by the vsurpation of the Gothes and Vandales Rome hauing bene in a short time thrice sacked the yeare 414. vnder Honorius by Alaricke in the yeare 459. vnder Martian by Gensericke King of the Vandales and lastly by Totilla King of the Gothes in the time of Iustinian who expelled thē in the yeare 552. But the King of Lombardes dispossessed him and held Italy two hundred yeares after till he was expulsed by Charles the Great During which hurliburlies there remained to the Emperour the Exarchate of Rauenna of which place the Bishop in the yeare 558. would haue attributed to himselfe the name of Vniuersall Byshop because hee alone in Italy acknowledged the Emperour On the contray the Bishop of Constantinople pretended this authority because of the seate of the Empire Which ambition Gregory the great Bishop of Rome a learned and good man blamed in many of his writings saying Greg. 16. Epistol Indict 15. Epist 194. 288. c. That he should be the Anti-christ which would seeme God ouer all men but that hee was his fore-runner which exalted himselfe aboue Priests Whence it followeth that the first degree of Anti-christian ambition was to exalt himselfe aboue his fellow-officers in the Church and that the accomplishment of this mysterie is to exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God 2. Thes 2. or which is adored Notwithstanding Boniface the third successour of Gregory was not of this opinion but receiued the title of Vniuersall Byshop by meanes of Phocas who hauing slaine the Emperour Mauritius and his family vsurped the Empire and made himselfe Lord of Constantinople CHAP. V. The Christian Kings are grounded in title and possession of the rights and authority aboue declared PHARAMOND the first King of French-men beganne to raigne in the yeare foure hundred and seuenteene Three of his successours were Pagans Du Haillan in the end of the raigne of Clouis Clouis was the first Christian he came to the Crowne in the yeare 484 and continued in possession of the Royall authority before spoken of For he assembled a counsell at Orleans in which were many Prelates namely 32. Bishops and caused two Monkes guilty of high Treasō to be executed In the same manner continued his Successours vntill Boniface the third which may bee said to haue bene the first Pope For as touching the name it was before common to other Prelates as Saint Hierome in many of his Epistles calleth Saint Augustine Hier. Epist ad August to 2. and Alipius by the name of Popes as the name of Priests and Bishops were taken in the same signification for said Saint Hierome Hier. Euagrio Vbique fuerit Episcopus siue Romae c. siue Regij eusdem est meriti sacerdotij c. What is the Byshop more then the Priest except the ordination c. Euery Byshop whether hee bee of Rome or of Alexandria hath like merite and the same Priest-hood richesse nor pouerty doe neither exalt nor debase the Byshop c. Notwithstanding after sixe hundred yeares the said Boniface the third then Byshop of Rome together with the name tooke vpon him the effect And as Adam gaue the name according to the nature of the thing and as in truth it was Boniface the third and his successors challenged to themselues the things after the abuse of the name Whence it is obserued by Historians Beda Sigibert c. Durand 4. rational Ado. Onufrius that he was the first that vsed in his Decretals these termes We will we ordaine wee command and enioyne Now that which hath very much aduanced such vsurpations hath bene the confusions of the warres of Italy and the negligence of our last Kings of the first race out of which King Pepin taking occasion to assume the Crowne and to trans-ferre it into his family made himselfe bee crowned by the Pope in the yeare seuen hundred fifty and fiue to the end hee might make vse of the credite that from those times the Pope had in the Christian Churches and that hee might the more oblige him to maintaine his cause he gaue to the Pope the Exarchate of Rauenna and that which hee holdeth in Romania And by this meanes these two Lords obliged themselues each to other without disbursing penny for the least Byshop in France could haue crowned Pepin as valuably as Pope Zacharie and the Exarchate pertained not to the King but to the Emperour Paul Emil. du Tillet others to mittigate whose indignation the King made that donation in the name of Constantine who was dead more then three hundred yeares before Which I report for to shew that the greatnesse of Popes proceedeth from the liberality of our Kings and that they should bee very ingratefull if they did not acknowledge it toward them Moreouer Pepin changed the ceremonies obserued in the Gallicane Church and brought in the Romane ceremonies by the mediation of Renny Arch-bishop of Reines About the same time arose the controuersie about Images which the Greek Churches would not receiue into their Temples Epiphanius Byshop of Salamina tare in peeces a picture set vp in the Temple and Serenus Byshop of Marseille beate downe an image The Emperour Phillipicus surnamed Bardanes maintained himselfe in the right of Kings and in the yeare 713. made a decree concerning Images which dured till Constantine the second who confirmed it in the yeare 782. whereat his mother Irena being prouoked as superstition easily inciteth weake mindes shee assembled a Councell at Constantinople during the Emperours minority for to establish her Images but the people opposed themselues thereunto and chased away the Prelates which afterwards were assembled againe by this woman at Nice but when shee could not install her Images shee put out the eyes of the Emperour her sonne and sent him into exile in which hee died Meane time in the yeare 776. King Charles the Great passed into Italy subdued Didier King of the Lumbardes tooke him prisoner and brought him to Lyons and soone after being requested by Pope Leo to deliuer him from the hand of Campul and Syluester his enemies hee went thither and by the same meanes made himselfe bee crowned Emperour and confirmed to the Pope the donation of King Pepin his father and from that time forth by trans-action betweene the King and the Emperour the Empire was diuided and the westerne part remained to Charlemaigne who approued not the decisions of the Greekish Synode but wrote a booke entituled a Treatise of Charlemaigne against the Greekish Synode touching images which booke is extant to this day But that which serueth to our purpose is that the King by this meanes maintained himselfe in possession to make Lawes for the Church of which there are many in a booke called the Capitularie decrees of Charles the Great And as Pepin his predecessor had done in the Cittie of Bourges so did hee also assemble many Councels in diuers places of his kingdome as at Mayence at Tours at Reines at Chaalons
of two extremities the meane of which consisteth in fiue royall prerogatiues The first is a power to make Lawes L. 55. v. C. de leg Tit. c. de veâ—stig without the coÌ„sent of any subiect necessary thereto consequently to coine mony to giue it value to stamp his armes vpon it to impose taxes according to the necessity of the State Secondly to make peace or warre be it to succour his allies or to reuenge an iniury L. vt Armorum Auth. de armis l. 1. ad l. Iul. de Ambitu l. ius gladij de reg iu. Doct. in l. 3. de iurisd omnium whosoeuer haue committed it Thirdly to create Magistrates and to establish or suppresse them Fourthly to take knowledge of and to iudge appeales definitiuely And lastly to haue power of life and death ouer all sorts of inhabitants in his kingdome ouer all persons resident within his Dominions and generally to dispose according to the lawes of their goods life reputation Of which points whosoeuer preteÌ„deth himselfe to be exempt resisteth the ordinance of God and are guilty of high Treason what pretext soeuer they bring CHAP. III. That Ecclesiasticall persons were subiect to Princes before the comming of our Lord IESVS CHRIST THAT is not new which is froÌ„ the beginning of the world 1. Ioh. 2.7 2. Ioh. 5. saith Saint Iohn Teneaut Sa. Iesuite in his Aphorismes Printed at Antwerp v. Princeps v. Clericis Wherefore we cannot sufficiently detest the new opinion of the Iesuits who teach that Ecclesiastical persons caÌ„not be condemned for high Treason because they are not the Kings subiects To conuince which heresie to hinder that none following this doctrine doe any more atteÌ„pt against our Kings let vs lead these Pharisies to that which was at the beginning We haue no Hystorian more antient then Moses who from the creation of the world vntill his death in the yeare of the world 1493. telleth vs of no other superiour power but of the Prince ouer all the inhabitants of his Territory And accordingly hereunto Exod. 20. to the 25. Chapter the Law was giuen of God to Moses the Duke and King of the people and not vnto Aaron acording as it is written Ex. 24.7.8 that Moses tooke the booke of the Couenant and read it in the hearing of the people c. Tooke the bloud of the couenant and sprinkled it vpon the people And wheÌ„ the chiefe Priest with all the visible Church had committed idolatry about the golden Calfe Moses reproued him saying to Aaron Ex. 32.21 What did this people vnto thee that thou hast brought so great a sinne vpon them To which reproofe Aaron answered him not that he could not erre nor his Church nor that hee iudged the whole world and was not to be iudged of any but acknowledged himselfe to be in the State and consequently the Princes subiect asketh him pardon saying Let not the wrath of my Lord waxe fierce The like reprehension Eleazer the chiefe Priest did take in good part when Moses said vnto him Leuit. 20. Yee should haue eaten it in the holy place as I had commanded In the same manner also as touching the iurisdiction for it was wholly in the hands of Moses Exod. 18.13 c. as being the Prince of the people iudging in person as in times past the Kings of France haue done or ordeining Iudges to take knowledge of causes which respect either the Church or processe betweene man and man Afterwards also there was references appeales in cases of difficulty which returned to Ierusalem 2. Chron. 19.8 Deut. 17.8 And to himselfe was giuen of God the direction of the seruice and order Ecclesiasticall and not to the Priests Against which truth it will not serue the turne to say that Moses was of the family of Leui for seeing hee reproued the chiefe Priests themselues it was not in quality of a Leuite who had bene inferiour to the least of the Priests if hee had not further had the quality of Duke So Dauid a man after Gods owne heart who tooke not vpon him aboue his charge hauing named Salomon his son for successor gathered a Councell 1. Chro. 23 numbred and distributed to the Priests their charges and offices described in that place which consisted not in commanding but in their administring before the Lord For to purifie all holy things for the shew-bread and for the fine flower for the meate offering and for the vnleueaned cakes and to offer burnt-offerings 2. Chro. 6. c. Salomon likewise dedicated the Temple and consecrated it to God in presence of all the Church And himselfe conceiued prayer and blessed the people the Priests being present Iosaphat also hauing broken downe the groues and banished the seruice of images 2. Chron. 19.3.8.11 Hee established in Ierusalem namely for the iudgement of the Lord Amariah the Priest and Zebadiah a ruler of the house of Iuda for all the Kings affaires 2. Chron. 17.6 and in the third yeare of his raigne he sent of his principall Gouernours and the Leuites with them for to teach the people And of Iosias it is written 2. King 23. And the King stood by the pillar and made a couenant before the Lord c. and it is added then the King commanded Helkijah the high Priest c. Who said not that the King had nothing to do to command him in matters which concerned the seruice of God but fulfilled the Kings commandement Likewise it is said of King Ezechias 2. Chro. 29 Hee opened the dores of the house of the Lord in the first yeare and in the first moneth of his raigne and repaired them c. called for the Priests and Leuites and said vnto them Heere me yee Leuites sanctifie now your selues and sanctifie the house of the Lord. Againe Now I purpose to make a couenant with the Lord God of Israel c. Then he said to the Priests the sonnes of Aaron that they should offer vpon the Altar he appointed the Leuites in the house of the Lord c. Then Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering vpon the Altar Also he saith Now yee haue consecrate your selues to the Lord come neere and offer the sacrifices and praises c. Againe 2. King 18.4 Hee tooke away the high places brake the images cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brasen serpent that Moses had made And he gathered together the whole Church and wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses 2. Chro. 30 that they should come to Ierusalem to celebrate the Passeouer c. For the King marke it and his principall Officers with all the congregation had held a counsell in Ierusalem to celebrate the Passeouer in the second moneth 2. Chron. 31.3 2. Chro. 35 1. King 2.27 Nehe. 8.8.13 the Postes therefore went note it by commission from the King Also hee prouided for the sacrifices as did Iosias
earth Bulla Iulij 3. sess Latran Non Decembris 1512. giueth Law to Temporall powers in Temporall things for there is read a Bull in this same Councell whereby Iulius the second forbiddeth faires to bee kept at Lyons and will haue them bee kept in another Citty ad Gebenensem ciuitatem To conclude hee setteth himselfe aboue the Church which he prostrateth disheuelled at his feete and calleth his seate Babylon of which speaketh Saint Peter in his first Catholicke Epistle 1. Pet. 5. And to the end that in the mouth of two witnesses this truth may bee confirmed I will bring forth yet another Parasite that was Generall of the order of Preachers 2. Sess in Orationem Caietani and had for recompence of his blasphemies a Cardinals hat his wordes may bee thus enterpreted speaking of the Church It shall obtaine if you will and command it if you imitate the power perfection and wisedome of God Almighty whose place on earth you ought to hold not onely in honour of dignity but in affection of will Gird your swords for you haue two one which is vnto you common with other Princes of this world the other which belongeth in such sort vnto you that none can haue it but from you c. Set forwards set forwards happily destroy the nations that desire warre seeing you raigne Priest and King c. And speaking of the mercy of the Pope the same will make you most excellent aboue all the Kings of the earth ergo the Popes mercy is diuine it will make you worthy to be worshipped gracious a friend and most-like vnto God And because we suppose many of quality will come to this Synode by the mercy of God and yours c. Magne regnator Deúm tam lentus audis scelera Senec. Tam lentus vides ec quando saeua fulmen emittes manu CHAP. IX That the Pope exalting himselfe aboue Kings in the manner as Cardinall Bellarmine will haue it exalteth himselfe also aboue all that is called God in Temporall things THE Teachers of nouelties submitting peace and war obedience rebelliō of subiects to the wils of Popes remember not what was in the beginning and that which we haue aboue proued For when the Magistrate hath bene a beleeuer hee hath euer bene aboue the Church to reforme it both in head mēbers being the Guardian to whose trust is committed the Law of God whereof hee is to haue a Copie which is cleere in points necessary to saluation and if there be obscurity in any place it is cleered by the reading of the same Neh. 8. according as Nehemiah practised and of this forme of enterpreting we need none other witnesse then Pope Clemēt who saith that we must not take a sense out of the Scriptures Clem. epist 5. ad discipulos Can. relatum dist 37. c. but must take the sense of truth from the Scriptures and he yeeldeth the reason of it because all men may take from them a full and firme rule of truth And if some Christian Emperours would not take knowledge of Ecclesiasticall causes it followeth not but that they had the authority and right to do it Deut. 17. For not onely the Priests and Leuites which did their duty tooke knowledge of thē but also the Iudge established by the Soueraigne Magistrate So when Ruben and Gad Iosh 22. with the halfe Tribe of Manasses had builded an Altar neere Iordan it is said that all Israell gathered together in Sylo to examine the matter sent ten of the principall of euery tribe vnto thē So Gedeō being established Iudge destroyed the Altar of Baal c. Cyrus Esd 1.16 Neh. 1. Darius Artaxerxes ordaine that the Temple shal be builded againe Esdras Nehemias take cōmission from thē In like maner vnder the Gospel Constantine Valentinian Theodosius assemble Councels We will say they bee present in the Councell after the example of Constantine not to make shew of our power but to confirme the faith c. and it is chiefely said that they which were of the Senate made decrees Cyrill Also Saint Cyrill reporteth that the Councell of Ephesus sent to Theodosius and Valentinian for to render them a reason of what was passed touching the condemnation of Nestorius And the Councels of Aix and of Arles Art 3. In praef Conc. Cub wrote to Charlemaigne praying him to confirme their decrees yea they did beseech him by his wisedome Ca. 45. nō in f. praef mag Can. vtinā 96. distinct Also Pope Nicholas writing to the Emperour Michael acknowledgeth that when there was debating concerning the Articles of faith Emperours were wont to be present in Ecclesiasticall Assemblies According to this power of Emperours vnder the Law of Moses the Church hath bene reformed not in the members onely but also in the head Salomon deposed Abiathar and Moses reproued Aaron and Eleazer Constantius also the sonne of Constantine the great deposed Liberius though without cause The Emperour Otho deposed Pope Iohn the twelfth Plat. in vita Greg. 6. Abbas Vesp an 1406. Sigismond deposed three together at one time and Henry the third as many namely Bennet the ninth Siluester the third and Gregory the sixt The French Kings haue also deposed and created many specially Boniface the eight was displaced by Phillip the Faire who translated the seat to Auignon where it continued 74. yeares and there were resident in that place sixe Popes one succeeding the other by the appointment of the King And this right of deposing Popes is treated of by a certaine Chancellour of the Vniuersitie of Paris Gerson one of the most learned Sorbonists of those times in his booke de Auferibilitate Papae That is farre from being absolute Lords in Spirituall and Temporall things For if euen in Spirituall things lawfull Councels haue required the approbation and authorization of Emperours it followeth that the authority and Soueraignety is wholly theirs velitis iubeatis as in the people of Rome so farre is it off that the Pope or his Colledge can determine any thing soueraignely Also the Kings of France and the Gallicane Church haue preserued to themselues appeales as in case of abuse from such decrees yea so often as Rome abuseth her pretended iurisdiction the Lord Chancellour giueth (a) Can. filijs 17. q. 7. can boni principes 96. dist can Tributum 22. q. 8. letters in case of abuse Now wee must know that wee call notorious abuse (b) L. ob qua §. Idem l. 1. §. sciendum de Aedil edicto when the act that is made is voide when it is against the nature of the act or else made by a man that hath no power (c) Inn. Pan. dd Can. Cum olim de causa possessionis to do it so as that not onely by the authority of the Prince but of priuate (d) L. prohibitum l. defensionis doct de iu. fi li. 10. c.
of nouelty which trouble the present state which transforme thēselues Iesuita omnis homo as the prouerbe is and do that which our Sauiour blameth in the Gospell compasse sea and land to make a proselite these I say are not fit men to instruct our children in the feare of God and seruice of the King The fourth meanes to conuince this new opinion is taken from the practise of the orthodoxall for by such workes we may know the workmen whereby we shall see that no particular faithfull persons haue euer resisted the King otherwise then by patience witnesses of this are the Israelites captiue in Aegypt and the answere and behauiour of the Iewes when Petronius would bring the Emperours Image into their Temple So that Zedechias Eze. 17.16 the last king of the house of Dauid was punished of God for not keeping his oath of a tributarie King As for the example of Constantine against Maxentius it cannot bee drawne into any consequence for it was a fact of one Soueraigne against another Soueraigne And as touching the subalternal Magistrates called the officers of the Crowne though the defensiue right bee grounded on the law of nature constant and vnchangeable yet they neuer came to that point but in case of all extremity So Dauid is said by Abigall 1. Sam. 25.28 that he fought the battels of the Lord hee fortified himselfe with men and armes enquired if the Inhabitants of Keilah would deliuer him to Saul 1. Sam. 23.11 for there can none other thing be gathered there-from but that hee would haue opposed the walles of the Citty against his enemy if hee had bene the stronger in the Citty With like modesty did the Priests behaue themselues towards King Ioram against whom they resisted and shut the gates of Libnah onely for that he would haue forced them commit idolatry for it is written that hee had not onely forsaken the Lord God of his fathers 2. Chron. 21.10.11 but caused the inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit fornication and compelled Iudah thereto Examples far from attempting against the person and state of Kings whose seruants they were the Hebrews in the time of Pharoah the Apostles in the time of Nero the first Christians vnder Iulian the Apostata our Sauiour himselfe the patterne for all the faithfull to imitate was enregistred from the wombe of the holy Virgin payed tribute answered before Pilate and his Apostles before Nero appealed vnto Caesar without shunning the Royall iurisdiction And if it had bene lawfull to attempt against the life of naturall Princes among so many constant Martyrs which haue suffered persecutiō would there not haue bene found some that would haue tryed this meanes for the deliuerance of their brethren Was there not zeale enough in the Apostles to stirre vp their Disciples thereto or eloquence enough in the Euangelists to perswade vnto murders Let then these new Doctors be confounded with shame by the doctrine which euen they teach whom they call Heretikes Art 39. 40. of the confession of the Reformed Churches of France Printed in the end of the booke of the Psalmes who in the midst of fires and massakers haue published their confession in the two last Articles of which are contained these words For this cause he to wit God hath put the sword into the Magistrats hand that he may represse the sinnes committed not onely against the second Table of Gods commandements but also against the first wee must therefore for his sake not onely endure that Superiours rule ouer vs but also honour and esteeme of them in all reuerence holding them for his Liefetenants and Officers to whom he hath giuen in commission to execute a lawfull and an holy function We therefore hold that wee must obey their lawes and statutes pay tributs imposts and other duties and beare the yoke of subiection with a good and free-will although they were Infidels * This condition ought not to be calūniated for it is better to obey God then men as is treated in the next Chapter so that the Soueraigne Empire of God remaine in his entire May it therefore please your Maiesty to iudge that if your Protestant subiects haue beene so firme in their duty towards your Predecessours of whom they haue bene so seuerely entreated that in the midst of torments they haue blessed the King What your Maiesty may expect of them being at this day their Benefactor and Protector and by this degree to acknowledge what your Maiesty is to beleeue concerning their Religion towards their Creator and eternall Redeemer And according to the doctrine of contraries your Maiesty may clerely see that they ingratefull of benefits receiued from the Kings your Predecessors which attempt daily by word writing and by damnable effects against the state person of the Soueraigne armed with such a power as he is that those same without doubt haue before-time enterprised very far against the seruice of their Soueraigne King whose Administrators they haue too longtime bene without rendring account CHAP. II. Wherein the Authority of the Prince consisteth FORASMVCH as in this last age of the world the malice of men is so great that they dispute the cleerest principles bring in new Maximes and call into question things most assured We must deale with them as our Sauiour did with the Pharisies Mat. 19.4.8 to conuince whose errour in matter of diuorce he sendeth them backe to that which was practised in the beginning teaching vs by his example to seeke out the truth in Antiquity and in her originall So doing for the question in hand wee shall finde that God the Creator of heauen earth King of Kings and Lord of Lords Gen. 1. Mat. 28. Apoc. 19. reseruing to himselfe the Empire ouer Spirits for to sound the thoughts dispose the wils and giue law to his creatures hath constituted vnder him a dignity depending of his onely grace which hee hath established on earth for to put in excution his ordinances 1. Tim. 2.2 To the end that wee may lead a peaceable and quiet life in all godlinesse and honesty To the obseruation of which ordinances this Soueraigne power is so much the more obliged for that the Prince sinneth not by transgression onely but also by example whereunto subiects vsually conforme themselues For this cause is he commanded to obserue the Law in these words Deut. 17. Hee shall write for him a Copie of this Law in a booke and after He shall take heed to all the words of this Law and to these statutes for to do them Now this commandement is giuen to the King not as to a priuate person to whom it sufficeth to subiect himselfe to it but as to a king for to reduce others to obedience thereto By vertue whereof he ought to chastise those Ecclesiasticall persons that bee corrupters of true Religion Deut. 13. according as it is written When there shall arise in the midst of thee any Prophet or
of the aduerse parties and will see if it was so at the beginning Neuerthelesse before I enter into this discourse I will most humbly entreate your Maiesty to beleeue that in the same I intend not to comprehend the good and holy Bishops and Priests which haue kept themselues in their duty as lawfull successours of the Apostles in fauour of whom it is written Hee which receiueth you receiueth me and whose feete are blessed bringing the glad tydings of the Gospell of peace These wordes wee borrow of purpose that wee may shew on the one side that wee bring nothing of our owne and on the other side that from time to time the truth hath not remained without witnesse and that this gangreene which we cut off had not gotten ouer all the members of whom also good Clergy-men being the successours at this present will not take it ill if wee reproue the actions of some Siluesters Iohns Gregories Bonifaces Iulius Alexanders Sixtus who haue oftentimes set all Christendome on fire and in bloud knowing that such spots respect not them no more then the Apostle-ship receiueth blame by the treason of Iudas For the faithfull Pastours sighed in their time to see such a disorder in Church wherein vice carried away the most part of the world Also from time to time not onely the Kings Officers but the best among the Clergy also haue opposed themselues that they might restraine such vsurpations Although on the other side the Pope set vp new orders depending on him in such sort that they durst Preach none otherwise then hee listed and them that flattered him most were the best Beneficed So disobedience to parents was followed with rebellion against the Magistrate yea against the Prince so farre as to say that it was necessary to saluation to beleeue that the Pope is God on earth To take away which false opinion and to hinder least in consequence of the same any attempt against our Kings I haue reported some actions of Popes which shew that they bee very farre off from that holinesse they pretend This is the onely end of this Treatise and not the desire to blame any of that order would to God they had bene the true successours of the Apostles so much would I haue honoured them in their charge as I detest the vicious But seeing wee are in processe betweene the King and this new power wee must agree vpon a Iudge superiour to them both for to ground their rights And as the King hath here aboue verified his right by the Law and by the Gospell by the Law of Nature the Law of Nations and the Ciuill Law not making vse of the Sentences of his Soueraigne Courts and of his Statutes So also I thinke that euery man of sound iudgement will beleeue that Bellarmine ought not to ground his mixt power vpon the Canon Law for that were to bee iudge in his owne cause to alleage vsurpations for good titles The same iudgemēt must we giue of the allegations of all the domesticke witnesses and pensionaries of the Pope infected with the new maximes of the Canon-law brought in since fiue hundred yeares whose testimonie hee produceth in the beginning of his booke Which may serue for answere in a word against all such depositions of reproachable witnesses And hereby is cleerely manifested that the Pope hath not whereon to ground his pretensions neither in diuine nor humane law or right seeing that his owne is not authenticall to his profite But if hee will be obeyed let him imitate our Sauiour who grounded his authority on an irrefragable proofe saying in Saint Iohn I seeke not the witnesse of men Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me According to which rule Paul Sylas were examined in Berea Act. 17.10.11 for it is said that the men of that place searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so In imitation of whom wee will see if it be so and will conferre the holy Scriptures and the Iesuites imposture together and if hee refuse this tryall wee shall know that he is one of them that Tertullian speaketh of in these words Tert. lib. de resurrect Constraine Heretickes to proue all their questions by the holy Scriptures they cannot subsist And if the King for to proue the authority of his Temporall right contented himselfe with the Law of God which is Spirituall how should the Cardinall dare to accuse it of insufficiency for to sustaine a right which hee pretendeth Ecclesiasticall And if it bee sufficient whence commeth it that till our Sauiours comming in the flesh that is for the space of foure thousand yeares his pretended authority was neuer heard of And after CHRIST till the Emperour Constantine were nothing but horrible persecutions for the space of about three hundred yeares yet there was no speech of dispossessing Augustus nor Nero or their successors Also our Cardinall maketh onely Hildebrand to be the chiefe whose testimonie hee alleageth in the beginning of his booke now hee was Pope in the yeare 1073. Neither will the blasphemous answere of the Iesuites serue who say that the Church had not power enough to make it selfe to bee acknowledged For I pray you could not the Lord IESVS armed with the rod of yron spoken of in the second Psalme haue beaten to peeces such Emperours Saint Peter whose shadow healed the sicke Act. 5. 8. cha 13.11 who confounded Simon Magus strucke with death Ananias and Saphira and Saint Paul who smote Elymas that resisted him with blindnesse would they not haue subiugated the persecutors if it had bene lawfull for them to exalt themselues aboue the powers that beare the sword But contrariwise they knew that it was written Eccles 8.2.4 He answereth not there That shall be the Pope Take heed to the mouth of the King to the word of the oath of God Item Where the word of the King is there is power and who shall say vnto him what dost thou They knew also that from the beginning our Sauiour had beaten downe that presumption saying Mar. 10.43 Whosoeuer will bee great among you shall bee your seruant Againe Mat. 20.26 The Kings of the Nations haue domination ouer them c. Luk. 22.25 but it shall not bee so among you c. Mat. 22.8 Bee not yee called our Maister for one is your Maister to wit CHRIST and all yee are brethren Also when Saint Paul reckoneth vp the Offices of the Church hee saith God hath ordained some in the Church as First Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers c. And if that power so much spoken of had bene established of God Saint Paul would not haue forgotten it for seeing hee treateth there of the degrees of Pastors it had bene a fit place to speake of it and insteed of putting all the Apostles in one ranke saying first Apostles if that had