worthy of all punishments Athanas de Syn. Arim. Seleuc. alijs Vide Apolog. 11. Epist. ad Solitarios 5 Augustine hath very excellent sayings to this purpose Augustine Thinkest thou saith he to Vincentius No man ought to be forced to righteousnesse when as thou readest that the Master said to his Seruants COMPELL ALL THAT YOV FINDE TO COME IN And also that Paul was forced to receaue and embrace the truth by the great violent compulsion of Christ except thou iudge goods and landes dearer vnto men than their eyes August Epist. 48. Againe Where is now saith he to Bonifacius that which these Donatistes harpe at so much It is free for a Man to beleeue or not to beleeue what violence did Christ vse whom did he compell Behold Paul let them note in him Christ first compelling afterward teaching first striking then comforting Let them not mislike that they be forced but examine whereto they be forced August Epist. 50. And citing that part of the 2. Psal Be wise yee Kings vnderstand yee that iudge the earth serue the Lord in feare But how doe Kings serue the Lord saith he They serue him one way as they are men and another way as they are Kings as they be men they serue him by liuing faithfully and as they be Kings when they forbid and punish with religious seuerity those things which are done against the Commandements of God As Ezechiah did serue him by destroying the groues and temples of Idols as Iosiah did in doing the same things as the King of Niniueh did forcing the whole Citie to please God as Darius did by deliuering the Idoll into the power of Daniel to be broken as Nabuchodonozor did restraining all his subiectes from blaspheming God by a terrible and dreadfull decree August Epist 50. And a little after he addeth What man in his right minde will say vnto Kings Care not you how in your Kingdomes the Church of God be either magnified or impugned for it appertaineth not vnto you who be either religious or sacrilegious seeing he cannot say vnto him It appertaineth not vnto you who within your kingdome be either honest or vnhonest Aug. Ibid. Furthermore Gaudentius his reason that the peace of Christ inuited such as were willing but forced no man vnwilling Augustine refuteth in this wise Where you thinke that none must be forced against their willes you are deceaued not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God which maketh those willing at last which were vnwilling at first Did the Niniuites repent against their wils because they did it at the compulsion of their King What needed the Kings commandement that all men should humbly submit themselues to God but that there were some amongst them which neither would haue regarded nor beleeued Gods message had they not beene terrified by the Kings edict This Princely power and auctoritie giueth many men occasion to be saued which though they were violently brought to the feast of the great house-holder yet being once compelled to come in they finde there good cause to reioyce that they did enter against their willes August contr 2 Gaudentij Epist lib. 2. cap. 17. And against Cresconius he saith Kings serue God in this as it is commanded them if within their dominions they command that good be done and forbid euill to be done not onely in those things which appertaine to humane societie but also in those things which appertaine to Diuine Religion Aug. lib. 4. contr Crescon Grammat lib. 2. And when Petilian obiected that no man must be forced by lawes to do well or to beleeue Augustine replieth To Faith indeede may no man vnwilling be forced but yet by Gods iustice or rather mercie the breath of Faith is chastened with the rod of affliction Because the best things are freelie chosen with good liking must not therefore ill deedes be punished by sincere lawes You are not forced to doe well by those Lawes that are made against you but forbidden to doe euill Preposterous were discipline to reuenge your euill liuing but when you first contemne the doctrine that teacheth you to doe well And euen they which make laws to bridle your headdines are they not those which beare the sword as Paul speaketh not without cause being Gods Ministers and executors of wrath on him that doth ill August contra liter as Petiliani lib. 2. cap. 83. Who list to be farther satisfied that Christian Princes may and ought to compell their Subiects to the worship of God prescribed in his word and punish the refusers let him read at large the places aboue quoted in this Father 6 Ierome treating vpon that place of the Apostle Ierome A little leuen leueneth the whole lump saith Leuen is but a small thing a thing of nothing but when it hath corrupted the whole lumpe by his vigour whatsoeuer it be mingled with is conuerted into the nature of it Euen so peruerse doctrine hauing his beginning from one at first findeth scarce two or three admirers but by little and little the canker creepeth into the body according to the vulgar prouerb One scabbed sheepe infecteth a whole flocke Wherefore as soone as the sparke appeareth it must presently be extinguished the leuen must be remoued from the whole lumpe the rotten flesh must be cut off and the scabbed sheepe chased away from the fold least the whole house lumpe body and sheepe do burne corrupt putrifie perish Arius in Alexandria was but one little sparke but because he was not presently oppressed the flame thereof consumed the whole world Hieronym Comm. in Cap. 5 ad Galat. 7 Gregorie Nazianzene saith Greg. Nazianzene When impietie beginneth to shew it selfe openly we must resist it as much as we may by sword fire or any other meanes least we be partakers of the euill leuen or consent vnto such as be infected with pernicious doctrine Greg. Nazianzen in Orat. propace Again in another place Cut off the Arian impietie cut off the pernicious error of Sabellius This I say vnto the lay-men this I say vnto the Clergie and this I say vnto the Magistrates My wordes fighting for the holy Trinity shall not haue as much efficacie as thy Edict shall if thou wilt represse such as are infected with pernicious opinions Nazian Homil. in dict Euang. vide etiam Epist ad Nectar 8 I can not stand vpon particulars Ambrose The Reader may peruse these places Ambros Epist 32. ad Valent Imp. Idem Orat. ad Auxentium de Basilicis non tradendis Chrysostome Item in Cap. 10. Lucae Chrysostom Homil. de Auarit Optatus Mileuit Irenaeus Cyprian sub finem Tom. 5. Optat. Mileuit contra Parm. lib. 3. Iren. aduers Haeres lib. 3. Cap. 3. quem citat Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 13. Niceph. lib. 3. cap. 30. Cyprian Epist 55.64.73.74 and 76. Item lib. de lapsis de Vnit Eccles tribus locis ac Test ad Quir. lib. Origen And Cyrill Alexandr 3. cap. 78. Orig.
that the truth feareth no triall and flieth not the open pulpits and publique disputations The learned writers tooke it then for a disgrace to their writings to be quitte by Proclamation which thing once my selfe 11 Note well Ergo the Libeller is a man both of yeeres and place or qualitie amongst vs. Which causeth me to suspect that he can be no Seminarie locust nor Apocalypticall frog or Iesuite being in company at a dinner was cast in M. Iuells dish and hence it proceede that the answeres of the aduersaries the more they were forbid the better they were esteemed to the disuniting of many that were most earnest before with M. Iuell in his challendge as the Lord Copley so they termed him D. Steeuens and others And if it shall please his Maiestie that the said challendge be 12 But that challenge was neuer yet wholy answered by the Papists Is it likely that the Libeller is a Puritane seeing he doubteth of the truth of Iewels challenges prosecuted and triall made for the truth especially among the learned in the publique Schooles and Vniuersities and that not in one point only b but in all he shall giue great satisfaction to euery one that in this time of so many sects hath care to finde the truth they that haue the truth shall be confirmed and such as know it not shall more easily find it by such a free search and inquisition Of triall by Disputation The Papistes euer foiled in Disputation Now the Libeller mainely laboureth to perswade triall by disputation wherein I can but wonder at his impudency considering alwaies in euery conference the Papists fled before vs. Martin Luther and Philip Melancthon maintained the cause of the Gospell by disputation before the greatest States of Germanie against as subtill instruments of Satan as euer since haue risen vp to oppugne the truth Theodore Beza a man of rare knowledge and vtterance assisted with Peter Martyr disputed this cause at Poyssie with the choice of the Sorbone and of all the Papistes of France that the Cardinall of Lorraine wished that Beza that day had beene dumbe or the chiefe of his Auditours deafe I will not mention the disputation of Zuinglius Oecolampadius and others at Bearne Basile Strasborough Zurich and other free Cities in all which the truth was euer found among the Protestants But to speake heere of the like at home So it was also in the disputation in King Edwards time And in Queene Maries albeit they brought those worthie Martyrs of Christ Cranmer Ridley and Latimer to dispute at Oxford with most vnreasonable inequalitie and conditions yet they so foiled and wounded their enemies that both those that were present and whosoeuer shall yet read it to this day may easily see that they fought valiantly with the sword of the Spirite to the confusion of those that stroue against them In the beginning of Queene Elizabeth her most blessed and happie raigne the Popish Bishops and greatest Clerks were prouoked and appointed by auctoritie to dispute if they were able to maintaine their doctrine against the Ministers of the Gospell But after a few impertinent words they gaue ouer their cause in the plaine field and so ridiculously handled the matter that it is maruell that the remembrance of the confusion and shame of that day doth not terrifie the Papistes from once daring againe to moue the matter of disputation with vs. But as the Prouerb saith He that runneth away may fight againe So Campian the Iesuite came with open defiance to prouoke the Protestantes to fight with him boasting to maintaine his cause by Scripture Councels Fathers by all Lawes Ciuill Canon and Common and by all Histories and monuments of former ages But what the issue was and how his glorie was turned into shame the Acts of those disputations in publique print do manifestly declare So this Puritan-Papist as also some others of the same crew crake much of disputation and conference But if it pleased his Highnesse and the State if necessitie or conueniencie did so require questionlesse the rottennesse of their cause should soone appeare For we haue the Arke of the Lord among vs we haue his siluer Trumpets sounding continually in our campes Though they came about vs like Bees yet should they be quenched as a fire of thornes they put confidence in themselues but in the name of the Lord of Hostes we should preuaile against them Concerning the challenge of that worthy and learned Bishop Iewell of reuerend memorie B. Iewels challenge he vndertooke and performed against the Papistes those seuen and twentie points wherein they differ from vs and the Primitiue Church which remaine vnanswered vnto this day sauing that D. Harding prated a little in the first point onely which yet was so defended against him and some one or two others that tooke his part that they quite left the field and fled And as hitherto by writing to the glory of GOD to the gathering and edifying of his Church we haue defended and maintained the trueth against them So by the grace and assistance of GOD many of vs will be alwaies ready to do the same hereafter Restraint of Hereticall Bookes But if they will haue their Bookes passe freely without restraint and all men to be allowed to read them Let them first assure vs that they will leaue it free for all such as are abused by them to reade ours For we are not ignorant of their discipline to the keeping of the poore and ignorant people in that captiuitie that they may not once dare to reade our writings least they should be conuerted and repent that the Lord might saue their soules For a few onely excepted whom they thinke desperate of being conuerted by any meanes vnto the truth they restraine all vnder their iurisdiction from reading our workes If they so straitly prouide to hinder the truth and to keepe Captiue simple soules in their blinde kingdome of darkenesse much more reason haue our Magistrates to prouide that the children of light be not led into darkenesse by them Gamaliell is noted by Luke for a man of 1 Mutuò muli scabunt One Pharisie commendeth another deepe iudgement and worthy Doctor in the Law of Moises and commended much for his 2 It was a very foolish counsell politique aduise giuen the high Priest and body of the Councell to take heede to themselues what they entended to doe touching the Apostles who seemed to them to teach a new doctrine For said he If this counsell or this worke be of men it will come to naught but if it be of God yee cannot destroy it least ye be found euen fighters against God And in this kinde he gaue certaine instances in Theodas and Iudas of Galiley For as the truth cannot be ouercome so errour and heresies cannot long stand but will at length of them selues perish and it is certaine that heresies which arise among Christians are as Augustine well noteth
other and the Nobilitie of Scotland of the which 5 Two or three among ad the Nobles of Scotland the Libelles reckons no small number But indeede this libelling Papist se emes to be melancholique that imagins all the world to be his no small number incline that way would come with vs to the pure light of the Gospell and to our reformed Churches You remember the Profession of Faith which to this intent and purpose we procured to be set foorth in Print at his Maiesties first ingresse into this Realme but it preuailed not and had it not been the respect was borne his Maiestie it had beene controuled as it was misliked both by the 6 Here all Protestantes are included within the number of one or two Protestant and Papist And since that to further and aduance our cause and to proceede in the same purpose we haue in peaceable manner done what in vs lyeth Let vs hold on the same moderate course and striue to preuaile not by the temporall sword of his Maiesties power but endeuour to ouercome by the eternall sword of Gods holy word Which though it be sweets and not violent yet is it a two edged sword a that cutteth on euery side and pierceth Fol 3 more deepely to winne the hart of man and alter his vnderstanding for planting the Gospell then any humane force whatsoeuer I agree further with you that as it is a point of good husbandry to weede the Corne-fielde before the weedes haue ouergrowen the corne so likewise 7 Note the Libellers Andabatismus For all this is against himselfe may his Maiestie employ his temporall sword that no Cockle be sowen or rise in the field of the Lords Church vnder his protection and that such as begin to spring vp may betimes be cut off In matutino interficiebam omnes peccatores terrae So did that holy King Dauid and pleased God highly therewith Thus much your arguments do prooue sufficiently For in this sense the King beareth the sword to destroy all sinne and sinners in matutino that is to say betimes while sinne and sinfull errours are newly budding and may be cut off without hurt and dammage to the state of the good and faithfull And it is our part to be watchfull to discouer them betimes least if we 8 The Parable be alludeth vnto is expounded afterwards in his due place sleepe too long they spring so high and spreade so farre that whosoeuer should then attempt to pull them vp should destroy much corne b withall and doe more harme than good This then is the point wherein we iarre You thinke it needfull that the Kings Maiestie proceede to authorize establish our Religion by the 9 To compell obstinate Heretikes and Idolaters to the outward discipline is not is establish Religion by the sward sword to represse al other sects by seueritie of Lawes such as were practized in the daies of the late Queene against vs and against the Papists And I contrariwise am of opinion that such lawes and seueritie are in our case vnprofitable and will-hurt rather then helpe the aduancement of our case and I 10 A manifest mistaking take this my aduise to be 11 He speaketh all by contraries better grounded then yours in the written word to approach neerer to the wisedome and course of Gods diuine prouidence to be more conformable to Christian humanitie to beseeme better our Prince for the assurance of his estate and the aduancement of his noble issue and finally to agree best with true ciuill policie for the sweet peace rest and repose of this our Republike increase thereof as shall appeare by the experience we haue seene with our owne eyes and in these our daies as well in his Maiesties Dominions as in all Nations round about vs. Fol. 4 a That we haue 12 Lucianicall scorning and Sardoicall laughter of the Libeller slept too long all writers agree and that for many hundred yeares for who of vs doth not see that the weedes haue ouergrowen the good corne taken so deepe roote and so farre spred that amongst his Maiesties subiects there are two for one of a contrary Faith and opposite to ours and that not in ceremonies onely for then we neede not sturre so much as we haue done but in 13 And yet this fellow would be thought to be no Papist But he lyeth stoutly like a Papist and an Asse may be discerned by his cares substantiall points of Faith yea as we esteeme in damnable errours which we haue notified in our bookes as well against D. Whitguift and other Protestants as against the Papists To destroy 14 It were hard indeed to destroy all but the wise Magistrate knoweth that there are diuers sorts of Offendours some weake others wilfull c. all these that are in faith opposite vnto vs were ouermuch crueltie to compell them to an externall worship against their conscience were no lesse 15 Nothing lesse then dangerous dangerous and damnable for vs then for them to impouerish them by statute lawes were to impouerish our selues being so linked to them as many waies we are yea it were a greate 16 The disabling of Papists is rather a great strengthening of the state weakening to the whole body of the estate to the detriment of our soueraigne Prince and of the Common wealth for the wealth of the 17 True of the loyall and obedient subiect but not of the contrary subiect is the treasure b of the king and the multitude of his people is his strength and glorie Gloria Regis multitudo populorum These be the grounds that haue moued me to approue and perswade a more temperat course in matters of Religion of which opinion though I haue 18 It is shamefull and ignominious indeed to change from better to worse as the Libeller did Augustine changed his opinion in the same question but quite contrary to the Libeller His wordes are these I was once so munded that I thought no man ought to be forced to Christian vnity but that we should deale by perswading striue by disputing conquere by reasoning least they proued dissembling Catholiques whom we knew professed Heretiques But this my opinion was ouercome not by wordes of contradiction but by euidence of demonstration For amongst many examples and instances my owne City was brought against me which being altogether of Donatus his part was conuerted to Catholique vnitie by the rigour and terrour of Imperiall lawes whom now we see so to detest the perniciousnes of your animositie he speaketh to Vincentius the Donatist as if it had neuer receiued and professed the same So also many others were shewed vnto me by name that out of the things themselues I might acknowledge that euen in this case that which is written might be vnderstood Prou. 9. Giue occasion vnto the wise man and he wil be wiser Thus farre Augustine In Epist 48. ad Vincens not alwaies beene and you
The other attempts which he speaketh of practised in that kingdome when they shal be particularly specified they shal be fully answered That concerning the French King Henrie 3. is altogether false Of the French K. Henrie 3. The trueth is The Duke of Guise that he might strengthen himselfe and his house to take the Crowne if ought should befall the Kings line by the support and practise of the Queene Mother obtained greate auctoritie in the kingdome of France whereupon hauing raised and moued Ciuill warres vnder pretence of Religion though indeed to weaken and extirpate the Princes of the blood and ancient Nobilitie of the Realme tooke armes against the Huguenots but seized vpon the best townes of the Catholiques Religion was preached at Guyenne and the Leaguers went to driue it out of Picardie The Huguenots were at Rochel and their armie marched straight to Paris The Huguenots are at Montpelleir and the League set vpon Marseille Whereupon the King writing vnto the King of Nauarre saith That he knew that those of the League what shew soeuer they made plotted onely against his Person and Crowne thinking to rise and become greate at his coastes seeking nothing els but the vtter ruine and dissipation of his Estate On the other side the King of Nauarre and the rest of the Princes of the blood together with many of the Peeres and Nobles of France and the greatest Officers of the Crowne perceiuing the Duke of Guise his malice and seeing his iniustice that being but a Subiect he would with priuate and armed violence murder innocents and make himselfe sole commander gathered themselues to preserue their liberties granted by publique Edicts and to saue their liues from the furie of that ambicious Blood-sucker Meane time the Leaguers hauing the King at aduantage presented him with these requests viz. To make an irreuocable decree for the extirpation of Heresies To take by force those Townes held by those of the Religion To renounce the protection of Geneua To auctorise the warres To reconcile the Leaguers vnto him To be of their League that is of a King to become a Participant And thus the Leaguers hauing made their peace with the King they caused him presently to interdict the exercise of the Religion by a new Edict recalling all former Edicts for peace to approue the warres to banish the Ministers and to force all his Subiects to become Papistes The King of Nauarre being aduertised of these proceedings complaineth vnto the King of the peace he had made with the League declaring vnto him that himselfe could not be ignorant that he had made peace with his Enemies and armed them with his forces and auctoritie against the Estate against the Blood and against his owne Person The King was now in woefull case and in great perplexitie and distresse neither durst he vse the auctoritie of a King If he consented to the libertie of Religion and restored them the Edict of peace he thought he heard all the mutinous Leaguers continually about his eares if he made warre against the King of Nauarre and the Religion he had fiftie thousand Strangers vpon his backe that would constraine him to ouerthrow the League Wherfore he desired the Duke of Guise to yeeld to a peace not to abandon the Estate of the Realme for a pray vnto Strangers to procure the ease and contentment of the King the comfort of the people the freedome of the Clergie and the dignitie of the Nobilitie by other meanes then by Ciuill warres which would ouerthrow all But the Duke of Guise who rather desired a battell then a disputation answered the King resolutely that he would haue no peace but warre and caused the King in his owne person to march against the Protestants After that the King had made some few skirmishes the glory whereof redounded to the Duke of Guise he staied for a time to resolue himself vpon the intention of the Princes of the League which was now fauoured by the Pope the Emperour the King of Spaine the Duke of Sauoy certaine Princes of Germanie all the house of Lorraine and all the chiefe Townes in France that had entered therein and made shew to consent vnto them for indeed he was not able to resist them being in a manner banished in the middle of his estate and spoiled of his auctoritie So that now he acknowledged his fault that he agreed to the treatie of Nemours to the breach of peace and to approue the league The people euer where Monsieur de Guise came still receaued him with great ioy and acclamations Viue Guise Viue le Pillier de l' â—glise in so much that the King was faine secretly to flie from Paris and shift for himselfe For Monsieur de Guise being puffed vp with popular insolencie had absolutely determined either to slay the King or at least to cast him into a Monasterie as Chilperic was and to vsurpe the kingdome himselfe Now the King hauing escaped and the rumour thereof being spread ouer all France Monsieur de Guise began to protest his innocencie and the duty he had shewed in restraining the furie of the people trauelling in the Kings behalfe against the attempt of the Barricadoes But the King The death of the Duke of Guise thinking that the life of Monsieur de Guise would be his death resolued to be reuenged of him And so indeed because very many were engaged in that conspiracie he caused him to be suddenly surprised and slaine at Blois in the entry as he came from the Councel-chamber into the Kings chamber Notwithstanding this execution of the duke of Guise yet the flame of that conspiracy was nothing asswaged for the league caused not a few of the chiefest cities in France to rise against the king whereby the king grew so distressed as he was forced to make peace with the king of Nauarre to craue his forces for his reliefe and also to implore succours from her Maiestie of England but before these forces could be transported into France the king by the malicious and diuellish instigation of the League Death of Henry the 3. K. of France was most traiterously murdered by Frier Iaques Clement in his campe neere Paris By this a man may see what conscience the Libeller maketh of falsifying Histories and how true that is where he saith that in the end the king made himselfe peaceably head of them both who afterwards wholly depended vpon his will and pleasure In the time of Charles the 9. albeit the Papistes omitted no deceit periurie massacres nor warres to roote out them of the Religion yet because they defended their libertie by the confirmation and auctoritie of so many Edicts of peace God also fauoring their cause their aduersaries molested them in vaine for they could not preuaile against them but for all their persecutions the Protestants still encreased more and more both in zeale and number Also in the time of Henry 4. the present king the Dukes de Maine and