to curse as well as sixe to blesse Moses the meekest man in all the earth was mediator of the condemning Law Saint Paul that was compounded of affection yet pronounced the greatest curse in the Book of God mens persons ought not so to be had in admiration that their wickednesse passe without condemnation In Courts of Iustice mens causes not their persons should speake Iacob lookes not on his sons cruelty with a fathers indulgent lenity but with a frowning Austerity whom GOD curses Iacob will not blesse cursed be their anger This censure will aggravate their sinne if you consider these circumstances First The Parents curse saith the wiseman rootes out the foundation of a child Gods curse usually goes along with theirs Noah cursed Cham and the Canaanites were cursed of God Saint Austen tells us of a Mother cursing her tenne Children that immediately from Heaven they were shattered in pieces Camerarius relates of one cursed by his father that presently by a miracle hee was fastned to the ground of a second devoured by Serpents of a third torne by devils sad and dreadfull examples a fearefull document to Parents to take heed how they rashly curse their children and for children how they provoke their Parents Parents are not easily moved to curse their children especially if they be religious parents men fearing God and yet Iacob Simeon and Levi's father holy Iacob curses but it is their anger not them their passions not their persons cursed be their anger this is the first aggravation Secondly the words of dying men are living oracles then men speak most affectionately and their words pierce most deepely Iacob at this time was on his death bed his sons crave his blessing he loves them but hates their sins as his soule at first gave no consent so his tongue now shall give no approbation to it at first he reproves them but having more liberty he detests it He was presently to appeare before Gods Tribunall so he calls them to his Thirdly an honest heart doth not only not act wickednes but abhors it Iacob as hee was no Counsellor to the offence so he would be no Patron to the offendors O my soule come not into their secret unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united Iacob as before he protested against it so now he disclaimes it Fourthly it 's the curse that followes the Iewes to this day to be a scattered people on the face of the earth division will follow unity in sin Simeon and Levi brethren in evill therefore Iacob makes them strangers in dwelling I wil divide them in Iacob and scatter them in Israel Simeon had no entire inheritance Levi no certaine Thus you have seen their sin and their censure But what 's this to us wil you say or what 's this to the busines of this day Have patience and this shall give more light and bee more welcome to you considering that Iacob in thus speaking is our spokesman Brightman speaking of the seaven Churches saith they were Typicall of the Churches of the Gentiles to the comming of Christ I should be too singular if I did say this history were Typicall and did set forth the tragedy for this day I wil not undertake to give an interpretation but I will promise and your selves shall see an exact application in all the particulars be pleased therefore once more to have recourse to the words of the Text and with a little variation of names and time read it thus Iesuites and Iesuited Papists are Brethren Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations O my soule come not thou into their secret unto their assembly mine Honour be not thou united for in their Anger they slew a man and in their selfe will they digg'd downe a wall cursed bee their Anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruell God divide them from the sonne of our Iacob and scatter them from our English Israel I will follow the same method that I did before I will shew you the sinne of these and their censure and that aggravated with the same circumstances as that of Simeon and Levi First then Simeon and Levi in their anger they slew a man a King The lives of Kings are sacred therefore those doctrines the most remote consequences whereof will maintaine killing of Kings are to be abhor'd among us But as for the doctrine of Iesuites and Iesuited Papists their Tenets and and principles sticke point blancke to this killing of Kings and in this their cruelty is farre worse than that of Simeon and Levi Simeon and Levi did once kill a King though de facto they did it yet they did it but once and their Religion condemned it and their father Iacob cursed it But it is the Religion of the Church of Rome and the constant practise of the Iesuites to doe it not only once but often yea their Religion maintaines it and in some cases makes it meritorious yea the Pope their father allowes it countenances and blesses it you were once taught to say on the service of this day that their Religion is Rebellion and their faith faction it is now altered And I have reason enough to beleeve there 's sufficient Reason of State for it though I see none I hope I shall make it easily appeare to you that the Religion of the Church of Rome maintaines killing of Kings Bellarmine in his Letter to Blackwell the Arch-Priest of England makes this Rhetoricall flourish did ever any Pope from the Infancy of the Church at any time command any King though heathenish to be kill'd or approve the Act after it was done Therefore saith hee why shall the King of England feare that that never any Christian King in the Christian world did ever or hath cause to feare boldly spoken and as a Cardinall Iesuite Let Bellarmine answer Bellarmine and throw blushing in his owne face I have the rather made choice of him because he is their Coripheus and few of them I beleeve deny what he affirmes yea I have him to shew if any denies what I say to you in his fifth booke De Roman Pontific 7. cap. he saith plainly Non licet Christianis c. It is not lawfull for Christians to tollerate a Heathenish Infidell Hereticall King yea saith hee it pertaines to the Pope alone to judge if the King be so or no he saith also in the same place if any sheepe become a Wolf any Christian Prince become a Heretick and labours to withdraw his subjects then the Pope ought to expell them excommunicate them drive them away from their kingdome and discharge their subjects of obedience And he gives this Reason and I beseech you marke it why the Christians in the Primitive times did not thus proceed against Nero Caligula Dioclesian Iulian the Apostate Valerian and the rest of those monsters Gods plagues to the Church because they wanted force So that by the doctrine of Bellarmine if Christian Kings are once Hereticks by the Pope
they may bee excommunicated deposed and deprived and experience showes it necessarily followes they must be murdered The same Bellarmine in his fift booke sixth chapter speakes out The Pope may change kingdomes and take them from one and give them to another and gives this Reason else saith hee Kings may pervert their people experience shewing that as the King is so is the kingdome Instancing in Ieroboam Constantine Constance Iulian King Henry the eight King Edward the sixt Queene Mary Queene Elizabeth All whose kingdomes changed with their Kings He affirmes this to bee a Catholike Doctrine and to prove it brings in the Verdict of Twenty Italians foureteene French nine Germans seaven English and Scots nineteene Spaniards all these prime Authors yea the Priests and Iesuites the great fomentors of those damnable Treasons against Queene Elizabeth give up father Bellarmine for their chiefest authority for their Oracle you see Bellarmine speakes plaine he saith enough yet not all I must tell you Bellarmine is modest to others that come after him though he saith somewhat yet they much more He maintained indeed against Aquinas that Kings are not to be murdered though they are Hereticks except they labour to make their people so too and maintaines against others that except the Pope have excommunicated and accursed them subjects are not to rise against their King But others Mariana and the rest of that blacke Guard speake out people are to rise against their King and though the Pope neglects his duty they are not to neglect theirs hee advises rather to poyson their chaire Incarnate devils yea the very vow that the Iesuites take will necessarily inferre this consequence therfore it 's not the opinion of a few alone but the whole order must avouch it I will not say every Iesuite and Papist de facto is not loyall and dutifull to their Prince I will say all their Loyalty depends on the Popes pleasure And what a rotten thread this is to hang so sharpe a pointed sword in over the head of Kings what loyall heart doth not tremble to thinke of it After a solemne profession that they beleeve the Popes absolute authority over all as the Vicar of Christ they make this vow to doe whatsoever the Pope or the Generall of the order shall command them immediately without any Tergiversation disputation or excuse at all and to goe wheresoever he shall command them whether to the Turks Infidels and Indians or Hereticks and Schismaticks among the Christians yea they are bound to beleeve that no error impiety injustice can come from the Pope but that all is Religion Zeale Devotion Equity and Truth My Brethren doe not these men commit themselves soule and body to the Pope doe not they give themselves not to beleeve their owne sences their owne Reason Iudgment and understanding And doe they not vow to goe to come to doe to say to execute upon all persons and against all persons whatsoever he shall command them and if this be true what hope what safety what meanes of refuge have Christian Kings and Princes but the Popes pleasure when these the slaves of the Pope for so the Iesuites call themselves which care not for their owne lives bee masters of the Kings And yet saith Bellarmine was it ever heard or read or did the Pope approve the fact after it was done if the Pope doth not allow of the killing of Kings and Princes wherfore I pray you doth he not set some severe Censure and with a fearefull frowne cry downe those Iesuiticall bookes of Mariana and the rest that not only approves but commends King-killing service Wherefore doth his holinesse suffer at Rome even under his nose those Iesuites that had the chiefest hand in Treasons to be pictured in Bookes like Martyrs and superstitious worship by the common people to bee done to them And those two Kings in France both murdered by Iesuites why did not his holinesse testifie to the Christian world his apprehension of so great misfortune which all Europe had cause to lament why hath not his holines made a Law and a decree against killing of Kings and Princes whereby they may enjoy more safety Let not words be credited when deeds speake so lowd King Iames in his answer to this flaâ—â—ting lye brings a full Iury of witnesses And Bellarmine himselfe in his eight Chapter twelve severall examples to prove the lawfulnesse that Kings may be deposed by the people I will keep at home and only tell you how the Pope proceeded against our King Iohn Queene Elizabeth King Iames Innocentius the first hee first interdicted the kingdome excommunicated the King cursed his person animated his subjects against him gave his kingdome to the King of France at last when the King somewhat relented and submitted to him he forced him to resigne his Crowne and kingdome to Pandolphus his Legate who kept it three dayes and after gave it him and made him tributary for his own kingdome That Bull of Pope Clement sent out against Queene Elizabeth is infamously and notoriously knowne whereby after much railing and blaspheming of her sacred person hee curses all that adhere unto her This Bull he sends into England fastened it on one of Saint Pauls Gates Saunders in his writings maintained it Bristow in his Motives approved it some of the Nobility and many of the Gentry were said to execute it From this fountaine all those bitter streames of cursed water flowed out damnable Treasons against her person But to passe all other the Treason intended this day speakes loud enough occasioned by Popish Religion attempted by Popish Catholikes encouraged by Popish Doctors maintained and blessed by the Pope himselfe I say the Pope himselfe for when father Garnet desired to know the Popes Resolution concerning the bloudy Tragedy Catesby presently resolved him The Pope saith hee that commanded our endeavours to hinder his comming in is willing enough wee should throw him out I know this Anniversary remembrance of this great deliverance troubles the hearts of tender Iesuites and Papists some in Print condemne it and say that the treason of the Powder Traitors ought to bee buryed in the grave of the offendors and not to be imputed to their Religion some impudently now begin to deny it and some with blacke mouthes labour to fasten it on the Puritans God rebuke them T is no new thing my brethren to disavow that which took no effect But had this damnable Treason beene executed it would not have wanted Patrons highly to have maintained it When that Parricide killed Henry the third King of France did not the Pope in full consistory of his Cardinalls make a glorious relation of it comparing the Asacinat to Eleazar and Iudeth forbidding all Masses and dirges to bee said for the soule of the King Is not his picture compleately set up in the Iesuites Colledge over the Altar with Angels protecting and crowning him I could at large relate the manner of the Iesuites proceedings how they raise the
thereabouts had beene destroyed who can conceive the sad and bloudy consequences of it The sword would not onely have passed through Westminster London and the Regions about but all the Country and Kingdome should have felt the fury of it yea Children unborne should have beene smothered with the smoake of it When the Sicilians Massacred the French their fury was so great that they did not only not leave one French man among them but ript up all their owne women that were with child by the French that not one droppe of French bloud might remaine among them When that great dissention in Italy and those factious names of Gibilines and Guelphs came up one adhering to the Emperor the other to the Pope When the Gibilines called in a third to assist them promissing their goods they having obteyned the victory fell a Rifling of both without distinction being charged with breach of promise they replyed your selves are Gibilines and shall be safe but your goods are Guelphs I make no question but the English Papists that now complaine of Salomons yoake if ever the French Spanish or Italian should come victoriously among us which God forbid they would find Rehoboams burden all their goods should be English if not they themselves Arch-Bishop Cranmer was not hee burnt though hee recanted My sword saith the Duke of Parma knowes no difference In the troublesome Reigne of King Iohn when the traitorous and rebellious Nobles called in the French and joyned with them against their King You may remember what Vicount Melun troubled in Conscience upon his death bed told the Lords affirming it upon his salvation that Lewes and sixteene Lords had taken an oath that if ever the Crown were set on his head hee would condemne to perpetuall exile and utterly extirpate all their kinred that adhered to him as Traitors to their owne Soveraigne when the proud Spaniards exercised those Tyrannies in the Netherlands they first pretended the maintenance of the Romish Religion yet they spared not to deprive very many Catholikes and Ecclesiasticall persons of their Liberties and priviledges and the chiefest that was executed of the Nobility was that valiant Count Egmund that most zealously was effected to their Religion yet most cruelly tormented examples are infinite but I hasten to the third aggravation Thirdly Simeon and Levi punisht them above their offence nothing is more ordinary in the writings of the Iesuites then this that Hereticks can never bee enough punished One complaines of that bloudy duke of Alva that hee made the Netherlands worse by shewing too much mercy from Spanish mercy Lord deliver us Arist. saith There ought to be a Geometricall proportion betwixt the punishment and the offence lesser offences are not to bee punished with the great censures of the Law Doctor Burges preaching before King Iames relates a story of Pollio's Wife that commanded her Butler to be hanged for breaking of a Glasse The Emperor passing by stayed the execution and said the sight of the Gallowes was enough for such an offence and to prevent the like commanded all glasses to be broken It's Tyranny bloudy cruelty to punish every sinwith death When men exercise great censures for small offences It is as one said to kill a fly upon a mans forehead with a great Beetle The Papists will allow veniall sinnes against God but all are mortall against their Pope There 's no command of the morall Law but they can dispense with it but none of their Ceremoniall Law disobedience to Parents Murders Treasons Treachery Adultery Incest Theft Sacriledge Lying Perjury are all pardoned but nothing against him Let God say they looke to the breach of his owne Law wee will looke to ours Austin put to death 1200. Monks of Bangor because they differed something from him in the Liturgie and service It s a signe of a trifling Age when the fathers of the Church trouble the peace of the Church for trifles when they excommunicate one another for Tything Mint and Comin As the Easterne and Westerne Churches about the keeping of Easter What great offence did Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem and the Bishop of Cesarea commit when they layd their hands upon Origen so highly to offend the Bishop of Alexandria it argues usually bloudy times when easie offences are punisht with death Pope Innocentius in words thundered out against Grosted that good Bishop of Lincolne because he denyed to preferre an Italian Boy commended to him by his Holinesse hee swore he would hurle him to such confusion as to make him a fable a gazing stock and a wonder to the world But hee thundered indeed that casheered one of his Officers because he kept not the legge of a Peacocke blasphemously saying God banisht Adam out of Paradise for an Apple and may not I his Vicar for a Peacocks legge To excommunicate Kings and Princes to interdict kingdomes to raise motions and commotions to send out Crosado's against Christians as against Turkes because in every thing they conforme not to the Pope what greater injustice tyranny and oppression To raise one kingdome against another to give one to another what greater tyranny and cruelty What had our King and State deserved of the Gunpowder-Traitors that they should reward it with so great cruelty They were not put to death as wee were in Queene Maries dayes our State had not erected an Inquisition like that of Spaine It hath beene the constant attestation of our Princes and States that not one Papist hath suffered in the cause of Religion They enjoyed their possessions their liberties their titles of honour they were admitted neare to the Kings person had the protection of our Lawes no violence was offered to them English Papists saith one are more pontificiall then the Spanish or French That is more false treacherous traitorous bloudy and cruell Soe that when the Romish Religion was in place among us there were more invasions and Rebellions then ever since that it became proverbiall of our King and kingdome that our King was the King of devils Now since the puritie of the Gospell among us all Rebellions and Commotions have been of the Popish faction I am sure the conspirators of this day were bloudy Papists One said to Q. Elizabeth commending Seneca's booke of Clemencie and saying it had done her much good yea saith hee but it hath done your subjects much hurt You know not what Powder-Treason may bee hatching in Rome nor what Invincible Armado preparing in Spaine nor what Incarnate Devill and desperately resolved Iesuite with murder in his heart may be lurking in some secret corner of the kingdome I know while the Devill is in hell and the Pope in Rome and the King of Spaine aspiring to bee universall King as the Pope universall Bishop while the Iesuites are suffered in England and the English are reformed there wil not want Plots to confound us all O they are active spirits firy Gunpowder Traitors A French Papist made this Apostrophe to Henry the fourth King of France
Great Prince saith hee Your Majestie need not feare the treason of the Iesuites for you are protected by the particular care and extraordinary favour of GOD which over-shadowes you and makes you redoubtable to all your enemies But Sir saith hee what hopes or meanes of safety or refuge to posterity when the Rat is in the Bagge when the Serpent is in the bosome the powder in the Pistoll Iesuites saith he that are sworne servants to the Pope can never bee true subjects to their Prince they exempt themselves from obedience and avouch the same of all Clergie men to make their party the more strong yet poore Prince after a little while had the Iesuites knife in his heart God preserve our King and hee that brought him from Spaine to the admiration of many that he might preserve him a blessing to this age preserve him from the power and cruelty of Spaine yet as a Privie Counsellor spake of Q. Elizabeth concerning the Papists he never went to bed but awaked with feare least he should heare of her death by Treason nor never Rose in the morning but expected the same ere night So wee may bee sure of this where ever occasion is offered how ever for the present they may strive to appeare good subjects traitors wil be ever traitors ready to vent their Treason the least occasion shall be enough to kill Kings and blow up Parliaments This is the third Aggravation Fourthly Simeon and Levi in their anger they slew a man in their selfe will they digg'd downe a wall Their anger was fierce their wrath was cruell Salvian asketh What so great wickednesse in the Christian Religion that for this cause Parents curse their children and children their Parents No anger so fierce nor rage so cruell as that against sincere professors I cannot but admire at the divelish rage of the Church of Rome against us they esteeme all the reformed Churches no better then Turkes Iewes and Infidels nay worse for they admit these to dwell in the midst of them Blasphemers murderers witches perjured persons traitors they can dispense with they account us dogs worthy nothing but rackes torture torment worthy cruell death and beastly buriall they will not allow us a place in their purgatory but send us to Hell yea those damned Hypocrites the Lords Inquisitors the very Nero's and Caligula's of the Age say they show too much lenitie to such dogges as we are Theodosius in his hot Rage caused 7000. of Thessalonica cruelly to be put to death for which cause Ambrose excommunicated him and he relenting made this Law that execution should not soone follow sentence but thirtie dayes should passe betweene them They have not the reason of men but the rage of Lions the Venym of Serpents and devils that are hasty to shed bloud It was a cruell wish of Caligula that wish't all Rome had but one neck that he might cut it off at one blow and the King of Spaine that wish't all the Netherlands a Sea My brethren there is no rage wrath nor malice like to the wrath of Rome I cannot enlarge my selfe in every particular No piety to God no justice to Innocents no pitty to their friends no loyaltie to their Soveraign nothing is able to keep them in Romes Babylonicall furnace is seaven times hotter their rage and superstition like two impetuous torrents beare down all respects before them but that rage is most hellish which in peace storms and thunders which brings me to the fift Aggravation The fifth circumstance that aggravated the sinne is that they falsified their words they broke their covenants The Papists teach that no faith is to be kept with Infidels Heretickes Oathes and agreements ought to bee sacred and kept among all nations Heathens will not infringe their oathes when once the name of their God is upon them for the terror of that God Therefore the Heathen Embassadors of Rome chose rather voluntarily to returne and be tortured to death then perjured When one of them equivocated to save his life the Senate put him to death But the Rome Christian not onely practise but teach that men may men must breake and the Pope can dispense with the breaking of the oath The Councell of Constance determined this in the case of Iohn Hus and Ierom of Prague whom they illegally burnt though they had promised safety saying no faith was to bee kept with Hereticks This made the friends of Luther so unwilling to let him goe to Wormes though his resolution was unalterable I go saith he in the name of God and of Iesus Christ though as many Devills were in Worms as there be tyles on the houses I would goe And indeed it was the same Iesus Christ preserved him for Baals Priests there would have him put to death and had not the plaine opposition of Lewes Elector Palatine prevailed with the noble disposition of Charles the ninth they had burnt him also Good God! that they that have the faces of men the Intellect of Angels the profession of Christians the Repute of learning so great a name through the whole world yet notwithstanding maintaine such divelish Atheisticall and damnable positions contrary to all humane society to the shame of Christians to the ignominie and reproach of Christ Iesus Saint Paul in the 2 Thessalonians 2. calls him the lawlesse man no law can bind him no covenants no agreements When the Cardinals meete to choose a Pope in the Conclave they make a vow whosoever is chosen Pope he shal sweare to such Articles as they make And Sleydan saith the Pope is no sooner chosen but he breaks them all and checks their Insolencies as if they went about to limit his power to whom al power is given in heaven and in earth The Christian Religion never suffered so great a scandall and losse as when Iulian the Legate dispensed with the oath wch Vladislaus made to Amurath the Turk The cause saith Sir Walter Rawleigh of the cruell war forty yeares betwixt the Netherlands and the King of Spaine which cost one hundred Millions of money and the lives of foure hundred thousand of men is dispensing with the oath the King of Spaine took I le instance in one to which a second cannot bee added Henry the second Emperor and Paschall the Pope made an agreement for further testimony of their Reconciliation and for more security the Pope doth administer the Sacrament with these words Take this pledge of my true love and our unfained reconciliation let him bee divided from Iesus Christ and have no part in his kingdome who first breakes covenant yet the very next yeare with the consent of his Cardinals hee broke this oath when oathes and Covenants are like Sampsons cords not able to binde what safety can there be in the world Some Iesuites laugh at the Zeale of our King and State in making the oath of Allegiance and say it 's to bind silly Foxes and is easily broken and say the Pope can dispense with