ought no more to be reputed Magistrates but are to be accused examined and condemned The people saith a Bucan de iure regni populus principem in ius capitis vocare potest Bucanan haue power to iudge of the life of kings It were to be wished b Lib. de iure regni Optandum est vt praemia à plebe decernantur iis qui tyrannos occiderint vt fierisolet iis qui lupos caedunt saith he againe that rewards were appointed for such as kill tyrants as we are wont to doe to those that kill woolues But what forme doe you obserue in these depositions None at all Vvhat respite doe you allow kings that are to be deposed by the people to recant None at all In your opinion they depose themselues when they behaue themselues otherwise then they ought so that the people are onely to oppose themselues and rise vp against them The kings of the earth saith c in 6. Dan. v. 22. 25. Abdicant se potestate terreni principes cum insurguÌ„e contra Deum immò indigni sunt qui in numero hominuÌ„ censeantur ideoque in capita potiùs corum compuere oportet quam illis parere Cal doe depriue themselues of power when they make head against the king of heauen Yea they are vnworthy to be numbred amongst men and therfore we are rather to spitt in their faces then to obey them If Princes saith a a Rnoxus queÌ„ Galuinus epist 305. virum insignem eximium virum ex animo colendum fratrem Beza ep 74. Euangelij apud Scotos restauratoreÌ„ quem teste Vvitakero coÌ„ trou 2. quaest 5. cap. 13. Scoti omnes testantur fuisse spiritu prophetico Apostolico praeditum in admonitione ad Angliam Scotiam si Principes aduersus Deum ac veritatem eius tyrannicè se gerant subditi eorum à iuramento fidelitatis absoluuntur scotish man whom Caluine tearmes an excellent man Beza the restorer of the Gospell in scotland whom all the scots as Vvitakere relates esteemed to haue the spirit of prophesie If Princes saith this famous personage in your iudgement gouerne tyrannically against God and his truth his subiects are absolued from their oath of fidelitie But what cause is sufficieÌ„t to depose a king according to your doctrine Onely religion no not that onely but many other more their wicked life their vices No man saith b Apud Osiand in epitonâ— centur 9. Nullus est Dominus ciuilis nullus est Praelatus nullus est Episcopus dum est in peccato mortali Vviclef is a temporall Lord none a Prelate none Bishope when he is in mortall sinne c In explan art 42. Principes quanâ—â— perside extra regulam egerint possunt eum Deo depo â—i It is lawfull to depose Princes saith Suinglius when they do disloyally transgresse the rule of Iesus Christ which he thinkes they doe as he himselfe confesseth if they f Cum seelerates prouehit innouios praegrauat vt cum inutiles ventres otiosos sacrificos defendit Princeps aduance the wicked oppresse the innocent and defend the idle sacryficers to witt Catholikes as is to be noted I could proue out of a multitude of authours what is your sense in this behalfe which paines I would willingly vndertake if that which you teach vpon this subiect were as aduantagious as preiudiciall vnto you I will onely inuite the Reader to see a booke in titled the Protestants Apologie one of the most profitable that hath bene printed these many yeares where he will find far more passages vpon this subiect amongst the rest some which doe verifie that your Authours haue written that it is lawfull by diuine and humane law to kill impious kings that it is a thing conformable to the word of God that a priuate man by speciall instinct may lawfully kill a Tyrant a most detestable doctrine in euery point which will neuer enter into the thoughtes of the Catholike Church This is not yet all Hauing now seene what you deliuer touching the deposition of kings we must also see by your actions how you behaue your selues towards them Since your etrours were brought into the world by Luthere and Caluine you haue let no occasion slipe where you could make vse of your pretended power in which you haue not done it You put an armie a foote against Charles the V. whom by way of derision you instiled Charles of Gant to trouble him in his Dominions Surius ann 1547. and to depriue him of dominion You haue borne armes against three kings of France Francis the II. Charles the IX Henry the III. in the raigne of Charles the IX you coyned money in the name of another to whom you gaue the name of king Du Chesne in the historie of England vnder Elizabeth and Marie How did you vse Marie Queene of Scotland did you not make her captiue Did you not in prison cause her to renounce her royall dignitie Did you not thrice take vp armes against Marie Queene of England Did you not sett vp a pretended Queene against her Did not oue of yours attempt vpon her royall person Iane borne vp by the Duke of Northumberland In Flanders you dispoyled Philippe king of Spayne of a part of his Prouinces Christiernus Surius king of Denmarke was by yours dispossessed of his crowne driuen out of his kingdome afterwards clapt in prison where following the opinion of the tymes the dayes of his life were abridged by poyson Sigismond who at this day raignes in Polonie sees himselfe depriued of the crowne which appartaynes vnto him by right of inheritance and which his father did peacably possesse his vnkle who was of your profession being put vp into his place by your men You vsurped vpon the Emperour Rodolphus the last deseased Transsiluania which he possessed by iust title as king of Hongarie And all this following the example of your predecessour Caluine who cannot indure the Bishope of Geneua I will not say in qualitie of Bishope onely but euen in the nature of temporall Prince Vvhosoeuer shall reade the histories wherin what I speake is contayned shall see that in one age you disturbed two Emperours acctually spoyled one king excluded another out of his kingdome deposed one Queene made warre against another to bereeue her of her crowne bore armes against foure kings deposed other temporall Princes put a king to death brought a vertuous and wise Queene into captiuitie who had power to inlarge others with libertie whom in conclusion violating diuine and humane lawes you put to death after a most inhumane and incompassionate manner CHAP. IX MINISTERS TO bring more light and euidence vnto this matter we must giue your Maiestie to vnderstand that you nourish in your kingdome a faction of men who call themselues companions of Iesus as though it were too â—itle to be his disciples who haue made an oath of blind obedience and that
owne direction and also because your versions not being authenticall as you confesse the Scripture which you vse can be no sufficient rule of saluation euen to the learned That the Church is the true Guide if saint Augustine be beleeued whom a Luther in defensio verbo Caenae Meosaneiudicio post Apostolos Ecclesia now habuit meliorem Augustino Calu. 3. Instit cap. 3. §. 10. Ex Augustino sumant lectores si quid de sensu antiquitatis certi habere volunt you accnowledge to be a faithfull witnes of antiquitie it is a cleare case b August epist 16. Ait rectissimā discipli namesseveimperiti nitātur authoritate Ecclesia It is a most orderly discipline saith this great light that the ignorant should rely vpon the authoritie of the Church There is nothing so behouffull for a soule as to obey a Cone 2. in Psalm 70. Nihil tamexpedit anima quam obedire he adds in another place b Contra Eplani fundam cap. 5. Egovero Euangelio nen crederem nisime Catholicae Ecclesia commoueret authoritas .... qua infirmatae iamnec Euangelio credere potero And againe I would not leleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authoritie of the Catholike Church did moue me thervnto and after that which authoritie being thaken I should not giue credit to the Gospell where it is manifest that he speakes of himselfe as a Catholike not as a Manikie These words doe make a cleare demonstration that the Church is the true guide of the faithfull nor indeede can it be called in question if we consider that the holy Ghost declared it the pillar and strength of truth that the Fathers c August contra Epistolam fundam c. 5. Epist 118. l. De vtilitate cred c. 15. altbi passim Iren. l. 3. c. 3. 4. Hieron contra Luciferi doe accnowledge it to be infallible and that d Calu. 4. Instit c. 1. §. 10. Neque enim parui momentiest quod vxcatur columna fundamentum veritatis domus Dei quibies verbis significat Paulus ne intercidat veritas Deiin mundo Ecclesiam esse fidem eius custodem Etc. 2. §. 2. Verè Ecclesia columna est ac firmamentum veritatis Vvhitak cont 2. q. 4. c. 1. Nos dicinsus eam quae est Christi Ecclesia In absolute necessariis non posse errare Id. contra 1. quaest 3. c. 5 7. Fateor nos haraticos cogi conuinciposse authoritate Ecclesia necasio argumento externo validius ac fortius premi hareticos yours also allow it to be such in points necessarie to saluation And who would now say that a child were not to heare and follow the documents of a mother most louing to her children and who in things concerning their saluation can teach them nothing but truth Vve are bound to heare the Church I will shortly bring your owne Authours to make it good Now let vs examine whether as I haue said you doe not impose vpon vs. You doe openly impose vpon vs while you make your followers beleeue that we make a generall prohibition of the scripture as being a dangerous booke It is true we are not of those wherof a Tertul. Prascript c. 41. Omnes tumēt omnes scientiā pollicētur ipsa mulieres haveticae audent docere contendere c. Tertullian speaketh they are all puffed vp with pride they all promis knowledge yea the verie hercticall Women dare vndertake to teach and dispute Vve are not of that sort of people of whom b Traet 47 in Iean Nihil sic amant isti ac scientiam promittere sidem rerum verarum quas parunls crede we pracipiuntur velut imperitiam deridera saint Augustine affirmes that they are taken with nothing so much as to promis knowledge and laugh at the beleife of true things which the children were taught to beleeue as though it had bene a meere ignorance Vve haue no affinitie with Pelagius who will haue women to reade Scripture as a Hieron dial 1. contr Pelag. saint Hierome doth note and condamne him for it Vve are not of your humour who iudge the scripture so easie to be vnderstode that you make no difficultie to command all the world to reade it In a word we cannot allow of your wayes in making Idiots ignorant persons and women their owne Doctors and Prophetes Yet is it false to affirme that we prohibite the scripture as a perilous booke we doe not so far forgett the respect which we owe to the spirit that did dictate it nor disaccnowledge the happines and truth which it proposeth vnto vs. Marrie we doe boldly affirme that the Scripture such as you propose it that is changed or taken according to the letter without giuing its true sense the knowledge wherof depends vpon the Church her declaration is dangerous for those who ether by ignorance vanitie or malice would rashly make vse of it And in this we doe nothing to which we are not moued by the Scripture the Fathers and your owne men By the Scripture a 2. Corin 3. Litera occidit 2. per 3. Quae indocti instabiles deprauant ad suam ipscrum perditionem saying in expresse termes that the letter doth kill and that the vnlearned doe depraue it to their owne perdition By the Fathers b Lib. de resurrect carn c. 40. Haereses esse non perpe vam scriptura intelligi possent Hilarius l. 2. de Trinit Vigiltus Martyr l. 2. contr Eutych Tertullian saying that there could be no heresies at all if the Scripture could not be ill vnderstoode and saint Hilatie shewing by sundrie examples that they sprung from the false interpretation of the scripture By your owne Luther confessing that the scripture is the Heretiques booke If it be commendable in a carefull mother to take the knife out of her childs hands with which through want of yeares and discretion he might hurt himselfe and to giue it to one of more ripnes to vse you ought rather to prayse then blame vs sithens we prohibite the Scripture in a vulgaire tongue to some that might abuse it and permit it to such as may reape commoditie by it That we permitt it to some it is apparent by the verie confessions of a Vvhit controu 1. q. 2. c. 13. Papista hac in re certam exceptionem rationemque temporum locorum personarum haberi volunt Item Status quaestionis huiusmodiest vtrum vernacule versiones scripturarum sint omnibus promiscuè praponendae permittendae vel non illinegant nos affirmamus your owne men who doe accnowledge that in this we make exception of persons tymes and places and that the question berwixt you and vs is not whether any can reade them or not but whether we doe indifferently permitt all to reade them or no which we affirme saith whitakere and they meaning Catholikes deney that it ought to be done The exception which we make of
without reserue to the heade of their order who is and alwayes was subiect to the king of spayne who were condemned by your Courts of Parlament as enemyes of your state of the liues of kings and corrupters of youth who teach the people that the Pope hath power to depose kings to cause them to be slayne and to transport their crownes to others That they are not to detect conspiracies against the king which they heare in confession and that being attached they may vse equiuocation before the Iudge Vvhence effectes haue sprung pernicious to France and to all Christendome Vvherpon their bookes put out by the publike approbation of the Generall of their Order together with a good quantitie of Iesuite Docteurs were by the Decree of the Court publikly burnt by the comon executioner And if your Maiestie will daigne to informe himselfe he shall find in the Iesuite Colledge of Flesche founded by the bountie of the king your Father of most glorious memorie he shall find I say in the Fathers low hall a great Picture wherin are represented the Martyres of their Order amongst whom some are found who were put to death for hauing enterprised the death of their kings and that this punishment is there called martirdome and this is placed in the view of a multitude of youthes to induce them by their examples to attayne to the glorie of Martirdome by the same meanes And yet euen those men without hauing made any retractation or publike declaration wherby to condemne such bookes and such doctrine haue at this day the eares of our kings they search the secretes of their consciences and haue freest accesse to their royall personns ANSWERE GOd's goodnes is so greate that ordinarily he doth conuert the euil which is intended against his friends to their benefit Your ayme is to hurt the Iesuites and you doe them great seruice since all men will confesse that it is a great glorie vnto them to be blamed with the same mouth which doth accuse the Catholike Church reiects good workes calumniates the saintes iniures Iesus Christ yea makes euen God himselfe blame-worthy It is a thing truly whichmakes greatly to their aduantage we see it by experience for so much as besides the considerations which ought to make all men esteeme them diuers doe loue them particularly because you hate them Let vs see the crymes which you lay to their charge You say they call themselues the companions of Iesus Christ what proofe doe you bring to make this good you will say that to call ones selfe of the companie of Iesus is to make themselues the companions of Iesus but your consequence is impertinent for to be said to be of the companie of a Prince no other thing is required then to be one of his followers marrie to be said to be his companion much more is requisite False therfore it is that the Iesuites tearme themselues the Companions of Iesus Christ though they be said to be of his companie Wherin they doe nothing worthy of reprehension since the words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 1. v. 9. 1. Ioan. 1. v. 3. you are called into the societie of his sonne and those ef saint Iohn let our societie be with the Father and his sonne Iesus Christ are not onely to be vnderstoode of those to whom they are spoken but of all Christians in generall who follow the faith and doctrine of Iesus Christ But how is it sufferable that the Reuerend Ministers should blame the Iesuites as though they called themselues the Companions of Iesus while they assume to themselues that title which they blame for arrogant Certainly you haue forgotten your Catechisme 6. Sunday where speaking of Iesus Christ you say in plane tearmes we are Companions of his priesthoode And it appeares planly that you begin to neglect Caluine by reason of the multitude of blasphemies wherof his workes are conuinced for if you had read him you had obserued without doubt that it being said in the second of S. Peter Cap. 1. v. 4. that we are partakers of the diuine nature he made vs fellowes of Christ in the eternitie of life You would also haue noted him where he saith that a Calu. in Coloss 1. v. 24. Paule was Christs companion that Christ b In Mar. 13. v. 43. promised the thiefe that he would make him his fellow-partner of eternall life c In Hebra 2. v. 13. that we are all fellowes to the sonne of God that the d 3. Instit c. 18. §. 1. Elect are taken into the fallow shipe of Christ yea of God too e ibid. c. 17. § 6 Or if you had bene conuersant in f Luth postillain Domin 5. post Pascha Luthere certainly you would haue fallen vpon these words Through Iesus Christ we are made equall and brothers to him to witt to God The Iesuites say you make an oath of blind obedience and that without all exception If you were not your selues blind you would see that a vowe of its owne nature contaynes an exception of all that may be preiudiciall to kings for seeing all vowes haue good for their obiect a man cannot oblige himselfe by vowe to doe any thing contrarie to the law of God the Decrees of the Church obedience due to the kinge and loue to our neighbours If you had diligently reade the Fathers you would haue learnt that the obedience which you call blind is not subiect to blame since they teach that a true religious ought to haue it So saith a Basil in cōstit Mon. c. 23. Quamadmodū igitur Pastori suo oues obtemperant viam quācunque vult ingrediuntur sic qui ex Deo pietatis cultores sunt moderatoribus sins obsequi debent nihil omninò iussa eorū curiosius perscrutantes quando libera sunt à peccaco c. Item vt Faber singulis aertis instrumentis pro arbitrio vtitur suo neque vnquam vllum enuentum est instrumētum quod ad quēcumque vsum elle voluisset non se facile tractādū praebuerit c. S. Basile teaching that it is not the part of a true religious to examine his Superious commande so longe as he doth not oblige him to sinne and he compares him to a sheepe which goes which way the Pastour pleaseth and to an instrument which neuer resistes his will that vseth it So b Bernard Tract de pracepto dispensat c. 9. Perfecta obedientia legem nescit terminis non arctatur largiori voluntate fertur in altitudinem charitatis c. S. Bernard saying perfect obedience knowes no lawes no limines but is carried with a full will into the depth of charitie to all that is commanded So a S. Hieron epist 4. ad Rustic c. 4. credas tibi salutare quicquid praepositus praeceperit nec de maiorum sententiae iudices saint Hierome when he saith be confident that all that thy Superiour commands thee is wholsome for thee and
them vnto a gentleman of our religion to bring them vnto vs. ANSWERE SInce Euery man vnderstands his owne busines best I haue nothing to say vpon this paragrafe which toucheth F. Arnould he hauing in his replie answered it himselfe onely this I will say he that knowes his merits learning Zeale and moderation of mynd will easily iudge him to be a man of greater performance then vndertaking and more prone to render your soules gratefull to God then your persons hatefull to men CHAP. XIII MINISTERS THis Soueraigne Lord did oblige vs to make answere for this confession hauing bene made to giue an accompt of our faith to our Soueraignes and to that effect being presented to king Henry the II. your predecessour we thought fitt to addresse the Defence of the same confession to his successour in whose presence it was calumniated And I wish to God we were licenced to propose our defence verbally in the presence of your Maiestie and were authorised publikly and in presence of the king which God hath bestowed vpon vs to mantayne the truth of the Gospell against those that doe diffame it which is a thing which your Maiestie ought also to desire For seeing a dissension amongst your subiects in point of religion what is more conuenient then that he who is the common father of vs all should know in what the difference consistes and see the ground of the processe and to this effect he should looke to the head of the fountaine to discouer what Christian religion was in its source For he that is established on earth to see that God be serued ought exactly to know the rule of Gods seruice he who in his charge represents God's royaltie ought in his actions to imitate his iustice which how can it be done without knowing the soueraigne rule of Iustice which is the word of God Vvher vpon it is that God commands kings continually to haue before their eyes the booke of the law therin to read all the dayes of their life But if they permitt themselues to be hood winked and be content to follow without seeing the way before them the Popes and Prelates haue faire occasion to accommodate religion to their priuate lucre and crect their owne greatnes vpon the ruines of the Ghospell For now religion is made a trafike and those our great Masters haue inuented rules of pietie which doth intrench not onely vpon the liuing but euen vpon the deade To no other end haue the Popes for some ages past probibited the kings your Maiesties Predecessours to read the holy Scripture but that their Empire is grounded vpon the ignorance of Gods word Neuer had it bene permitted to haue growen so great with the diminution of the greatnes of our Kings if they had not wrought vpon the aduantage of an obscure age wherin few people discouered their designe He could not haue made himselfe soueraigne Iudge in points of faith if the people had had the rule of faith before their eyes which God long agoe pronounced with his owne mouth ANSWERE IT is a great art in him that is feable and fearefull to fayne himselfe bold and valourous you put a good face vpon it and beare it boldly to make the world beleeue that you haue a great desire to appeare before the king to make good in his presence and in publike the truth of your new Gospell Your words which sound no other thing but a chalance wherby you prouoke all the Clergie of France to a publike disputation makes me call to mynd the Troian wherof mention is made in Homere Iliad 7 who boldly prouoked to combate marrie when it came once to blowes he stood in neede of a cloud to couer his flight and shame Vve could with facilitie if we pleased refuse to giue you battaile without the disaduantage of our dishonour or affording you occasion of complaint For Luther doth sustayne that we are not to dispute with such as renew old heresies which were long agoe condemned But we will not proceede so rigorously with you the Church of France by Gods prouidence being prouided of store of Prelates wherof I am the least and of an infinite number of Doctours who vpon all occasions will make appeare the veritie of her doctrine the vanitie of your errours The onely shadow of that great Cardinall will alwayes be able to defeate you for the same reason for which the Picture of Alexander made him quake vnder whose powerfull hand he had somtymes sunke to the grouÌ„d Is it not a mere flatterie to inuite a king to discerne differences in religion Vvill you haue princes to assume to themselues the authoritie of Iudges in such causes Though you would yet would not your brethren consent therto Princes themselues haue no such pretension The Holy fathers giue testimonie and the Scriptures teach that iustly they cannot doe it That your brethren will not haue it so they themselues shall speake Princes saith a Bezainconfess c. 5. art 15. Principes Synodo intersint non vt regnent sed vt seruiaÌ„t non vt leges condant sed vt ex Deiverbo per os ministrorum explicatas sibi aliis obseruandas proponant Beza are present in synods not to rule but to serue not to inact lawes but to propose those to be kept by themselues and the people which according vnto the word of God are explicated by the mouth of the Minister The Prince saith b Controu 5. lib. 2. c. 18. De sensu fidei mec cognoscit Princeps nec cognoscere officio Principali potest Iunius nether doth nor can by vertue of his charge iudge of the meaning of faith Vve say saith c Controu 1. q. 5. c. 4. Dicimus lites Ecclesiasticas decernendas esseex lege diuina per Ministrum Item cap. 6. Respondeo Martinum Ecclesiae vindicare iudicium de genere doctrinae non coÌ„cedere Imperatort c. Vhitakere that Ecclesiasticall differences are to be decided by the Minister in vertue of the diuine law In another place I answere that Martine doth ascribe the iudgement of points of doctrine to the Church he doth not grant it to the Emperour and who will deny that this iudgment appertaynes to â—ishopes Finally it belongs not to kings and Princes to confirme euen true doctrine but they are to be subiect to and obseruant of it saith Luthere That Princes doe not pretend to make themselues Iudges in matters of Faith the a Apud Soz. l. 6. c. 7. Mihiquisum de sorte plebis fas non est talia perserutari Sacerdotibus ista curae sunt Emperour Valentinian doth confirme in these words It is not lawfull for me who am of the ranke of the people to sound and search into those things they are committed to the Preistes care It belongs me not saith the same as b Epist 32. noÌ„ est mecum iudicare inter Episcopos S. Ambrose relates to iudge of the differences which rise amongst Bishops