cannot at once be a King and a Prelate and that his predecessors ordered the Ecclesiastical State which belongeth vnto him and not the temporall which pertaines only to kings Let him not inioyne vs to receiue a King who remayning in a countrie so farre distant cannot ayde vs against the sodain oftē incursions of the Infidels Neither let him commaund vs who of our Franchise and Freedome beare the name of Franks to serue him whom we list not to serue which yoake his predecessors neuer imposed vppon our Auncestors And we finde it written in holy Scripture that we ought to fight to the death for our libertie and inheritance And a little after Propterea si Dominus Apostolicus vult pacem quaerere sic quaer at vt rixam non moueat That is Therefore if our Apostolicall Lord seeke after peace let him so seeke it as he be not an occasiō of war And in conclusiō Hingmare shuts vp his letter with these words Et vt mihi experimento videtur propter meam interdictionem vel propter lingue humanae gladium nisialiud obstiterit Rex noster vel eius Regni primores non dimittent vt quod coeperunt quaniū potuerint nō exequantur That is And as I find by proofe our King or the Peeres of his Realme are not minded eyther for my excommunication or the sword of mans tongue vnlesse some other matter come to stop them to desist from prosecuting what they haue begun By which letters you may vnderstand that the Pope tooke vpon him not onely to censure King Charles the Bald for his disobedience in so iust and rightfull a cause but to make himselfe Iudge also of Empyres and Kingdomes wherevnto neither the king nor his subiects would euer assent auouching that the Pope could not confound Religion with State and that they were resolued to withstand him whatsoeuer it cost them as being a new law which he meant to obtrude vpon the land to the preiudice of our kings It may be some honest meaning man will say How doth this hang together You allow the Pope all primacie and superioritie in spirituall causes and yet limite his general power in your owne king though he should runne astray out of the right way For in respect of temporall matters I grant it but as for this high point of spirituall authority all things make against that position Whom I aunswere thus We acknowledge in Fraunce that the Pope is supreame head of the Catholique and Vniuersall Church yet is it not therefore absurd or inconsequent that our Kings should be exempted from his censures We see that all auncient Monasteries are naturallie subiect to the iurisdiction of theyr Diocesans yet are many of them by speciall priuiledge exempted from the same Our auncient Kings haue beene the first protectors of the holy Sea as well against the tyrannie of the Emperous of Constantinople as against the incursions and inuasions of the Lombards which were dailie at the gates of Rome One king alone Pepin conquered the whole state or Herarchie of Rauenna which he freely gaue to the Pope deliuering their Cittie from the long siege which Astolpho king of the Lombards had held about it And Charlemaine the sonne of Pepin chased out of Lombardie Didier their king and his whole race making himselfe Maister as well of the Cittie of Rome as of all Italie where he was afterwards acknowledged and crowned Emperour of the West by Pope Leo whom he restored fully and wholly to his auncient libertie against the insolencie of the people of Rome who repined and mutined against him And at that time was it concluded that the Popes elect might not enter vpon the exercise or administration of theyr functions vntill they were first confirmed by him or his successors I am certainly perswaded that hee and his posterity were at that time freed and exempted from all censures and excommunications of the holy Sea And albeit we haue not the expresse Constitution to shew yet may it be extracted out of the Ordinaunces of the said Emperour recorded by Iuon Bishop of Chartres Si quos culpatores Regia potestas Epist 123. 195. aut in gratiam benignitatis receperit aut mensae suae participes fecerit hos sacerdotum populorum conuentus suscipere Ecclesiastica communione debebit vt quod principalis pietas recepit nec à Sacerdotibus Dei extraneum habeatur If the king shall receiue any sinner into the fauour of his clemencie or make him partaker of his owne table the whole companie of the Priests and people shall likewise receiue him into the cōmunion of the Church that that which the princes pietie hath admitted be not by the priests held as cast off or reiected If then the table or the fauour of our Kings did acquite and absolute the excommunicated person from the Ecclesiasticall censures wee may well say that our kings themselues were exempt from all excommunications Our kings had right to confirme the Popes after their elections a right which the Popes alledge to haue beene by them remitted then why should we be more enuied then they if the auncient Prelacie of Rome haue priuiledged our kings from all excommunications and censures whatsoeuer Sure I am that Pope Gregorie the fourth going about to infringe that prerogatiue to gratifie the sonnes of king Lewes the Milde the sonne of Charlemaine the good Bishops and Prelats of Fraunce sent him vvord that if he came in person to excommunicate their king himselfe should returne excommunicated to Rome A peremtorie speech I must confesse but it wrought so as the Pope to couer his packing pretended hee came into Fraunce for no other intent but to mediate a peace betweene the Father and the sonnes as indeede he did and had he stood vppon other termes hee would haue gone out of Fraunce greatly displeased So much doe wee embrace this priuiledge of our kings as wee dare affirme that it had his beginning eyther with the Crowne it selfe at what time Clouis became a Christian or at least in the second line within a while after our kings had taken in hand the defence protection of the Church of Rome for so doe we find it to haue beene obserued successiuely in Charlemaine Lewes the Milde his sonne and Charles the Balde his grand-child And since in the third line when our kings seemed some what to forget the right way and that it was requisite to extend the authoritie of the Church towards them the Pope or his Legates were fayne to ioyne the Clergie of Fraunce with them In briefe as long as all thinges were quiet and peaceable betweene the King and his subiects the censures of Rome were neuer receiued against our Kings In our auncient Records wee finde a Bull bearing date from Pope Boniface the eyght the tenor whereof is Vt nec Rex Franciae nec Regina nec liberi eorum ex communicart possint That neyther the King nor the Queene of Fraunce nor theyr
compared with the Generalls is lesse For after his holinesse hath confirmd a Bishoprick or any other promotion his hands are bound he cannot displace them of his owne absolute authoritie they are not Tenants at will as the Prouincials Rectors Iesuits Our holy Father by the ancient Cannons and constitutions cannot giue power to Bishops and Abbots to alienate their temporalties without speciall cognisance of the cause There is required an especiall assemblie to giue aduise and after consent obtained one presenteth himselfe to the Superior who appointeth a Proctor for the Church to see if such alienation be necessarie Theyr Generall may sell morgage allienate and dissipate the goods of the Church and is not accountable when he hath doone And that which is a tyrannie the like whereof was neuer heard hauing deputed such as shall please him to make his sales he may frustrate and disanull any act of theirs although they haue not exceeded the limits of their commission Our holy Father assumeth no such authoritie to permit such as haue vowed Chastitie Pouertie or Obedience to recouer theyr possessions much lesse to marry except Kings souerainge Princes and that in cases of very vrgent necessitie The cleane contrarie is practized by the Iesuits in their first vow which they call the simple vow is not this to attribute more to theyr Generall then our holie Father will assume I told you yesterday that in matter of Missions the Generall may send all vnder him whether hee will not onely of the last vowe but of the first and the second This you may finde in the ninth part of their Constitutions chap. 3. Artic. 9. Heere I desire to knowe from whence hee deriueth this power for from the holy Sea he hath it not search all the Bulls of their Order Well I know that in that of 49 of Paul the third it is lawfull for the Generall to send as well as the Pope into diuers countries for the propagation of our fayth But this clause is to be vnderstood of Fathers in the last solemne vow for the mission of the holy Sea extendeth onely to them Then this must proceede from some particular dutie the other Iesuits owe vnto theyr Generall But where is that For neither in their simple vow nor in theyr first solemne vow they binde themselues eyther to the Pope or their Generall to the vow of Mission but onely to the three substantiall vowes of other religious Orders Where then is this bond where lieth this dutie hid I belieue in the tyrannie of their Generall and in their blinded obedience And that which is strange this same blinded obedience is by all them promised and sworne vnto the Pope yet doth hee not exercise it but vppon the Fathers of the great and the last vow onely Whence springeth this diuersitie the reason is at hand In a vvorde our holy Father hath not so much power ouer the Iesuits as their Generall whom theyr soueraine Pope and in their irregular gouernment they acknowledge ours but for fashion sake Let vs goe a little further looke a little into their other behauiours They say they are subiect to the ordinances of the holy Sea I rather think they impose lawes vpon it That so it is before the Bull of the yeere 1540 first foundation of their Order they exercised of theyr owne authority their assemblies in the Charter house of Paris they opened since theyr shops to all coÌ„mers Before the permission they obtained in the yeere 1561 they exercised fortie and foure yeeres their simple vow which is contrarie to all the constitutions of the church before Gregory the 13. had giuen a safe conduit And as they wrought our Popes still to second theyr greatnes so this same remissnes relenting of the holy Sea hath giuen meanes to theyr Generall to equall himselfe vnto him Let vs consider our holy Father the Pope ordained of GOD such as he is when hee is chosen by the Colledge The Cardinalls bow themselues before him honour him and kisse his handes I thinke this honour is proper to his holines Part. 8. Constit cap. 6. art 6. The Generall of the Iesuits hath the selfe same kneeling and hand-kissing when hee is chosen And yet I will not wrong him for I must confesse that in some Monasteries this likewise is obserued specially in publique ceremonies but to take this homage of others it is inexcusable I will goe no further for an example then Father Claudius Aquauiua their present Generall After that he was chosen in the yeere 1581 and after all his schollers had done their homage and he had taken his chamber Inde pater saith the first of their Letters annuall for that yeere cubiculum ascendens eo die salutanti turbae omnis generis hominum exosculandas manus praebuit Which is to say After that the Father had taken his Chamber hee offered his handes to kisse to all manner of persons which came to salute him What newe idolatrie is this Is not this to erect a newe Pope in Rome triumphant ouer the true auncient We haue in our Church but one head whom we acknowledge to be about all other Prelats the Vicar of God The Generall of the Iesuits arrogats the same title In al the vowes which the Iesuits make before him they terme him Gods Lieuetenant Part. 5. constit cap. 3 part 6. cap. 1 betwixt Lieuetenant Vicar the difference is so nice that I see none And in one place of their Constitutions the glosse made by a Iesuit termeth him expresly Gods Vicar Nay they are so shamelesse Gl. part 4 Const cap. 3. that they are not content their Generall should assume this state but forsooth theyr Superiours may exact likewise of their inferiours Omnibus itidem commendatum sit vt multum reuerentiae praecipuè in interiore hominis Part. 6. Constit cap. 1. suis superioribus exhibeant Iesum Christum in eisdem considerent reuereantur That it is likewise to all in generall enioyned to giue great reuerence inwardly in their harts to their Superiours and that in them they reuerence and acknowledge Iesus Christ The Iesuit Montaignes speaking of the reuerence they vow vnto theyr Generall without disguising goeth plainly to the poynt If they promise saith hee to obey their Generall Montag cap. 27. it is in regard that he is Gods Vicar ouer his company If hee had said Vicar of our holy Father appoynted by him ouer his companie he had committed lesse incongruitie But as the Iesuits neuer want pretences to make their shifts more salable they force a place or two of Scripture to make good the vsurpation of their Generall the Popes riuall they say Qui vos audit me audit In the Plea of the Collâ—dge of Clairmont the yeere 1594 Fol. 61. Mont. cap. 27. qui vos spernit me spirnit And they allude to the place of Dauid speaking of the Iudges Vos dij estis Deus stetit
and not that onely but ouer and besides all this to striue to bring vnder their girdles the Secular Cleargy the chiefe state of Priestly preheminency is a wonder as we thinke the like whereof was neuer heard before amongst Catholiques Ecclesiasticall Religious or Temporall since Christs time till of late daies that the Iesuits are growne to such a stubborne and vnbridled head as we feare will breed great mischiefe in the Church of God before they be well reformed and brought into order againe In the other contentions before mentioned there was no fault as we takeit eyther in Saint Peter for defending his supremacie or in Saint Gregorie the great for mayntaining the dignitie of the Sea Apostolique or yet in the Archbishops of Canterburie for standing vpon their right and interest granted before vnto them by sundrie of Saint Peters successors for the chiefe primacy in and ouer the Church and ecclesiasticall State in England but in those that sought to impugne them was all the offence that was committed And that is our case iust who being Secular Priests now in England and else-where doe stand at this present in a strong opposition against the Iesuits We labour not for any extraordinarie superioritie ouer them not emulate in euill sense any of their vertues or good indeuours if any happily be in them nor intrude our selues into their haruest nor prie into their actions more then we are compelled nor insinuate our selues into their fauours nor desire to haue any dealing at all with them Onely we would be glad to keepe our owne places in the Church of Christ which we and all our predecessors Secular Priests haue euer held since the first propagation of the Gospell of Christ and Christian Catholique faith and religion by the holy Apostles after our Sauiours ascension and that now these begging Friers by faction and false pretences might not tyrannise ouer vs. It is strange to consider how mightily they are possessed with pride and ambition and how farre they haue thereby preuailed Being men of learning they scorne to be subiect to the orders of any Vniuersitie being preachers they will be exempted from the controlement of all or any Bishops being Friers you kill them if you tell them of any cloysters or wish them to liue retired like right religious men indeed or to keepe the generall statutes and rules of all other religious orders Being naturall borne subiects in many countries where they remayne no ciuill Magistrate Prince or Potentate must controll them nor once seeme to call them to the least account for any of their proceedings And that which is most being men that professe such zeale charitie inward mortification such humilitie and godlines Nay being men forfooth of perfection Est enim hoc institutum virorū plane perfectorum this our institution Iohn Osorius as the said Iesuit saith is of such men as are indeed perfect they refuse notwithstanding to accompanie the rest of the Cleargie both Secular Regular and religious and the whole Church of God in one of her most soleme and publique seruices done to his diuine Maiestie which we call our great and solemne processions because that by the custome of the Church they being the youngest and meanest or minimes of all Mendicants or begging Friers were to haue come last behind all the rest in that most honourable seruice But to come to our selues to their affectation of superioritie ouer vs and that in these dismal daies in the middest of our other domesticall calamities The Romane Colledge for the bringing vp of students to become Priests for England was no sooner erected but by sleights and false calumniations they got the superioritie and gouernement of it Vpon their comming into England how they laboured to creepe into mens consciences to insinuate themselues into Nobles and great persons estates and to discredit vs many Catholiques doe know Wee our selues from time to time did easily find the smart and inconueniene of it and many of vs to our friends haue oft bewayled and complayed with sighs and teares of such their vnchristian dealing with vs. Our brethren then prisoners at Wisbish who for their vertue constancie and most Christian Catholique conuersation maner of charitable proceeding in all their actions had worthily merited the name not onely of the visible but also of the most afflicted Catholique Church in England continued in that honour and reputation with all men euen from the beginning of their duresse vntill some seauen or eight yeeres agon that Frier Weston a Iesuit would needs be their superiour Frier Garnet the prouinciall of the Iesuits in England was in reasonable tune with some of our brethren verie auncient reuerend and learned Priests vntill they seemed to dislike this attempt of Frier Westons and then he brake with them in such bitternes as he discouered himselfe verie manifestly saying That he saw no cause why the Secular Priests might not content themselues well ynough to be subiect to the Fathers of the Societie of Iesus and added some loose reasons of that his assertion When both he and his subiect Frier Weston perceiued that their plot was dasned at Wisbish and how odious a thing it grew to be that men who professe religiō should aspire to such an vnheard of superioritie they wrought with their grand Captaine Frier Parsons that what they could not worke one way they might in effect compasse it by an other And thence insued the authoritie of our R. Arch-Priest procured by most indirect vnlawfull and dishonest meanes Which authoritie is so limited to the directions of the Iesuits and as it were confined to their platformes as whilest he is onely ruled by them and they by Frier Pasons it had beene peraduenture better for vs in regard of our quietnes commoditie that they thēselues had bin appointed our Commaunders Gouernors good Maisters for so hauing attayned directly to that which they aymed at it is likely they would haue beene content Whereas now because they want but onely the bare name of our Arch-Prelats their minds are so inflamed against vs as when we tooke exception at the manner of our Arch-Priests aduancement ouer vs and held that course therein which hath euer hitherto beene approued in the Church of God who but the Iesuits that are wholly exmpted from our Arch-Priest authoritie and ought to haue beene straungers in our affaires had it not beene vnder-hand their owne cause did then and euer since oppose themselues with might and mayne against vs in that action A principall Iesuit in Spayne telleth vs diuers straunge tales of this his Societie Iohn Osorius in obitu Ignatii which to our vnderstanding seeme to smell of worse matter then we are willing to reueale at this present Hee saith that Ignace their founder is the Angell of whom Saint Iohn spake when he said Quintus Angelus tuba cecinit The fift Angell sounded his trumpet Furthermore alluding to another Text he saith That Ignatius is the wearie and
atque alijs diligenter examinatis perpensis Haec societas videtur in negotio fidei periculosa pacis Ecclesiae perturbatiua monasticae Religionis euersiua magis ad destructionem quam act aedificationem I will not iuggle with you it may bee some of thys company vnderstands no Latine therefore this censure beeing the foundation of my discourse I will put it into French apparrell that euery man may know it In the yeere of our Lord 1554. the first of December the most sacred facultie of the Diuines in Paris after Masse of the holy Ghost was celebrated in the Colledge of Sorbons Chappell according to their custome this fourth time by oath assembled together to determine of the two Bulles which two holy Fathers the Popes Paulus the third and Iulius the third are sayd to haue graunted to these men that desire to be honoured with the societie of IESVS Which two Bulles the Senate or Court of Parliament of Paris sent by Hostiarius to the said Facultie to be perused and examined Before they entreated of so high and weightie matters all and singuler our Maisters in pubique with open mouth protested that they decreed deuisd and intended nothing against the authoritie and power of the Pope but all and euery of them like obedient Chyldren as they euer acknowledged and confessed him to be Christes chiefe vniuersall Vicar and generall Pastor of the Church whom all sorts of both Sectes are bound to obey to honour his decrees and euery one to defend them to his power So nowe also they doe sincerely faithfully and willingly acknowledge confesse the same But because euery man especially Diuines ought to be readie to giue an aunswere to euery one that asketh them of matters appertaining to fayth manners and edification of the Church the saide Facultie hath thought it meete to satisfie the request commaundement and entreatie of the Court. Therefore all the Articles of both Bulles beeing often read repeated and conceiued for the greatnes of the matter many daies monthes and houres according to their custome first verie diligently discust and examined at last with one consent but with great reuerence and humilitie submitting all to the controlement of the Apostolike sea they gaue this doome This new Societie chalenging to it selfe the rare title of the name of Iesus so licentiously and hand ouer-head admitting all sorts of persons how wicked illegitimate or infamous soeuer diffring nothing from secular priests in outward apparrell tonsure canonicall howers either priuately to be said or publikely to be sung in churches in cloistures and silence in choise of meates and daies in fasts and other ceremonies whereby religious orders are distinguisht and preserued endowed with so many and sundrie priuiledges grants and liberties especially in administration of the Sacraments of penance and of the Eucharist that without difference of place or persons as also in the office of preaching reading and teaching to the preiudice of the Ordinaries of the Hierachicall order to the preiudice likewise of other religious men nay euen of Princes temporall Lords against the priuiledges of the Vniuersities and to the great griefe of the people appeares to defloure monasticall religion it cuts the sinewes of the painfull holy and necessarie exercise of vertues of abstinence ceremonies and austeritie it opens a gap to Apostacie from other religious orders it takes away due obedience from the Ordinaries it vniustly depriues the Lords spirituall temporall of their right It breeds a garboile in both gouernments many complaints among the people many iarres discords contentions emulatiōs rebellions sundry schismes Therfore all these and other things of like nature thorowly examined and waighed This Societie appeares to be in matter of faith daungerous to the peace of the Church troblesome to monasticall religion ruinous and more apt to pull downe than to build vp Was there euer a better sentence mixt with a truer prophecie than this And why There was no banding then in the field euerie man slept safe in the sinceritie of his conscience towards God there were no tumultuary assemblies but for foure daies togither by them that had determined of it long before Much lesse minded they to oppose themselues against the authority of the holy Sea as we gather from their humble protestation For this cause the holy Ghost after their deuout inuocation of him by their sacrifice spake thorough the organe of this sacred facultie And thus am I perswaded that for these thousand yeers there was neuer any worke of the holy Ghost greater and more apparant to our eies than was this censure The Court of Parliament of Paris sent those Buls onely of Pope Paulus dated the yeere 1543. And that of Iulius the third dated the yeere 1550. The Iesuites kept all the other close bearing date of the yeeres 43.45.46.49 Vpon the sight but of those two ends of their ware they iudged wisely what the rest of the whole peece might be Without any more a do remember those three lines It breeds many complaints among the people manie iarres dissentions contentions rebellions and sundrie schismes and conferre them with your discouery of their order you shall find the Sorbons speech true The diuine seruice of their Church is diuided from ours their priuiledges make a deuision betweene the Bishops and them the Monasteries and them the Vniuersities and them the Diuines of Paris and them Their propositions also make a diuision betweene the holy Sea and Princes But how be these priuiledges maintaind By their Colledges their confessions their preaching Their Colledges are traps to catch youth their confessions subornations their Sermons Mounte-banks Markets If you beleeue this Iesuite here he will say we haue no preachers but them to defend the olde Church It is not yet aboue threescore yeeres since they were set a foote What preachers haue we had of them in Paris One Aimond Auger and Iames Commolet I remember none but these On the other side how many hath the facultie of the Vniuersitie in Paris bred of learned and holy men neuer tainted with innouation Againe did euer any man in our time heare a Iesuite handle or expound in Pulpit or open assembly any one text of Scripture either to vphold the Apostolike Sea or lay heresie in the dust What is the summe of their preaching To bite them that are absent not to edifie them that are present except it be to scandale kings and princes And that which is most admirable in this censure is that our diuines saw the rebellions these new masters would raise vp in time to come against our king Therefore while I now embarke my selfe against them it is neither giddinesse malice nor folly that caries me with wind and tide I set the venerable facultie of the diuines of Paris before mine eies for my Vice-admirall to carie the light in my nauigation CHAP. 4. ¶ How at what time and by what sleights the Iesuites crept into Fraunce WHen God is determined
this progresse by degrees the Iesuits request was presented to the Court of Parliament that had tenne Aduocates as Montaignes and Fon do confesse in their writinges in respect of 13. aduersaries Mont. ca. 22 Fon. ca. 4. which Fon reports were sixe boysterous mightie limmed bodies to wit the Vniuersities the Sorbons the Mendicants the Hospitals and the Parish priests With other foure Lordes of great authoritie namely the Gouernour of Paris the Cardinall Chastilion as protector of the Vniuersitie the Bishop of Paris and the Abbot of S. Geniueue Now can we be so sencelesse as to thinke that so many both of the better and meaner sort banded against them without cause in a matter of so great importance But what were the commons those which of late memorie plagued the Hugonots out of all measure raced the walls of Patriarch and Popincourt where they had theyr exercise of religion who by order of Lawe procurd the death of Gabaston the Captaine of their garde and protector of theyr attempts together with Cagres both the Father and the sonne So many Sages of the common people sworne enemies to heresie did sette thēselues against the Iesuits lying but yet in the suburbs of our ciuill warres against the Iesuits I say who then vaunted themselues to be the scourge of Hereticks Assuredly it cannot be but that all those great personages who then vndertooke the quarrell against them were perswaded that this Sect was extreamely to be feared as well by the libertie of the French Church and generall estate of Fraunce as of all Christendome Besides these two great parties there was yet another more strong mightie then them both namely Mounsieur Mesnil the Kings Aduocate in the Court of parliament directly opposite to them But for all this great multitude of partakers sayth the Iesuite the matter came not to open triall but was put ouer to coūsell as a plaine argument that the goodnesse of our cause did craue very much fauour Poore foole and young Scholler hadst thou been brought vp in the light of the Royall pallace or read the course of iustice of our kings as thou art nuzled in the dust of the Colledges thou shouldst haue knowne that the high Courts admit no open triall of great causes they haue no time nor leysure duly to informe theyr consciences As appeares by a like course helde by the same Court in the month of Iuly 94. And for this cause Mounsieur Marion pleading against the Iesuits of Lyons in the yeere 97. said that a defectiue and imperfect prudence of the yeere 64. was in some sort the occasion that the affaires of Fraunce degenerated with the time waxed worse and worse As for my selfe I will say more boldly with open face that this matter was in the yeere 64. put ouer to counsell by the wisedome of men but thys counsaile was guided by the hand of God who to take vengeance of our sinnes preserued the Iesuits as a deuoted instrument hung aside in the Temple fit for the future miseries of Fraunce To what purpose is all this saue onely this to shewe you that if I detest abhorre the Sect of Iesuits I haue no small shelters for my oppinion first the venerable censure of Paris the yere 1554. wherein were the greatest Diuines that euer were in Fraunce and by name Picard Maillard Demochares Perionius Ory the Inquisiter for matters of faith The first an admirable preacher whose body after his death being layd forth in his house in the Deanry of S. Germins of Lauxerrois the people of Paris for the sanctimony of his life did striue to kisse his feete the foure other his companions were extreame persecutors of the Heretiks I haue the great decree of the French church in the yeere 61. the iudgement that did second it and finally many men of marke and communalty set against them in the yeere 1564. Amongst these I may speake it for a certainty which I ought to beleeue because I saw it There was two honorable resemblances of antiquitie Solicitors in the cause Bennet the Deane and Courselles the Subdeane of the facultie of the Diuinitie Schooles in Paris The one fourscore yeeres of age the other threescore seauenteene both ready to depart from hence to giue vp an account of theyr actions in another world at which time euery man standes stricte vppon his conscience With them was Faber Sindic one of the wisest men that euer was among the Sorbons In the winding vp of all I will set downe Ma. Noell Brullarte Procurator generall the great Aristides and Cato of his time which liuing in the yeere 50. withstood the receiuing of the Iesuites I tell you this expresly to discouer how like the iugling of the Iesuits of our time is to the former For Fon is so impudent as to report that Ramus Mercerus after they became the Kings Professors reuolted from our auncient Religion and were folicitors in this cause and that if they had not encountred them they had won the field but to auoid sedition the Court was forced warilie to strike saile to the tempest by putting the matter off to counsell Well but yet thou lyest most impudently thou Iesuit Pardon me for it is very fit I should be in choller Neither Ramus nor Mercerus for theyr parts euer stirred in this although they tooke part with their brethren the Kings Professors because they would not separate thēselues from the body of the Vniuersitie Moreouer what likelihood is there that the mindes generally of the Parisiens could be so suddenly changed to take part with the Hugonots Mercerus was so farre from faction that hee had no skill in any thing but Hebrue wherein he spent all his time without intermission and became so great a Superlatiue in that tongue that by the iudgement of the best learned he was preferd before all the Iewes In all worldly matters hee stoode but for a bare Cypher But this is a Iesuiticall priuiledge to vnderset theyr slaunders with the time by newe cogges For if this Iesuit Fon durst he would say that the towne the Vniuersitie and the facultie of Diuinitie in Paris all the foure orders of Mendicants the Parish priests were Hugonots because they hindred the matriculation of this holy Order what other consequence can be deduced from his speech Oh singuler and admirable impudencie yet to be excused because it proceedeth from a Iesuit Neuerthelesse to shew with what truth integrity I mean to confound thē in their lying they caused Versoris Plea to be printed in the yere 94. he to bring the Vniuersity into hatred In the 24. 32. leafe of Versoris Plea saith first formost not that Mercerus but Ramus Gallandius were made solicitors in this cause but this was so far frō all likelihood of truth that euery man tooke it for an hyperbole by reason of the open enmity they caried to all times which accompanied them vnto their death This enmity Rablays the Lucian
A Cleargie mans goods may be confiscated by an ecclesiasticall Iudge in such cases as a Lay-man may be so punisht by the law 38 A Cleargie man may not be punisht by a Secular Iudge for a false testimonie giuen before him 39 A Clergie man being smitten by on of the Laitie may sue him before an ecclesiasticall Iudge 40 A Cleargie man may vse the custome and statute of Lay-men for his owne profit His meaning is that the custome binds him not vnlesse it please himselfe 41 A Bishop may constraine men vpon paine of excommunication to bring in the Testaments of the dead and see they be executed 42 A Bishop may charge a benefice which hee bestowes with a yeerely pension for the maintaining of a poore scholler or Clarke 43. A woman is not vsually to haue succession in Fee 44. A Cleargie man dying intestate and hauing no kinred the Church which he serued must be his heire but now perhaps the chamber of the Apostolique Sea inherits 45. A prisoner going to execution is not bound to confesse that which before he vntruly denied vnlesse otherwise some great harme may ensue 46. A prisoner is not to be compelled by his confessor to confesse his fault All which Propositions directly derogate from those which we obserue by the common law of Fraunce And yet that which is more mischieuous intolerable is that which he hath in two other Articles written in this sort 47 The rebellion of a Cleargy man against his Prince is not high treason because he is not subiect to the Prince 48 If a Priest in confession haue intelligence of some great daunger intended to the state it is sufficient to giue a generall warning to take heed He also against whom euill is intended may be warned to take heed to himselfe at such a place and time so that the penitent be not in daunger to be discouered thereby Good God Can we abide this order in our countrey of Fraunce I know that although God be thanked our kings were neuer tyrants yet the Iesuits propound two Maximes which if they should take place euerie soueraigne Prince must stand to the mercie of his people 49 A King may be deposed by the State for tyranny and if he do not his dutie when there is iust cause an other may be chosen by the greater part of he people Yet some thinke that tyrannie onely is the cause for which he may be deposed 50 He that gouerns tyranously may be deposd by the peoples sentence yea though they haue sworne perpetuall obedience to him if being warned he will not amend If these two Articles take place there is no Prince be he what he will that can be assured in his estate And I pray you suppose that this confessionary was printed in the yeere 1589. that is to say to confirme authorize that which was purposed against the King deceased in the beginning of the yeere when certaine ill disposed persons would haue declared him to be a tyrant 51. We haue in this countrey of Fraunce an appeale as it were a writ of Errour of the thundring of the Apostolike Buls when they are found to enterprize anie thing eyther against the maiestie of our Kings or against the auncient Councels receiued and approued in our Church of Fraunce or against the liberties thereof or against the authoritie Royall or Acts of the high Courts This appeale as from the abuse I tell you is one of the principall sinewes of the maintenance of our estate The Iesuit will not acknowledge it for many causes which touch him neere which I will not here discouer 52 The Iesuits acknowledge none for their Iudge but the Pope or their General desiring by this means to fend vs backe againe to that old labyrinth of Rome wherof our good Saint Bernard complaind to Pope Eugenius in his bookes of consolation And thereof we saw a notable example in Burdeaux when Lager Rector of the Colledge of the Iesuits declared that he would not obey the Maire and Iurats who had sent for him for the preuenting of a certaine sedition saying that he acknowledged them for ciuil Magistrates ouer the Burgesses of the Citie but that neither they nor any other Iudges of what nation qualitie dignitie and authority soeuer had any power ouer their societie but onely our holy Father the Pope or the Generall of their order And shall we then suffer this family to liue in the midst of vs That were indeed to receiue in a vermine which at length will gnaw out the heart of our estate both spirituall and temporall Then said the Iesuit to the Aduocate I will not be long in aunswering your curious collections Sess 25. ca. 16. de regular For against all that you haue said I oppose in one word the generall counsell of Trent by which we are approued and authorized 53 Whereto the Aduocate aunswered I grant that you haue thirtie on your part but we haue 45. aboue you This Councell concerning the doctrine is an abridgement of all the other auncient Councels therfore it is in that regard to be embrast by all deuout soules but wholy to be reiected concerning discipline as well Secular as Ecclesiasticall as that Councell by which our whole Realme of Fraunce would be set on fire if it should be receiued And they that can sent well smell that all which was then decreed came from the Iesuitish soules I meane as concerning matter of gouernment If there were no other respect but this ye were to be banisht out of Fraunce because we cannot allow of you without allowing of this Councell and the approuing of it were to make a great breach both into the Maiestie of our Kings and into the liberties of our Church of Fraunce CHAP. 2. ¶ That the Popes authorizing the Iesuit at his first comming neuer had any perswasion that eyther he could or ought to inhabit in Frannce WHen the Aduocate had made an end of this discourse the Iesuit thinking he had some great aduantage against him began to speak thús to him Let vs lay aside the counsell of Trent though it be a strong fort for the confirming of our order At the least you cannot deny that we are assisted with an infinite number of the Buls of diuers Popes Paulus and Iulius the third Pius the fourth and fifth and Gregorie the thriteenth by all which they do not onely approue vs but gratifie vs with many great priuiledges such as neuer were granted to any other order of religion as you might vnderstand by me yesterday Whereupon it followes that you and all other that set themselues to fight against vs ought to be held for heretiques Aduoc. A great obiection forsooth for you could not possibly fight against me with any better weapons I am right glad that my whole discourse begins continues ends according to the authority of the holy sea Abs Ioue principium Iouis omnia plena The holy Sea hath approued of you say you I
after they haue raised tumults in all Countries that theyr designements sort to effect CHAP. 17. ¶ That the Pope hath not power to translate the Crowne of Fraunce from one to another against the dangerous position of the Iesuits and some other discourse tending to the same effect THe Iesuits not content to haue offered violence to our King in time of the troubles doe at this day in the time of peace by theyr pennes offer violence to the Royaltie it selfe Hee that maintaines in Rome that the Pope may transfer Empires and Kingdomes from hand to hand at his pleasure deserueth a Cardinals hat as Father Robert Bellarmine the Iesuite he that maintaines the same position in Fraunce is worthie of a hat of that colour but not of that kinde as the Cardinals Kings die whē it pleaseth God to call them the Roialtie neuer dies Which is the cause that the Parliament Court of Paris when they accompanie the funerall obsequies of our Kinges are not in mourning weedes but in Scarlet the true marke and ensigne of the neuer dying maiestie of the Crowne or Royaltie One of the chiefe flowers of our Crowne is that our Kings cannot incurre the censures of the Church of Rome nor their realme be interdicted nor consequently transposed It is a law not made but bred with vs which we haue not learned receiued or by long instruction imprinted but a law which is drawne inspired and deriued into vs out of the very breasts of our Mother Fraunce wherein we are not nurtured but nursed that if any thunderbolts fortuned to be sent from Rome against the maiestie of our Kings so as in consequence thereof the realme might fall vnder the sentence of Interditement we are not bound to yeeld obedience thereunto Neither yet for all this did our kings euer loose the title of Most Christian nor wee of the Eldest sonnes of the Church The Iesuit hath beene condemned by a decree of the Court he drawes his chaine after him still yet will hee not cease to be a Iesuit that is a Seminarie of diuisions factions and dissentions within our country Let vs then heare what he saith who vnder the name of Montaignes hath publisht the booke of the Truth as hee intitles it but of the forged and lying Truth After hee had discoursed that the Temporall state onely appertained to the King and the Spirituall to the holy Father who claimed no interest in their souerainties hee affirmes that if the king happē at any time to transgresse God hath put a rod into the Popes hand to chastise him and depriue him of his kingdome And this is for the behoofe Mont. cap. 15. of the Truth defended for the good of Princes saith he who most commonlie are reclaimed and brought to their duties rather for feare of their Temporall estate which they euer-more hold deer though otherwise ill giuen then of their Spirituall which they set not by vnlesse their conscience be the better which is not generall to all of them But the Pope is no God no more was Samuell who executed that sentence against Saul So as God had annointed Saul King by the Prophet so doth he send the sentence of his deposition by him and by him translate the kingdome annoint Dauid king In the time of Osias king of Iuda the high priest no more a GOD then Samuell gaue the kingdome from the father to the sonne he being strooken with leprosie for his presumption This transposition of the Crowne was doone by the appointment of the high Priest according as by the Law was ordained and consequently the deposition of the Father Iehoiada was no God but a priest and Gods Lieutenaunt when after he had caused Athalia the Queene to be put to death for her tyrannous gouernment hee put the scepter into the handes of Ioas a prince of the blood and lawfull successor to the Crowne All those were but Gods ministers to execute his decrees as the Pope likewise is And seeing God hath infinite meanes to translate a kingdome by the force and weapons of Pagans as of Moores Turks and other strange Nations making the Assyrians conquerours ouer the Greekes the Greekes ouer the Assyrians both of the Iewes and the Romans of both what milder course could he haue ordained among Christians what way more reasonable or more secure then by the mediation and authoritie of the head of the Church and the common Father of all Christians who beeing specially assisted by God and by men both learned and religious will in likelihood doe nothing preiudiciall to the right of the lawfull successors and will proceede without passion and withall moderation and mildnes in a case of that importance hauing an eye euermore to the honour of God and vnto the publique and priuate good In conclusion by this learned position which our pernitious Iesuit maintaines the Pope hath authoritie to transferre kingdoms frō one hand to another when he seeth cause so to doe and dooing it hee is subiect to no mans controule inasmuch as if God himselfe may doe it then is it lawfull for his Vicar to doe the like the Pope hauing no lesse preheminence ouer Kings in these times of Christianity then the Prophets had in the time of Moses law This fond opinion of thine brings mee to a meruailous straite forcing mee to combate against the authoritie of the holie Sea First if you will argue this position morallie where shall you finde that a King constituting his Lieuetenants generall in Prouinces giueth them in all poynts as ample authoritie as himselfe hath ouer his subiects And to say that God hath transferred his omnipotent power into any man whatsoeuer is a poynt of blaspemie against the Maiestie of GOD. Besides tell mee Sophister where finde you that you ought to beg such examples out of the old Testament to transplant them into the new But with such illusions doe you and your associats surprise the consciences of the weake ignorant multitude For if that reason of yours were of any value or consequence we should by the same bring Circumcision into vse againe at this day because it was vsed vnder the Law of Moses And by the same pretext it shall be lawfull for the subiect to lay violent handes vppon his Soueraigne Iudges 3. because Ehud murthered Eglon King of Moab vnpunished Seeing you terme your selfe a Iesuit let vs follow the footesteps of Iesus Christ for to this marke ought all our cogitations to leuell whereunto restraining our discourse I will make it appeare that I am a true Cathotholicke liegeman to the Pope and thou a true Catholique Impostor VVee consider the power of our Sauiour Christ in two different times one was vvhen for our Redemption hee descended from heauen into the earth the other vvhen after his death and passion hee ascended from earth into heauen The first was the time of his humilitie in respect whereof hee professed that his comming was not to be an vmpire of their