracious Proclamation to all Priests not taken to go out of the Countrey by such a day and all Priestes that were taken were sent ouer and sett at liberty and many other gracious fauours benefittes VVhich saith he tyme and paper would fayle me if I would make enumeration of them all in recounting wherof euery scrape of my pen so vse his words would serue but for a blott of the Popes ingratitude and iniustice in meating his Ma. tie with so hard a measure for the same So as I thinke quoth he I haue sufficiently wiped of the teares from the Popes eyes for complayning vpon such persecution c. XXV Thus writeth this man who in naming the Popes ingratitude must much more include ours that are Catholicks for that these benefitts such as they were appertayned nothing to the Pope but only in Christian charity as a common spirituall Father and Pastour he being otherwise a stranger vnto vs in bloud and for other worldly respects And as for Catholicks they accept gratefully whatsoeuer least fauour hath byn or is done vnto them and do not doubt but that if his Ma. tie had not bene preuented by sinister information persuasion of others they had tasted of much greater as due vnto them in that they are naturall borne Subiects of the Realme most loyall in hart affection neuer meaning otherwise but to liue in most orderly and dutifull Subiection and Obedience to his Highnes as to their liege Lord and Soueraigne XXVI And wheras this man for proofe of the contrary nameth the powder-treason of a few therby to discredite the whole though this calumniation haue beene answered before yet now I ad further as one said Distingue tempora scripturam concordabis If there had bene no persecution before that treason this might haue beene assigned for some probable cause of the subsequent tribulations but all England knoweth that this is not so but that his Ma. ties sweete myld aspect towards Catholicks at his first entrance was soone by art of their enemyes auerted long before the conspiracy fell out For that not only all the most cruell Statutes and penall Lawes made by Q. Elizabeth were renewed and confirmed before this with addition of others tending to no lesse rigour acerbitie but also the exaction of the same was put in practice with great seueritie namely the paymeÌ„t of the twenty poundes a moneth or two partes of their goods and landes for Recusants once remitted by his Ma. tie as heere is confessed were not only recalled againe but the arrearages therof in like manner exacted and for leuying wherof throughout sundry shyres of the Realme especially in the North there was such ransacking of mens houses such dryuing away of their Cattell froÌ„ their groundes such strayning of their Rents such vexing of their tennants not knowne perhaps to his Ma. tie as if the whole Countrey had byn gyuen ouer to spoyle desolation XXVII Nor were mens goods and persons only afflicted but the lyues also of sundry taken away for cause of their Religion before this powder-treason fell out which desperate treason to ascribe as an effect and fruite of too much clemency in his Ma. tie as this Minister doth is a strange assertion no doubt for so much as such effects do not proceed but of exasperated myndes which clemency worketh not eyther in men or beasts Neyther did euer any learned Philosopher that wrote of the good institution of any Common wealth or of the security of any Prince in his Gouernment put such effects for fruits of clemency but rather of the contrary manner of proceeding And if all the disasterous ends of the most vnfortunate Princes that euer haue byn destroyed should be layd togeather and the causes therof exactly inquired it would be found so and consequently that this Minister is no good Counsellour to his Ma. tie in this so great weighty affayre And we hope that Almighty God by the mercy of his dearest Sonne our Sauiour and through the prayers of his Ma. ties good Mother and other holy Princes of his Royall bloud now in heauen will neuer suffer him at the egging of such exasperating people to follow so violent troublesome and dangerous a course and so contrary to theirs whiles they lyued vpon earth and so alienate from his owne sweete nature and Princely disposition XXVIII But to proceed a litle further in the narration of some poyntes of heauy persecutioÌ„ that insued soone after his Ma. ties being in England much before the powder-treason was attempted Who doth not know what afflictions were layd vpon Catholicks euen in the very first yeare of his Ma. ties raigne especially towards the end therof much more throughout all the second yeare before the said powder-treason fell out For then not only in the Shires and Prouinces abroad but euen in London it selâ—e and in the eyes of the Court the violence and insolency of continuall searches grew to be such as was intollerable no night passing commonly but
like may be said to his third example of the late Queene of England against whose life he saith that so many practises and attempts were made and directly iâ—ioyned to those traytors by their Confessours and playnly authorized by the Popes allowance So he saith But if a man would aske him how he can proue that those things were so directly inioyned and plainly authorized what answere will he make Yow shall heare it in his owne wordes for he hath but one For verification saith he there needeth no more proofe then that neuer Pope eyther then or since called any Church-man in question formedling in those treasonable conspiracyes And needeth no more Syr but this to condemne both Confessours and Popes of conspiring the last Queenes death That no Pope hath called in question or punished any Cleargy-man for such like attempts What iâ— he neuer knew of any such attempt What if he neuer heard of any Clergy-man to be accused therof except such as were put to death by the Queene her self either culpable or not culpable What if he saw some such ridiculous false deuises made against some Priests to make their whole company and cause odious as iustly discredited with him all their other clamours and calumnious accusations in that behalfe As that of Squier induced as was sayed by Fa. VValpole in Spaine to poyson the Queenes chayre or the Earle of Essex his saddâ—e which was so monstrous a fiction and so plainly proued for such in forrayne Countryes and so confessed by the miserable fellow at his death as tooke all credit from like deuises in these attemptes of holding the Queene in perpetuall frightes to the end she should neuer attend to the true way of remedy XXXII And with what little care of sincerity or of punctuall truth all these things are here and elswhere cast out at randome to make a sound and noise in the Readers eares appeareth sufficiently in the very next sequent wordes wherein speaking of Doctor Sanders he saieth That whosoeuer will looke vpon his Bookes will fynde them filled with no other Doctrine then this And will any man thinke it probable or possible that so many bookes as Doctor Sanders hath written both in Latyn and English and of so different arguments concerning Religion haue no other Doctrine in them but this of killing and murthering of Princes And that other assertion also that ensueth within very few lines after against Cardinall Bellarmynes whole Workes That all his large and great Volumes are filled with contradictions wherof we are to treat more presently Now only I doe note the facility and custome of ouerlashing in this Apologer XXXIII To conclude then about Queene Elizabeth Albeit Pius Quintus and some other Popes did excommunicate her and cut her of from the body of the Catholicke Church by Ecclesiasticall Censures in regard of her persecuting Catholicke Religion yet did I neuer know it hitherto proued that any Pope procured or consented to any priuate violence against her person albeit if the forealledged Statute of the 28. yeare of King Henry the 8. be true wherin it is determined both by the King himself his Counsell and whole Parlament as by the Archbishop Cranmer with his Doctors in his Iudiciall Seat of the Arches that Lady Elizabeth was not legitimate nor that her mother was euer King Henryes true wife which once being true could neuer afterward by any humane power be made vntrue or amended to the preiudice of a third rightly by due succession interessed therin if as the whole Parlament testifyed it should be Against all honour equity reason and good conscience that the said La. Elizabeth should at any tyme possesse the said Crowne then the said Popes respecting in their said sentence as it is certayne they did the actuall right of the Queene of France and Scotland and of her noble issue his Ma. tie that now is they might proceed as they did against the other for her remouall whome they held for an vsurper in fauour of the true inheritours oppressed by her not only by spirituall but temporall armes also as against a publicke Malefactor and intruder contrary to right and conscience And I cannot see how this fawning Apologer can eyther without open vntruth or manifest iniury to his Maiesty auerre the contrary Which being true doth greatly iustify the endeauours and desires of all good Catholicke people both at home and abroad against her their principall meaning being euer knowne to haue bene the deliuerance preferment of the true Heire most wrongfully kept out iniustly persecuted for righteousnes sake XXXIIII This then being so and nothing proued at all against Popes for their murthering attempts against Princes which Cardinall Bellarmyne denyed yet this Apologer as if he had proued much against him in this point of contradicting himself he writeth thus But who can wonder at this contradiction of himself in this point when his owne great Volumes are so filled with contradictions which when either he or any other shall euer be able to reconcile I will then belieue that he may easily reconcile this impudent strong denyall of his in his letter of any Popes medling against Kings Wherin is to be noted first that wheras Card. ll Bellarmine doth deny any Popes murthering of Princes this man calleth it An impudent strong deniall of any Popes medling against Kings as though medling and murthering were all one Is not this good dealing Truely if the Card. ll had denyed that euer any Pope had dealt or medled against any King or Prince vpon any occasion whatsoeuer it had beene a strong denyall indeed but for so much as he saith no such thing I maruaile of the Apologers proceeding in this behalfe for with the word impudent I will not meddle But let vs heare him yet further XXXV And that I may not seeme saith he to imitate him in affirming boldly that which I no waies can proue I will therefore send the Reader to looke for wittnesses of his contradictions in such places here mentioned in his owne booke Thus he very confidently as you see And verily I cannot but maruaile that he knowing how many men of learning would looke vpon the places themselues for I vnderstand now also that the book is out in latyn would not be ashamed in him self to suffer their iudgement of him and his doings in this behalfe albeit he had not respected the Cardinals answere which must nedes be with exceeding aduantage against him such as in truth I am ashamed for Countrey sake that strangers should laugh vs to scorne for such manner of writing For if I doe vnderstand any thing and that myne owne eyes and iudgement doe not deceaue me this Apologer will remayne vnder in all euery one of these oppositions no one of them being defensible in the nature of a true contradiction and consequently Cardinall Bellarmynes great volumes of Controuersies will not only not be proued full of
he would not that he should put him to banishment Now when the Emperours Deputy came to Caesarea he sent for Basil intreated him honorably spake pleasingly vnto him desired he would giue way to the tyme neyther that he would hazard the good of so many Churches tenui exquisitione dogmatis promised him the Emperours fauour and himselfe to be Mediatour for his good But S. Basil answered These intising speaches were fit to be vsed to children that vse to gape after such things But for them that were throughly instructed in Gods word they could neuer suffer any syllable therof to be corrupted Nay if need required they would for the maintenance therof refuse no kind of death In deed the loue of the Emperour ought to be greatly esteemed with Piety but Piety taken away it was pernicious LXVI This is the truth of the storie saith he I haue layd downe at length his declaration to the end that his sleightes may the better appeare in eluding the force of this Answere of S. Basil as though he had said only that no syllable of Gods word was to be suffered to be corrupted wheras his meaning was not only of Gods word or of Scriptures alone but Ne vnam quidem syllabam diuinorum dogmatum not any one syllable of dyuine doctrine taught by the Catholicke Church and so much import his wordes in greeke which are guylfully heere translated for that insteed of the forealleadged sentence wherein consisteth the substance of the said answere to witt That for them that are throughly instructed in Gods word they can neuer suffer any syllable thereof to be corrupted he should haue said That they that haue beene brought vp nourished in sacred learning cannot suffer any one syllable of dyuine doctrynes of the Church to be violated which is coÌ„forme also to S. Basils purpose in hand For that the controuersy which he and other Catholicke Bishops had with the Arrian Doctors in those dayes was not only nor immediatly about the Scriptures out of which the Arrians alleadged more aboundantly then their aduersaries but about certayne doctrynes determined by the Church especially by the Councell of Nice as namely about the vse of the wordes and doctrines of homâ—sion or consubstantiality hypostasis substance person trinitie and other the like and whether they should say Gloria Patriet Filio or Gloria Patri cum Filio or in Filio such other differences which vnto the Deputy Modestus seemed but small matters and subtilityes of doctrine but to S. Basil matters of great moment for so much as they were now determined by the Church and thereby made Diuina dogmata Diuyne doctrines though they were not all expresly found in Scriptures So as this sleight in traÌ„slating S. Basils answer That such as were throughly instructed in Gods worde could neuer suffer any syllable therof to be corrupted as though he had meant only of Scripturs is not sincere neyther agreable eyther vnto the letter of the Greeke text or meaning of S. Basill LXVII Let vs see then his third shift to put of this matter which is the same that before we haue mentioned in the first example of Iulian to witt by seeking out differences disparityes betweene the clauses or members that are compared togeather saying That albeit Basil and the Arch-priest may haue some comparison yet not our Orthodoxe King with an Arrian Emperour Basil was sollicited to become an Arrian but the Arch-priest not once touched for any article of faith And so he goeth forward with many contrapositions But I haue spoken sufficiently before of the weaknes of this manner of argument And if we remoue the mentions of some persons that may be offensiue the matters themselues will easily discouer their conformity For if yow had demaunded Modestus the Deputy then in fauour of what religion would he haue S. Basil to conforme himselfe subscribe he would haue said the Orthodoxe no lesse then the Iudges of England do now that require this Oath And yet did not S. Basil thinke so And if any man should haue called that Emperour an Arrian it would haue bene no lesse offensiue then to call a Protestant-Prince at his day a Caluinist or Lutheran notwithstanding that the reason of difference betweene the Catholicks and Arrians at that day be the same that is betweene Catholicks and Protestants at this day to witt the following or impugning of the vniuersall knowne Church descending from Christes tyme vnto Saint Basils and from Saint Basils to ours LXVIII There remayne yet 3. or 4. other exaÌ„ples mentioned by the Cardinall in his Epistle to the Archpriest wherof the first two are of S. Peter and Marcellinus the Pope whose fortitude and diligence in rysing agayne he desyreth him to imitate if perhaps he followed their infirmity in falling The other two are of S. Gregorie and S. Leo two holy and learned Popes and for that cause both of them surnamed the Great who do set downe in dyuers places the obligation that all Catholicke Christian men haue to hold vnion and subordination with the Sea Apostolicke Vnto the first two examples as there is litle said but disparityes only sought out betweene Peter and Marcellinus and the story also of Marcellinus called in question so I leaue the same to the Cardinall himselfe to treate more at large for so much as in his former books workes he hath handled the same sufficiently as also the third obiection made against S. Gregorie about refusing the name of Vniuersall Bishop And the same I must say of the 4. also S. Leo whome the Apologer confesseth to be truly alledged against him for exalting the Authority of S. Peter and firmitie of his faith which he putteth of with this scoffe borrowed from D. Iohn Reynolds his booke of Conference in the Tower That as Tully said to Hortensius the Orator when he praised immoderatly eloquence That he would lift her vp to heaueÌ„ that himselfe might go vp with her so would S. Leo lift vp S. Peter with prayses to the sky that he being his heire might go vp also and be exalted with him LXIX And after this scorne he picketh out diuers sentences of S. Leo his works which seeme somewhat odious to contayne ouermuch praise exaltation of S. Peter his Authority all takeÌ„ out of the said Reynolds Booke as Reynoldes himselfe had takeÌ„ the greatest part of theÌ„ out of M. Iewell to whome the same was very sufficiently answered before by D. Harding and the most of them shewed to be meere calumniations The first and chiefe wherof is this That our Lord did take S. Peter into the fellowship of indiuisible vnity which S. Leo his aduersaries going about to wrest to an absurd sense to wit that this indiuisible vnity must eyther be in person or nature with Christ D. Harding sheweth playnly by S. Leo his owne words sense and drift that he meant it only of the indiuisible