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.
razing at least the deadly wounding of Popish Idolatrie The one whereof by Gods great blessing his Maiestie hath in manner already performed The other by Gods grace vsing the ordinary meanes he is shortly to effect The encrease of Papists in this Kingdome In the meane time it is certaine that Papistes vpon what false grounds I know not considering his Maiesties heroicall and constant Resolution to maintaine the puritie of the Gospell bragge much of their number and multitudes within this Kingdome whereby they haue encreased their malicious zeale in so much as they seeme to be euen almost ready to breake forth into actuall Rebellion I will not speake of the multitude of pestilent Books which they haue lately brought into the Realme to moue Sedition nor of the flocking hither from beyond the Sea of whole swarmes of Iesuites and Priests besides two Benedictine Prouincialls with their fellow Locustes who are said to haue shared the Kingdome betwixt them to prepare the people for their purpose nor of their labouring to alienate the common peoples affection from their loyaltie towards his Maiestie nor of their pernicious Libelling against the State nor yet of their Insolencie and Rage towards the persons of some particular Ministers and others that stood in their way Onely their furie and malice may be partly gathered by their outragious and enormous fact lately committed at Enborne in Barkeshire Ontragious parts plated by the Papistes as Enborne in Barkeshire as may appeare by this parcell of the Libell they left behinde them in the Church which in perpetuall detestation of their insolent Libelling-spirit I thought good here to insert as foloweth A fragment of a Papish Libell And now what we bee if any would know Catholiques we are and so do auow The Seruice-Booke here scattered all Is not diuine but hereticall So is the Bible of false translation To cut and mangle it is no damnation The Register also if so we do serue We serue it no other then it doth deserue For why should new Heretiques be thus enrold Enrole good Catholiques long dead of old Out with new Heretiques hence let them go Register Catholiques and register no mo For Catholiques onely are worthy record Into Church-register to be restord The Papistes violent carriage an argument of their imminent ruine This violent carriage of the Papistes in time of their restraint as it doth sufficiently declare their more then Diabolicall audacitie if they had libertie granted them so vnto me it is an euident argument of their imminent ruine For in deadly diseases it is commonly seene that before the period of death the patient is wont to receiue some small strength which vnto the vnskilfull giues hope of perfect recouerie but vnto the learned Physition as the extreamest endeuor of Nature is an infallible token of certaine death To this end at the commandement of such whom in the Lord I am bound to obey in all things I haue penned this subsequent Tractate wherein I haue proued the Vnlawfullnesse and Danger of Toleration of promiscuous profession of diuers Religions aswell by Lawes Diuine and Humane as also by Reason and the woefull Experience of such as euer found themselues deluded by humaine Prudence or Policie Of Toleration of Heretiques If any man shall aske whether I thinke it altogether vnlawfull for a Christian Prince in any case to tolerate Heretiques within his dominions where true Religion is setled I answer that I thinke I haue manifestly proued in this Treatise that the exercise of a contrarie Religion ought not to be admitted because it prouoketh the indignation and wrath of GOD against the whole Land exposeth orthodoxe Christians vnto the danger of Gods reuenging furie and breedeth contempt of Religion Of Heretiques cohabitatiō amongst true Christians But if Question be made concerning the cohabitation only of such with vs I answer that submitting my selfe I willingly commit that vnto the grauer iudgement of such as haue experience of publique affaires and exact knowledge of all Antiquitie albeit I am perswaded that all Christian Princes ought carefully to labour as much as in them lieth that Heretiques do not inhabite together with Orthodoxe Christians they should waigh whether Religion the Church and Common-wealth by mutuall exchange receiue any thing which may more benefit them So that I thinke Note will onely Ciuill and Politique Reasons as the profit of some Citie or Prouince greater gaine in traffique enlargement of buildings or encrease of reuenewes are not to be regarded in this case if they be compared with the mischieuous wilfull contempt of Ecclesiastique and Ciuill Magistrates and with the certaine danger of corrupting good Citizens who can hardly touch pitch and not be defiled therewith especially by such as are wholy bent to peruert and infect aswell their owne children friends as their fellow-citizens and neighbours Almightie God Lord of Heauen and Earth of his infinite mercy and loue in Iesus Christ giue his Church rest and deliuer vs from this great plague of Popish Heresie Amen Farewell good Reader London-House this 18. of May. 1605. Thine euer in the Lord IESVS CHRIST Gabriel Powel The vnlawfulnesse and danger of Toleration of diuers Religions and Conniuency to contrarie Worship in one Monarchie or Kingdome CHAP. I. ¶ Of the diuersitie of Opinions concerning Pacification Diuers opinions concerning Pacification DIVERS haue beene the proiects deuises and practises of sundrie men to redresse the difference in Religion and disparitie of worship which now for many ages haue vexed the Christian world Some haue thought it necessarie that the common Cause were debated in a free I A generall Councell lawfull and generall Councell Which would to God we might see so assembled and ordered by Christian Princes as the WORD OF GOD preuailing and all our Controuersies taken away there might be but one flocke and one folde as there is but one Shepheard Christ Iesus But this cannot be obtained of the aduerse partie without most vniust and vnequall conditions of appointing him to be the iudge of our cause whom we are to charge before Almighty GOD No man ought to be Iudge in his owne cause his holy Angels and his whole Parliament of Saints to be the very same great ANTICHRIST whom the Scriptures foretold should come for iust punishment of the wicked who haue not receaued the loue of the trueth and the very head of that great Whoore which hath made all kingdomes drunke with the cup of her fornications Wherefore seeing such a free and lawfull assemblie cannot be had we must remitte our selues to the Great Day of triall when Christ shall come with thousandes of his mightie Angels to iudge the quicke and the dead and before Saints and Angels before Heauen and Earth all Creatures bearing witnesse of his Iustice giue sentence according to his written-word on our side against our aduersaries Others imagined that the difference betweene both Religions is not so great but that there
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
kingdomes to perswade the people to allow of the Popes Bulles and to reconcile men from their loyaltie and obedience to the Queene vnto the Pope Which traiterous course had it not beene by Gods goodnesse espied and staied there had followed imminent danger of horrible vproars in the Realme For some of these cursed and seditious Seedes-men and sowers of Rebellion were discouered and being charged with euident points of high Treason not being dealt withall vpon Questions of Religion were truely conuicted openly condemned and iustly executed as Traytors vnto their Prince and Countrie Hereby appeareth the Libellers impudencie and malice in traducing the Queenes gouernement for tyrannie whereas indeed it was but due and needfull execution of Iustice for necessary preseruation of her person estate and Subiects For that Prince that neglecteth his Office and suffereth disloyall Subiects and Rebels to haue their wils for want of resistance and courage ought not to be pitied though he lost his Crowne his head his life and his kingdome Touching the increase of Papistes ten to one that were before in the yeere 1582. ten to one it is a malicious lie and vntruth which needeth no further refutation For lightly said without proofe may be lightly contemned without answer Of the increase of Papistes in the last yeeres of the Queene And that the Papistes began to increase in the later yeeres of the Queene it was by reason of impunitie and slumber of Iustice as her Maiestie confesseth in her Edict Nouemb. 15. 1602. which she was then presently about to reforme and indeede had so donne if she had not beene preuented by Death You will perhaps reply that in Scotland our brethren had better successe when they tooke armes in the daies of his a Maiesties mother for the 1 A malicious vntruth spreading of the Gospell Fol. 16 yet you must confesse that it was but small discretion to set all vpon the vncertaintie of a battaile Many like violent attempts haue beene practized in that Realme through zeale of Religion but by clemencie and moderation his Maiestie hath not onely escaped the dangers but also made himselfe a peaceable Master and Lord ouer them all imitating heerein that most renouned French King Henry 3. who perceiuing the fire of Ciuill wars to kindle betweene the King of Nauarre who was of the Religion and the house of Loraine would 2 For he neuer ioyned with both together breake neither with the one nor the other but fauoured them both so farre as in the end he made himselfe 3 The Libeller must needes be either a foole that knoweth not what he writeth or a Knaue for belying of Stories For that poore King was so farre from being peaceably Lord ouer the house of Lorraine that they traiterously caused him to be murdered in his Campe before Paris Reade the Answere peaceably head of them both who afterwards wholy depended vpon his wil pleasure To continue yet further in the affaires of Fraunce they that haue seene the successe may witnesse that no violence could worke out 4 True because the gates of hell cannot preuaile against Christs Church them of the Religion in the time and raigne of Charles 9. and since the said King Henries death the force of Spaine ioyned with Fraunce vnder the conduct of the Dukes of Parma and Du Maine did not so much b preuaile in Fraunce as did the Bishop of Rome his 5 O curteous entreating courteous entreating the now King and his adherents although of a contrary Religion vnto him If the Pope will for his more 6 For he doth nothing but for aduantage aduantage yeeld to them in some things who were his greatest enemies what neede we be so straight laced against our owne Countreymen for matters of Religion May not his Maiesties example of clemencie towards the Papistes heere mooue some Prince abroade to be 7 Fonde suggestions fauourable to our brethren Is not the Masse suffered at Rochell and other like townes in Fraunce in hope that they of the Religion may be like-suffered in Paris and other such townes in Fraunce Haue not our brethren in Holland offered to admit the Papistes to preach and say Masse in their Countries so that they might haue like libertie in all the other Prouinces If we haue the truth why should we 8 Let the Libeller perswade the Pope and the King of Spaine first to graunt this libertie to our Religion feare that other Religions should haue libertie with vs and why may not the King doe as the Queene mother did in Fraunce who being a stranger in the Countrey and at the death of her husband the gouernement of the Realme 9 No otherwise then by great meanes and entreatie falling into her hands during the minoritie of her children did iudge a it the wisest way for the maintenance of her authoritie Fol. 17 to keepe still on foote the oppositions which she found either by diuersitie of Religion or otherwise and to fauour them 10 False for from the yeare 1562. vnto her dying day she was an extreame enemy vnto them of the Religion all in such sort as still she might be able to curbe the stronger by supporting the feeble and weaker partie Euery little gouernour in France that hath vnder his charge a towne or prouince where men of sundry Religions liue as the Duke Memorancy the Duke Bullion Diguiers and the like taketh the same course as the Queene mother did and so keepeth his places or prouinces at his deuotion and in due obedience And at this day in Fraunce you see no vndiscreetely zelous man in great fauour with the King or in high estate to gouerne that by the moderation of such as are not too forward the insolency of other whom zeale may mooue to be troublesome may be repressed And 11 Non causa pro causa thus the Countrey is kept in greater peace and quietnesse then hath beene seene in Fraunce for 40. yeares before and that chiefely by the diligence and dexteritie of two especiall fauorites of the King the Marques of Rosne high Treasurer and Monsieur de Villaroy principall Secretary both of them b of farre different yet temperate humour in Religion Wherefore the Scottish Noble men tooke armes It was not for the cause of Religion that the Noblemen of Scotland tooke armes as the Libeller would make vs beleeue but for other matters The house of Guise in France vnder colour of consanguinitie and Religion brought into Scotland French forces in great numbers Whereupon the ancient Nobilitie of the Realme seeing the imminent danger of reducing their kingdome vnder the Tyrannie of Strangers tooke armes against the enemie and being not strong inough to subdue them praied the Queene of England her ayding forces which her Maiestie knowing the action iust and honourable easily granted them and accordingly expelled the Strangers and restored the Nobilitie to their degrees and ancient priuiledges and the State to peace